In the beginning of 2011 we started with the Uncomfortable Talk series in Vienna. Our main goal was to infuse the creative scene in Vienna with fresh, new thoughts on innovation and marketing from abroad. In each talk we want the speaker to go beyond the normal nice-to-know presentation slides to there where it hurts. The place where it get’s uncomfortable because it requires change, it’s uncertain or it’s just something that people usually never talk about. The other aspect of the Uncomfortable Talk is that it should not just be a one way presentation but rather the starting point for a vibrant discussion between the audience. An event where participants openly share their uncomfortable thoughts, experiences and people can discuss and learn from each other. On our Vimeo channel you can find all (Neils video will be up soon) videos of the Uncomfortable Talks.
Already back in August we had with Matthias Weber, Matthias Abel & Marc Schäfer (3M) the 5th UnTalk in Vienna. In their talk and discussion they touched up on the topic of diversity and how it can influence transition and innovation:
Never before have we been in such a state of transition in so many aspects of life. While we are reaching with one foot towards the future, the other still seems somewhat rooted in the present whether that be culture, media, science, industry or business.
Marc, Matthias & Matthias (3M) will explore the Age of Transition, examining what drives it, motivates it and prevents it from fulfillment and how that affects us in our various aspects of life.
Uncomfortable Talk #5: 3M – The age of Transition from LHBS Consulting GmbH on Vimeo.
“People who think differently solve problems smarter than people who think alike.”
We would love to hear more about the topic of diversity because we feel that it’s way too much neglected by the creative industry. Also within organizations the topic of diversity seems to be pretty uncomfortable. People with a different educational background, approach or experience are often seen as barriers and not as a source of inspiration and different thinking.
How does your organization deal with diversity? How does your organization make sure that you evolve your way of solving problems?