Regular readers know that I am doing 50 healthy things in anticipation of my upcoming 50th birthday. Here’s number 10: cultivating new perspectives.
I have been somewhat involved in Kansas City’s local food movement for a few years now. I am a member of the Powell Gardens board of directors. One of its gardens, The Heartland Harvest Garden, is America’s largest edible landscape — where every tree, shrub, flower and groundcover helps tell the story of where food comes from. It’s a learning garden focused on seed to plate education, with an emphasis on our area’s rich agricultural heritage.
I am also a member of the Community Supported Agriculture Program (CSA) at Cultivate Kansas City’s Gibbs Road Farm. Each week, farm manager Alicia Ellingsworth and her crew provide my family and many others in our area with amazing, organic veggies.
Last week I had the opportunity to attend a lecture sponsored by Cultivate Kansas City. The speaker, Dr. Vandana Shiva, is a physicist, ecologist, activist and author who is changing the way the world thinks about food, agriculture and sustainability. Dr. Shiva’s lecture, “Cultivating Diversity, Freedom and Hope” addressed the value of diversity in nature and in society, as well how the monoculture of the mind can destroy that diversity at every level.
Photo courtesy of http://www.cultivatekc.org
I learned a lot about her views on food and agriculture, but I was even more struck by the fact that many of her opinions are relevant for marketers and brands in every category as we try to navigate an increasingly complex environment.
Her opening remarks were, “Diversity is the web of the world. It is not an an enemy of efficiency.” Of course, she was speaking primarily about biodiversity in agriculture, but I think it’s also a powerful thought if we apply it to our dealings with each other. I am often frustrated by interactions in which people have come to believe that those whose opinions differ from theirs are the enemy. We certainly see it in American politics, but I think this mindset also creeps into the workplace and even into friendships.
Personally, I am grateful for friends, colleagues and clients who share differing points of view. I appreciate thoughtful dialogue that spans both sides of an issue. Making room for various viewpoints ultimately results in better work and better communication – both personally and certainly for strong marketers.
Dr. Shiva also shared some thoughts about how to communicate with various factions. She summed it up by saying, “The simpler we can be the better. Simplicity is the highest level of eloquence in communication.”
Sounds like a smart creative director I know. Great advice for healthy brands and healthy living.
What are you doing to learn to broaden your perspective? Please share.
