The hungry spirit seeks disorganised religion

It was Charles Handy that tells the story in his book The Hungry Spirit, that there are two hungers the lesser and the greater. The lesser is enough food to eat, the greater is why? Why are we here, what feeds our soul? In the Spectator recently I stumbled upon this article, In search of disorganised religion, the article starts,

Theo Hobson attends Grace, an alternative Christian service in west London, and finds it arty, irreverent, postmodern — and full of people seeking a new way to worship.

I went to church last weekend. Sort of. It was a Saturday evening service run by a group of laypeople in an Anglican church in Ealing. It’s a monthly event called Grace. What sort of people attend? Quite trendy ones. People who are a bit too trendy for normal church. The sort who know how to link a computer up to sound and visual equipment. No grannies, no kids.

Soft club music pulsed as I entered, and a big screen showed an art installation: furniture made of neon strips. In the middle of the pewless nave were a couple of sofas, a table and chairs, and a fridge; round the edges were some beanbags. I sat on one. This month’s theme was Home.

This is of interest as readers of the blog will know that human identity, is something I am very interested in. If we live in social times, described by many as social media, surely we should be interested in social stuff? And part of that social stuff relates to identity. In the No Straight Lines project – we enquire into the nature of identity, community and its impact on us spiritually. (SMLXL on identity) (more on communal joy) as we have identified that it plays a crucial role in the networked society as driver for social connection and meaning making.

Grace itself admits it’s difficult to define. ‘In some ways who we are and what we are about is best captured in telling our stories. Grace is shaped by the people in it at any given time and as such changes and moves on in response to an interplay between the ideas of the group, the Christian tradition, what we sense God is calling us to at that time, and the shifts in the culture around us.’ OK it’s waffley, but they’re reaching for something interesting, something that makes worship part of normal life. ‘We hope the changes to the life of grace will open up other possibilities for mission — evangelism locally, engaging in justice issues, in art and the media.’

Grace it seems is a response to the hungry spirit. I wonder why, so many people have angel wings tattooed on their backs?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64397450@N00/3848653394

A lot of people dismiss this scene as marginal trendiness, a very minor sideshow. I don’t. I think their time might be coming. In the same way as people are crying out for a ‘new’ politics, there’s a definite longing for a new church. The Catholics are mired in paedophile scandals, the Anglican communion has lost its way — perhaps it’s time for Grace instead?

What groups like Grace grasp is that though some people are turned off by organised religion, they still feel basically Christian: what they want is a new, disorganised style of religion, a postmodern shook-up version, full of irreverence and irony, and arty events. They want a new style of sacramentalism, that isn’t steeped in authority. Now that the internet’s here to stay, it’s difficult to accept hierarchy any more — religion must become open-source.

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Posted in: Alan Moore Speaking, Culture, Engagement Marketing, Engagement Organisations, Engagement Research, Ethics, Generation C, Philosophy, Society, Trends

Pirates read better according to Dave Eggers

I read about Dave Eggers 826 Valencia adventure in San Fransisco a while back – where in a Pirate Shop kids come to learn to read. Learning is a funny thing, I reckon you attract a greater more willing audience by saying come in and play Pirates. The Guardian writes

Named after its address in the Mission district of the city and guilefully hidden behind a Pirate Supply Store shopfront, “826 Valencia” helps students aged from eight to 18 to develop writing skills in informal workshops. By seducing young patrons with pirate parrots and peg legs, it removed the stigma associated with extra literacy lessons.

The San Francisco store was followed by a Superhero Supply Store in Brooklyn, New York, which sells capes and tins of “anti-matter”. Seattle then took up the challenge, setting up the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Company. The growing network of individual projects is linked through the Once Upon a School website.

And the project is now coming to the UK – here is a great post on 826 and the London store is pioneered by Ben Payne and Lucy Macnab

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Posted in: Engagement Education

Networked solutions offer new frameworks for innovation

This statement was made by Jouko Ahvenainen of GrowVC – V=Venture, C=Community.

The thought sprang to mind when reading about the challenges governments face, not only with slow growth, but also as the Economist points out large deficits and unsustainable debts.

In the same Economist article John Kao founder of the Institute for Large Scale Innovation, argues that Innovation “holds out the tantalising prospect of sustaining economic growth on the cheap”.

The article continues,

The OECD encourages governments to rethink their policies in the light of globalisation and the information economy. It notes that ‘intangibles’ such as knowledge networks and open business models now make up much of the value of firms in rich countries and that many companies produce profitable innovations with little or no research in-house.

Over the last couple of years, whereas before I was interested in networked thinking, co-creation, the nature of human beings, the role of communication networks etc., from a purely marketing perspective – what has become apparent is that there is something more profound that is happening and is on offer as alternative solutions to how organisations are created and how they operate in the world. Something that John Seely Brown touches on in this lecture, and something I explore in my post about publishing and media in the 21st Century. Here David Rosenberg talks about sustainable construction innovation tools and technologies. There are a number of examples that are emergent which now demonstrate the possibility of this reconfiguration – which on the one hand come from such different industries, regions, countries but on the other shows a pattern, a language, which forms a wireframe, that could be useful to companies seeking to make sense of the networked world. Something I explained at this years sxsw conference and also at the Do Lectures, MIT and INSEAD. Working what comes next, what is Next Generation Enterprise is something that cannot be overlooked.

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Posted in: Alan Moore Speaking, Economics, Engagement Civil Society, Engagement Organisations, Engagement Research, Government & Politics, Law, Media, Participation, Society, Strategy, Trends

Aalto University entrepreneurship evening

Speaking tonight at the Aalto University Venture Garage along with Tom Keller from Techstars, and involved with what looks like a very dynamic and vibrant entrepreneurial community. Also Artic StartUp and Ramine Darabiha from Mysites.

More on Entrepreneurship in the networked society

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Posted in: Alan Moore Speaking

An open letter to Mats Jansson – CEO Scandinavian Airlines

Dear Mats,

My name is Alan Moore, today I am flying on business to Helsinki with Blue 1. I had a very nice trip to the airport via public transport thank you. But sadly that is where it all went as we say, “Pete Tong”. But until interfacing with SAS I was a happy camper.

The lady at Check in Terminal 3, was indeed very polite and helpful – I asked if there were business class seats available, as with my basic SAS card, even though I have flown millions of miles with SAS since 1996 – I could not use the SAS lounge. I was prepared to upgrade to do so – as I wanted to get some important work done in preparation for the week ahead.

The nice lady directed me over to the SAS Ticket Sales desk. I strolled over still in ebullient mood, and stood at the desk. Two men, I think they work for you, as they sat behind the SAS Ticket Sales desk, unless they were imposters from a rival airline, – were having a really lovely chat. And they seemed reluctant to break it up on my account.

So I did a little, “ahem” – the gentleman looked at me – quizzically.

So I asked, can you tell me if you have any business class seats for the 15.15 to Helsinki?

One gentleman, looked at his screen and then looked at me.

After a lengthy pause, I asked, “well do you have any business class seats left?”

The gentleman said, “yes”

I waited, and waited, then I said, “well is there more information you would like to give me?”

The gentleman said, “You ask me another question, and I will give YOU another answer” (please note the capital letters are not an accident!

SO, I then said, “So can you tell me how much they are?”

The gentleman, looked back at his screen, “£564.00″

OK before he got to the £564.00 – I am having some sort of adrenaline rush as I am frankly, really pissed off at this point. I was happy to pay £564.00 but not to this gentleman. I said to him, “do you know I think you are being very rude!”

“That sir” he said, “is simply you’re own personal opinion”. He made no attempt to apologise, his body language made it perfectly clear what he thought of me.

I wanted to know his name, so I could put it down on the complaints form, this he refused to do – and he just stared at me.

I also understand the other SAS ground staff were also unhappy with this gentleman.

Mr Jansson, this will not do. SAS has always struggled in the customer friendly department (I know I have travelled with you extensively) – but to have someone so unpleasant being the (and I know its an oxymoron at this point) sales and service interface with customers; [1] harms your brand, [2] loses you business.

I have made a formal complaint, and I am sitting in Terminal 3 waiting to fly to Helsinki – which I have to say I deeply regret on one of your planes.

I would also have thought that the supervisor at check to whom I spoke might have made some sort of effort to offer me something – but other than I am really sorry, I was all out of change.

As a piece of advise, Mr Jansson at this moment when BA is in a bitter dispute with Unite, when you live and work in a challenging economic climate, you cannot afford to lose custom, and accrue negative advocacy. Perhaps you might like to pick up the phone and have a chat with your T3 Ground staff personally. Perhaps you should read my book on Engagement Marketing – called Communities Dominate Brands: business and marketing challenges for the 21st Century?

Your sincerely Alan Moore

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Posted in: Engagement Marketing

Hero’s and villians: GrowVC in conversation with Ole Tillman

well worth a listen (here)

People remember stories, they like stories and they will even share stories with others. We’re discussing the value of a great story, with Markus and Jouko from Grow VC, and our special guest, actor and presentation coach Ole TIllmann.

Some Ole quotes…

“.. to get your thoughts into a story and this story into your body, so that you have your head free for your presentation”

” .. because it’s always about values, we as human beings want to be next to other human beings who have the same values as us..”

More on GrowVC (here)

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Posted in: Economics, Generation C, Link Economy, Social Networks, Strategy, Trends, Web/Tech

ThoseinMedia “Thought Leadership” Virtual MasterClass

On the 16th June I am running an interactive Masterclass for ThoseinMedia – which is frame worked around the No Straight Lines Project.

This is what its all about:

Are YOU willing to de-school in straight line thinking & re-school in the new literacy of commerce & communication? (And it’s not Social Media.) In our networked society, you either move beyond thinking about marketing, media & business as either digital or non-digital, to have the competitive advantage or hemorrhage the bottom line.

Our interactive networked world isn’t about vertical silos, traditional notions of product & service creation, mass media & marketing. It is about the massive flows of people, who are connecting, collaborating, organizing & creating in a manner that has nothing much to do with a linear approach.

Learn in an interactive Virtual MasterClass, premised upon No Straight Line principles:

-      How to transition into a “blended reality” business & marketing framework, creating meaningful customer experiences to power business success

-      How to harness the power of the networked society to “co-innovate” a customer-centered brand

-      How to align the untapped “hidden assets” in your company with Marketing & Communications to drive sales

You can register here

Also:

(1) Recording and slides are provided after MasterClass

(2) TWO attendees have the opportunity to be selected for HOTSEAT “No Straight Line” advice from me during the MasterClass. You are asked to submit a write-up of your “straight line” situation (less than 150 words) to support@authorsglobe.com by Friday, June 11, 5 pm EST.

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Posted in: Alan Moore Speaking, Books, Engagement Education, Engagement Marketing, Retail

Social Art Field Trip

The Centre for Creative Collaboration are running Social Art Field Trips, designed to get people started in using social tools to create something, they say that is, beautiful, interesting and useful for their customers and stakeholders.

These are are hands-on explorations of the potential for using the social web to help you get where you want to be.

Is you feel like this is you then, this could be a fun way to get involved

1. have been exposed to the theories about social media but want to get their hands dirty; or
2. have a strategic role but need some practical experience of social tools; or
3. are artists in any medium, looking for ways to expand and extend their creative practice; or
4. know that using social tools is important, but don’t know where to start; or
5. want to be better at having conversations with others inside or outside their organisation; or
6. just feel stuck and are eager to try something new.

They are running every Thursday throughout June. Lloyd Davis who is running the project, is a fabulous human being, you could not ask to be in better hands.

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Posted in: Convergence, Culture, Engagement Education, Events, Media, Participation, Philosophy, Web/Tech

The virtual silicon valley that is GrowVC

Some say, its the future of funding for entrepreneurs, and they just may be right. easy to understand presentation on a company that I am a great believer in GrowVC – V=venture, C=Community.

In Communities Dominate Brands, we always said the future of business was in the 4C’s of: [1] Commerce, [2] Culture, [3] Community, [4] Connectivity – connecting people up to, and, across eachother.

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Posted in: Darwin, Data, Economics, Engagement Marketing, Engagement Organisations, Ethics, Generation C, Government & Politics, Link Economy, Participation, Social Networks, Society, Strategy, Trends, Web/Tech

If life is local then you have to mean it

Life is Local is the anthem to which the Johnston Press sings along, and of course the truth is that in many ways, life is still very local, still very situated in physical space and place. Of course the struggle is to make sense of that in a networked society. So good news to see, some real efforts of companies taking the life is local meme, and walking the talk.

Here is the nub is the story, as told by Roman Gallo, director of media strategies for Amsterdam-based investment firm, PPF Group.

The idea is to create a newsroom environment where as little separation as possible exists between those reporting the news and those consuming it. To break down that wall his company developed news cafes – newsrooms containing public cafes, where community members are encouraged to drop in, share their ideas and even contribute to the publication. “We use these cafes as community centres,” he said. “There’s a much better understanding of community life for our editorial staff because there are no barriers.” The cafes don’t just quench caffeine cravings, either. Each newsroom frequently holds community events like concerts or dance lessons, often attracting hundreds of people from the area. The novel newsrooms create a unique connection between consumers and the Nase Adresa brand, said Gallo. “It creates trust.”

This collaborative engagement, has I think a great deal going for it. Especially if one draws the lens back to look upon a wider landscape, and recognise that organisations and brands that are prepared to devolve their power through collaborative processes, do that not only in a practical sense but a metaphorical one too. The symbol of something that listens and reciprocates is powerfully attractive. So I wonder, for hyper local news traditional media must either engage or die?

(More here)

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Posted in: Citizen journalism, Convergence, Culture, Economics, Engagement Marketing, Marketing, Media, Networks, Participation, Strategy, Trends