Culture & Change

I’m reading “Velvet Elvis,” a book by Rob Bell. It’s a wonderfully eloquent book about the power of change, and the need for every generation to discover their own way of expression. As a pastor, he focuses the book on the Christian faith. But the principles work in any group – company, business, church, or religious organization. I'm faced with this challenge everytime an organization we consult with transitions to the next generation, or the time comes to re-energize a company with fresh, new branding or creative. Rob uses the illustration of an old velvet Elvis painting he found in his basement, and takes the perspective from the world of art: ... read more

Steve MoonReader Steve Moon at Lunamac,Inc, designed two Mac widgets to keep you updated on all the posts on philcooke.com. The first is a "News Feed" widget to keep you updated on stories I'm posting throughout the day. The second is a "Video Podcast" widget to update you on the latest Change Revolution podcast. Check them out (it's one more reason to make the switch from PC). You'll find it at the bottom of the right hand column. Just scroll to the bottom of this page - and many thanks to Mac maven Steve Moon. ... read more

It is the function of art to renew our perception. What we are familiar with we cease to see. The writer shakes up the familiar scene, and, as if by magic, we see a new meaning in it.
-- Anais Nin

As a commercial director and media consultant in Hollywood, perception is my business. I deal in the visual world of products and people, and how they are perceived by the viewing audience. Today, in a media-saturated culture, perception is the currency of choice. Public relations has become an art form as celebrities, politicians, and companies confront the need to impact and control public opinion, and the issue of perception has become a critical part of advertising campaigns, press releases, and public statements. ... read more

Matt Villano, writing in The New York Times has created a very insightful article on dealing with control freaks. In my experience, one of the greatest challenges facing the leadership of churches and ministries is the control freak. It presents itself in different ways - sometimes a dictator, sometimes a micro-manager, and sometimes a detail freak - but almost always, it's someone who can't delegate, doesn't trust employees, and wants to approve everything. The result is an atmosphere that suffocates vision, stifles motivation, and blocks real progress. Maybe Villano's article will give you some ideas and suggestions that will help in your daily struggles with the control freak in your office: ... read more

BrownieMark Thomas, one of my partners in commercial production company "TWC Films" and I went to lunch some time ago with a long time friend and executive at Kodak. Because Kodak is in the middle of one of the most significant corporate transitions in history (the change from the film age to the digital age), I asked him about "change", and what his advice would be for companies going through such a significant transition. ... read more

I love to talk about big picture stuff, the media world, and global impact. But we sometimes forget that just getting your message understood by your boss, or your employees or team is critical to making the big picture happen. In the media, two types of communicators you need to understand are people who think by talking about it, and people who think by doing. I’m a doer. Maybe it’s my A.D.D., but I’m not interested in details. ... read more

I understand that Delta is coming out of bankruptcy, and overall, air travel is up nationwide with all airlines. That's fantastic, and I'm happy for the industry. Travel is a big part of what I do. In fact, 2 years ago, I traveled 250,000 miles in a single year. ... read more

Understanding change is critical in this culture, but it's just as important to understand when change matters. Malcolm Gladwell (author of The Tipping Point and Blink) uses an interesting example. In the last 10 years golf clubs have improved dramatically. There's been a tidal wave of golf teaching videos, while shoes, gloves, and other accessories have made dramatic improvements. ... read more

I've written many times about the freeing power of priorities. In making change happen, one of the biggest obstacles is not knowing where to start, but knowing which decisions are the most important. Great leaders rarely carry cellphones, PDA's, packed briefcases, or file folders. Great leaders get that way not because they know how to push around information, but because they know how to make decisions. ... read more

My cable TV is out, so I called Charter Cable today (for the 3rd time).  You have to go through an entire automated menu - type in your phone number, tell them your address and last name, punch numbers for this, then for that.  Even when I hit "0" to get to an operator, the computer voice argued with me.  If you think that an automated phone system is making your organization more efficient, then think again, because it's driving people away. ... read more

Look over this short checklist to see how you measure up on the strength of your leadership: ... read more

I love to talk about the big picture stuff of change – especially as it relates to culture and the media world.  But we sometimes forget that getting our message understood by our friends, boss, employees, or team is critical to making the big picture happen.  Two types of communicators you need to understand are people who think by “talking about it”, and people who think by “doing”.  Neither one is better or worse, but they are dramatically different. ... read more

Today’s Wall Street Journal featured a story on Jim Skinner, CEO of McDonald’s Corporation, and how his focus has been on making McDonald’s better, not bigger. He’s been turning around the massive company, and he listed his “5 Tips for Managing a Turnaround,” and I though they were pretty appropriate for religious organizations. In fact, after each tip, I’ve noted how to adapt it to your organization. Let me know if you agree: ... read more

Some year 2006. Here’s a few of the most insane moments: ... read more

Hit a creative plateau? Ideas aren't coming like they used to? It might not be your lack of creativity - it may be something going on around you - habits you can get into that damage the creative impulse. Check out these "Top Three Creativity Killers" from the 31Three Journal. ... read more

Check out this commentary by writer Bob Bonebrake, author of King of America on the portrayal of Christians in the media. Well worth reading:

It’s easy to spot the evangelicals in the movies these days. They’re the ones wearing the black hats. ... read more

Here's some interesting steps to amp up your thinking skills from the Study Guides and Strategies website. ... read more

Every day, someone in America is committing career suicide. But it’s not with a gun or even drugs - it’s with a podium. Respected men and women - often excellent employees - but who end up dying a horrible death in front of an audience – usually at an industry conference, corporate meeting, or workshop. ... read more

This week is Rick Warren's AIDS Conference at Saddleback Church, and he's getting both applause and criticism. Most of the criticism seems to revolve around bringing opposing political and moral perspectives to the table, including pro-abortion and/or members of the homosexual community. It's the old debate about potentially compromising the message to achieve a result.

For my money, ... read more

As the election shifts some of the political and cultural battle lines to the left side of the fence, Arthur Brooks, writing in the Wall Street Journal makes some interesting points about their view toward religion. From time to time, you'll hear me talking about this being a "Post-Secular Culture." Here's why: ... read more