October 11, 2004
egofriction death squads
Egofriction.
In The Hughtrain there is the oft-quoted thought that the future of advertising is “internal”.
i.e. How you talk to each other is more important than how you talk to the outside world.
i.e. If you can’t discuss with your people why your product is fabulous, how do expect to be able to do likewise with the general public? Exactly. You can’t.
And let’s say you build Bill and Ben The Company Men the most advanced internal corporate communications system in the world. So they can share information and whatnot better than anyone alive. Using Typepad, Blogger or whatever.
Well, if Bill and Ben hate each other’s guts, it’s all for naught. They ain’t going to be talking to each other, regardless of how swell their toys are.
This is what I call “Egofriction”. Personality getting in the way of process.
Egofriction Eradication is key to the internal conversation of any company, and it is key to the external market conversation of any company.
So I’m wondering if there’s a market for companies that can eradicate it? Egofriction Death Squads, as it were.
We live in interesting times.
[AFTERTHOUGHT:] “Egofriction devalues Emotional and Intellectual Capital”. Of course it does.
[AFTERTHOUGHT:] By making your process more fluid and/or transparent in any endeavor, you are opening yourself up… you are sharing.
Sharing is an act of love.
Paris does serve good coffee, it’s true. While I’m here though…(love your blog yadda yadda yadda), I actually found it while trawling through tediously unbelievable amounts of identical information on how to become a copywriter, which is something I would be good at, and i was both impressed and inspired by the stuff you’ve committed to e-paper. So if you feel like offering some advice on that, I’d appreciate an email quite pathetically much.
Anyway I don’t have the benefit of being in Paris (i’m in london) so I’m going to go and try to find some good coffee, which should take up the rest of the day. Still it was nice to find a blog which isn’t basically a cholesterol and blood pressure readout in words.
Thanks
Oli
heeeeey!!!!
what‘s up?
Mi name is Ani, im an spanish girl that has liked your weblog… I hope that you‘re better aftert left Paris (u have to cheen up!!!) … I‘d like that u write me back.
Kisses
ANI
Laughed like a maniac at Egofriction! I have just such a ‘situation’! Thanks again!
Ego friction is something I work with all the time in organisations (I’m a consultant and psychotherapist). I’ve written a Masters dissertation on “emotion” in organisational life (thinking of doing a PhD on this area as well) and until such times as we can talk about “feelings” and the “personal” in those contexts I think that friction will continue to be something that gets “in the way” as distinct from really, really useful organisational intelligence. How we relate internally in organisational life is very often the same experience our clients/customers have of engaging with us. No reflection on the friction = loss of the intelligence…We have to re-frame the hassle as just information about difference and get on with paying attention to it..
Hugh, go check out Andy Sack’s article on using a business therapist to keep the communication flowing in his own company.
http://asack.typepad.com/a_sack_of_seattle/2004/09/business_therap.html
It seems to me that egofriction won’t dissolve on its own, nor will an outside company ordering you to “knock it off.” The only way two people can learn to put aside their differences and work for the common good — and possibly learn to appreciate each other in the process — is to believe in the product they’re working on SO F*CKING MUCH that they can’t help but move forward.
I see your point Hugh, but you’re always banging on about creativity and how it’s so important.
Some of the most creative partnerships in history have been built out of conflict.
In the music sphere alone you’ve got, Jagger/Richards, Lennon/Mcartney, Daltrey/Townsend, Kember/Pierce.…
Doesn’t ‘Egofriction’ have a positive slant, in a media environment or any other environment aswell?
Pieman, point taken.
I suppose I’m thinking egofriction in the non-productive, Dilbert-eat-your-heart-out sense.
nice. reading your post i just become speechless. ha ha ha.
Yes, but, Pieman. Yes, but.
Look at the long-term effects on the guys you mention (dunno who kember& pierce are — sorry) but just look at Keith Richards, John Lennon & Pete Townsend — yes in partnerships they produced eternally beautiful gorgeous musical experiences but one of them was shot dead at the age of 40 (shit!!) one of them looks like he shrivelled up and died 20 years ago and the other is on the Sex Offenders Register.
Hugh — put me on the list for your ninja egofriction death squads — I agree that it requires lots and lots of love.
Lloyd — so what if they’re dead or ugly. People will still be listening to their legacy in 100 years time. Meanwhile, the survivors rake in the dough — partly fuelled by conflict.
Kember/Pierce = Spacemen 3. Everyone should own The Perfect Prescription.
So what if they’re dead or ugly??! Well, basically, they must have led pretty ugly lives… And it all depends on whether you just want what they could give (what do I get out of this?) or whether you actually care about each person as a person..
I’m just saying it’s not for me in this life. My legacy will last 100 years too and so will yours — it might not be felt by the billions touched by the Gods of Pop & Rock, and my survivors might not be millionaires as a result, but I’d prefer a quiet, simple low-conflict life.
I’m going to walk quietly away now, the needle on my egofrictionometer is starting to twitch.
Egofriction Lube Squads sounds more entertaining. Aside from Sharing, how else to battle egofriction?
I’ve met some people so full of ego they can’t help but rub everyone else the wrong way. Sometimes they are quite capable and entitled to a certain amount of respect and awe. But friction is friction and it is still annoying and often counterproductive.
We need stronger bullets than Love for some…
I saw an edition of The Apprentice last night. Donald Trump in the role of The Almighty. Egofriction makes good reality TV. Seems that it really is percieved as being a business lesson, “oh yes my son the dog really does eat the dog”.
Heavens above, where is the love? Just stop for a moment, breathe in, breathe out and smile. Its a bit like the bit in church where they say turn round and shake hands with the people around you…everyone is always so embarassed?! Pour quoi?
Less bitching, less backbiting, more snogging.
Would you rather spend 40 – 80 hours a week with people you like, or with people you hate?
Seems pretty obvious to me…
Great collaborations built on conflict are sort of like the myth of the Starving Artist. Did Jagger/Richards succeed because of conflict, or in spite of it?
“If you can’t discuss with your people why your product is fabulous, how do expect to be able to do likewise with the general public ?”
This is a constant source of angst for me.. I work in vertical market business that is crying out for a technology injection — not bleeding-edge stuff you understand, but simple, useable, affordable technology that even I can afford. And yet I can’t get the message across [to my people]. They *really* don’t understand. I don’t speak in tongues, and I can get non-techies outside the business to understand me. They won’t even acknowledge they’re *in* the box, let alone try to look outside it
Is Ludditism hereditary d’you think ?
nice graphic!
jeez. if only i had read this post 6 months ago. life would have been a hell of a lot easier.
I might have looked at the INTENSE ego-friction in the office and laughed at it, instead of letting it stick me full of evil karma.
Thanks mate for the post. And if you find some Ego friction death squads, do send them this way.
Very interesting point of view fdgfdg.
2 much spam in here
2 much spam in here