How has innovation played out in the course of your life or career? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.
“Old ways won’t open new doors.”
“Getting an idea should be like sitting on a pin; it should make you jump up and do something.”
“Innovation is born from the interaction between constraint and vision.”
image from Amazon
What do Earvin Magic Johnson, Seth Godin, Adam Grant, Steve Case, Richard Davis, and Eric Lefkofsky have in common?
If you happen to have recently read Big Little Breakthroughs, you would know the they are fans of the author Josh Linkner.
Instead of innovation, being accessible to only a select few, Josh offers through many real-world examples. In dozens of small ways we can all innovate and be far more creative in our personal and professional worlds, to generate big results.
Cutting edge research from Harvard University proves that all human beings are creative. In fact, 85% of creativity is learned behavior. Unfortunately, the biggest obstacle is fear — literally robbing us of this innate human capacity.
If you would like to learn The 10 Commandments of Brainstorming, The Seven Deadly Sins of Creativity, and Five Innovation Lessons from the Beatles, please check out the big ideas in this little book.
Image of Marissa Mayer from Twitter
How innovative and creative are you compared to those around you? How do you stack up against your colleagues, your competitors, and to the global pioneers that are transforming our world with new exponential technologies?
If your ego has gotten a bit bruised by pondering those questions, there is coaching for you in today’s quote.
Take a few minutes to examine one or two top priorities in your personal or professional worlds. What is your vision for each area, and what limitations or constraints exist?
Consider expanding your vision in these areas to the point where the constraints become greater, requiring you to be even more innovative.
Even if you shoot for the moon and miss, your innovative efforts will land you among the stars.
Image from Unsplash by J. Jordan
Variety is the spice of life, they say. How much variety do you experience on a daily basis in your job and personal life? Whether its your organizational budget, your own financial situation, or your personal habits in spending time, perhaps you would benefit from a bit more experimentation.
Where would spending or perhaps investing more resources — including money and time — provide for potential quantifiable or qualitative value? How might a bit more creativity, innovation, and experimentation spice up your professional and personal worlds?
Please reply to this post with the “outside the box” efforts you plan to initiate.
Image from theconversation.com
Have you ever tried on a new article of clothing in which you mistakenly left a pin? I bet that got your attention, and provoked you into removing it immediately! Only a few things get such a dramatic response, mobilizing us to an immediate reaction, such as touching a hot stove, or being stung by a bee.
What if we gave our best ideas the same “jump up and get going” power? What greater level of productivity and accomplishment would be possible?
Select the sharpest idea you have been sitting on, and let it provoke your most committed action within the next minute, hour, day, or week.
What would be possible if you made this exercise a daily habit?
Image from cwfoa.com
Prior to starting my coaching career many years ago, I held sales, advertising, and marketing roles with a well-known pharmaceutical company. For a two-year period I even had the opportunity to work with advertising agencies to promote our products. Without question, there was a single word that, if we could use it, would grab the greatest attention for our prospective customers. The word, “NEW!” always got people to raise their eyebrows and lean in to learn more about the product.
Today it is more important and urgent to remain fresh and relevant. Old ways of doing things are becoming extinct, and it is imperative to initiate and embrace new ways to open new doors to the future.
Where in either your personal or professional life is sticking with old ways of doing things limiting your success?
Select at least one new thing to do today that will open one door that is closing, or is completely shut.