From business to biology, monoculture is a disastrous idea. In biology, monoculture is cultivating a single crop in one area. It exhausts the soil and increases vulnerability to pests and diseases. In business, it is the isolation of business functions from each other. It exhausts viewpoints and increases the likelihood of problems that could have been avoided. As Mark Stouse points out, one of the main forces driving this silo-fication is LinkedIn, which rewards tribal loyalty over truth. And, speaking of counterintuitive ideas, Jeanne Jennings explains why the promotions tab is a blessing to email marketing. While some marketers view it as the worst possible destination, nothing could be further from the truth. Constantine von Hoffman Managing Editor |