Marketing, Engineering, Design…Empathy?

How being more humane helps you win

Fitzgerald Steele, Jr.Director of Marketing

Integrated DNA Technologies

@fjsteele #empathyFTW

A little bit about me

I speak many languages.

Let’s play a game!

10 Positive Emotions of MMTW

• Joy• Relief • Love • Surprise• Pride

• Curiosity• Excitement• Awe and Wonder• Contentment• Creativity

* Blatently “reused” from Jane McGonigal’s TED Talk

Marketing, Engineering, Design…Empathy?

How being more humane helps you win

Fitzgerald Steele, Jr.Director of Marketing

Integrated DNA Technologies

When Marketing, Engineering, and Design Work Together…

And When They Don’t…

So why isn’t every product and service awesome?

“I used to think projects were 80% people stuff, 20% technology. Now I think it’s like 90% people stuff…”

-- Robert Torres

One example:

Hostility Attribution Bias*

* Google-able phrase

em·pa·thy

1) the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

2) understanding and fully comprehending another’s feelings

3) the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another

Yes, I’ll help!

No, thanks

Threshhold of Action

This is similar to BJ Fogg’s Behavior Change Model

Empathy Circuit TrainingFor Marketers, Engineers, Designers

Empathy For…

• Customers• Colleagues• Community

CUSTOMER EMPATHYGetting Into Their World, Understanding Their Journey

Customer Personas*

Customer Journey Maps*

COLLEAGUE EMPATHYFinding Common Ground, Building Together

AlwaysBeConstructing…

Externalize Your Thinking, Create Boundary Objects*

AlwaysBeConstructive

Positive Psychology

Positive Teams Accomplish More*

Positive-to-Negative Ratio Marriage*

3-1 Positivity Ratio*

Appreciative Inquiry*

• …It is founded on the simple assumption that human systems – teams, organizations and people – move in the direction of what they study, what they focus on and what they talk about with regularity.

Positive images inspire positive action.

Let’s Try An Appreciative Interview

• Partner with the person next to you. • You’re going to interview them for 5 minutes,

asking the two questions I’m about to share with you.

• Then, you will switch roles. The interviewer will become the interviewee.

• Be curious, interested. Feel free to explore, delve, and go wherever the conversation takes you.

Tell me about one of the most significant and satisfying accomplishments or events you have experienced as a student…a time when you felt like you were working at your best on something fun or interesting or engaging:

– When was it– Was anyone else involved– What did you do that made this occasion so memorable– How did you feel as you approached the event? During?

How did you feel when it was over?

COMMUNITY EMPATHYEngaging in the World Around You

How Do You Better Relate With Others?

Your Specialty; 25%

Everything Else; 75%

Think About Engaging, Empathizing With People At Lower Levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs*…OR…

Consider Upping Your Zombie Apocalypse Relevant Skills

Empathy for others around you…

You and Your

World

Customers

Colleagues

Community

…will help you expand your world.

Your NewWorld

Empathy is the key to expanding the area in which you can influence

…hopefully in a positive way

The whole talk in less than 140

characters…

Tweet that!

@fjsteele #empathyFTW