How to Innovate Using Negative Feedback

I remember reading parts of the Cluetrain manifesto,

A powerful global conversation has begun. Through the Internet, people are discovering and inventing new ways to share relevant knowledge with blinding speed. As a direct result, markets are getting smarter—and getting smarter faster than most companies. Published April, 1999.

More on negative feedback, Seth Godin

I think the lesson is that marketers/corporations/organizations are way more interested in negative feedback because it's quite useful. And I agree with Steve Rubel and others that are pointing out that using focused search, a marketer can identify unhappy customers long long before they find their complaints in Business Week.

What's so pathetic here is that most organizations/corporations/marketers don't know about focused search. At least the type - technorati, blogpulse, ice rocket, etc, that finds what is being said today. Sure, they'll find it on Google, Yahoo, MS about the same time ( 3 to 6 week) it turns up in Business Week.

One blogger can make a difference for or against your offerings. Even if you have a small biz, the same ideas apply.

What's worse is the fact that front line workers know the problems better than anyone. However, I seriously doubt their ideas to fix them are ever heard or considered. From management-issues, "Space for ideas"...

Hierarchy is always the enemy of the free flow of ideas.