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How to Use Discomfort to Better Define Your Brand

Dave HardyJanuary 10, 2024

In a world where innovation and creativity are the lifeblood of success, pushing our boundaries and embracing discomfort can be the key to unlocking our true potential.

I attended the Mirren CEO conference in November. It was a great experience delving into the minds of creative industry giants, uncovering their struggles, and celebrating their successes. But seeing what others are doing makes me realize what I’m not doing. This discomfort pushes me to explore new avenues, and that is something I've always encouraged.

The Value of Discomfort

I think it’s important to identify uncomfortable feelings, so you know when you are being pushed outside of your comfort zone. This is a common subject of conversation I have with my kids. I believe that if something makes you uncomfortable, you should lean into it. But as we grow older, we tend to shy away from discomfort, seeking the path of least resistance.

The results of this avoidance are right in front of us every day – the bland and forgettable brand messages that inundate our lives. We live in a culture of "easy," where brands often lack a clear position or a distinct voice that stands out.

When defining a brand position, challenge is at the very core of the process. Did they grapple with it, argue with it, collaborate with others, or scream in frustration at it?

The reality is that in many cases, these challenges are overlooked, resulting in uninspiring and generic brand messages. This lack of intentional tension can lead to mediocrity and conformity.

Embracing Critical Input

I've come to understand that I thrive on critical input from those around me. To create the best possible outcomes, I've adopted a simple but powerful question: Can you create touchpoints of intentional tension in your culture, processes or work to elevate an idea, a strategy, or, most importantly, your own thinking and growth?

The answer lies in the deliberate cultivation of discomfort and tension.

The Accordion Framework

One framework I've used over years of facilitating workshops and leading my own projects is what I call the "Accordion.” It's a process of expansion and contraction, where you stretch your creative muscles to their limits.

Set Up
Partner with individuals who think differently and can offer fresh perspectives. Seek out critical thinkers who challenge your ideas rather than validate them.

Go Away
Dedicate time to focus, creating an environment for intense thinking. Set stringent timelines that force accountability. The tighter the deadline, the more results-driven you become. Remember, anything can be completed in a day with the right focus.

Come Back
Present your ideas to your partners. Speaking your thoughts aloud forces you to clarify them. It's in this dialogue that you receive valuable feedback, and your ideas evolve.

Repeat as Needed
This process is cyclical. Force yourself to go through it repeatedly until you achieve the desired outcome. Strive for a thought that is unique or a strategic position that truly scares people.

The more disciplined you are in creating intentional tension throughout the process, the better the results you'll achieve. In this journey, you'll not only grow as an innovative thinker but also elevate the thinking of those around you.

Cultivate Tension for Your Brand

As builders of brands, we must ask ourselves a crucial question: where can we implement intentional tension to elevate thinking and foster personal growth for ourselves and those we lead? The power of discomfort lies in its potential to shape and elevate us, and it's a force we should harness in our pursuit of excellence.

Being bold isn’t easy. If it were, we’d see the evidence of it among the many and not the few. As a student of brand and creative strategy, I see the product of the connection between our fears and our tendency to embrace mediocrity. I want to explore ways to see challenges as opportunities and to discover how to harness what holds us back.

These philosophies enable Think Shift to push the boundaries and deliver transformative creative that elevates the brands entrusted to us. Let’s get to work on yours.

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