By Theresa Witham
Earlier this week the CUES School of Strategic Marketing took a fieldtrip to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Visitor Center. My colleague Christopher Stevenson shared his thoughts on the trip in this CUES Skybox blog post.
I have a few more to add. The center was inspiring and meaningful on a number of levels. It was fun to touch and interact with many of the exhibits. It was exciting to be able to contribute my thoughts and causes to the center’s collections.
But what sticks with me the most is this quote on the wall.
“Don’t just go for safe projects. Take on the really tough problems,” was Warren Buffet’s advice to Bill and Melinda Gates.
The foundation is tackling some of the toughest, and politically charged, problems in the world, from climate change and biologically modified crops to vaccines and family planning in developing countries.
Our tour guide acknowledged that these are controversial topics and then showed how the center seeks feedback on each. Visitors are welcome to sit and type in comments about each topic.
I found all of this very inspiring and brave but what I keep coming back to is the idea of tackling the tough problems. What does that mean in your life? At your credit union? For your career?
Back in the meeting room the next day, attendees continued to discuss what it means to be a strategic chief marketing officer.
Mark Weber, president/CEO of CUES Supplier member Weber Marketing Group, Seattle, told attendees: “This is the turning point for your careers,” to be able to say a project, product or process is not on strategy; it’s not on brand.
Of course, credit union marketers are not tackling the incredibly difficult global problems that the Gates Foundation is, but you are tackling problems that are significant to your organizations, to your members and to your local communities. And as the curator of your credit union’s brand, you need to tackle the tough, (office) politically-charged problems at your organizations.
What tough problems are you going to tackle?
Theresa Witham is a CUES editor.
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