Celebrating Change

PINK is celebrating! We launched the magazine (really the movement) five years ago and acknowledged the milestone this year with events at Saks in NYC and Atlanta. GlaxoSmithKline’s Global Innovation Head, Donna Sturgess, spoke to the New York crowd gathered on the 8th floor (where they carry so many shoes, the department has its own zip code!)

Sturgess talked abundance and how to create it in an economy defined by scarcity. The secret, she says, is to become a “change expert.”

How? Three ways:

1. “Look for change.” Monitor not just trends but also simple changes taking place around you. Sturgess called them “cracks,” like cracks in the sidewalk. “That’s where the grass grows.”

2. “Talk about change.” Bring up the elephant in the room – the downsizing, the layoffs, the cutbacks, and the new direction.

3. “Think about change,” personally as well as professionally. And ask yourself, in regards to your organization – and your life – “what are you doing differently to drive change?”

When organizations and individuals are fragile, that’s precisely the time to push yourself to “move beyond hesitation,” says Sturgess. “That’s the only way to get the competitive advantage.” If you’re a leader today and are afraid of change? Well, Sturgess says, “you’re probably in the wrong job.”

Undeniably optimistic, Sturgess sees an “abundance of opportunity.” “The clouds are parting,” she says. Companies like Google and Microsoft were birthed during the last recession. When others hesitate, force yourself to see the cracks and move ahead, and there you’ll find the opportunity for growth!

As we mark our anniversary, PINK is moving forward to drive change by delivering timely, daily doses of PINK through our new, fast growing, e-note; the Little PINK Book. We’ve altered our business model to put our full resources behind this effort. Yes, it’s a bit scary – but it’s even more invigorating, like jumping into a vast, cool lake.

Sturgess, too, is taking a leap. After more than 25 years establishing herself as a thought leader in brand building and driving growth for GlaxoSmithKline through marketing innovation (running business units such as Oral Care and Over-The-Counter products), Sturgess is branching out to start a consultancy of her own. She is one of the founding partners of the new marketing neuroscience firm, Buyology Inc.

Now that’s celebrating change.

By Cynthia Good