“Dixon: We talk about communication. How many businesses are in this hall?”
October 14, 2009
How many real business companies involved in cluster initiatives are in this hall?, asked Patrick Dixon from Global Change Ltd. straight to the audience. “No, no, I do not mean the consultancy businesses who try to get some contracts during these days!”- “Nobody, ups! But do you not want to sell your regions to them, that they come to boost innovation in your localities? “
When the world changes fast, keep looking further ahead” was the title of his lively, comedy and preacher style speech on the 3rd day plenum session. If you have not been in the session, have a look at you tube to get an impression of Dixons innovative style of presentations on different business topics. Or you look and listen to a live video recording from the session here.
According to the Conference workbook Dixon is one of the leading international business consultants of multinational companies. Much more important is that he provided an insight into the business and change realities he works in. And if he talks he likes to put the finger into the wound: “The point why businesses are not here is: they just do not get your messages! (see Calvin comic below)
Dixon is not only a good performer while running through the audience, changing slides like a maniac to reap burst of laughter form the listeners. 100s of nodding heads in the hall demonstrated that he speaks out what many others think but cannot say loudly in their daily work life.
For me the main message he came up with, although not new but in a very straight way, was this one: “Businesses are the ones who are most innovative. And if we do not understand and talk to businesses, how will we understand innovation?”
Clusters are not made by governments or public bodies, and we have to consider that in our daily life. What then is our role? We need to understand better the complexity of business processes and the changing environment in which businesses operate. Accordingly we ourselves have also to reflect about our promotion approaches, communication and facilitation formats with businesses.
