What’s the Real Problem?
When you spend your days looking for ways to help business owners grow their enterprises, you are always on the look-out for useful tidbits of information, common recurrent problems, and case studies that reveal insights. Here is an important item that has hit my radar screen multiple times this week (and it’s only Wednesday) that reveals a lesson all business owners should consider. It started on Monday when a vendor mentioned that he had recently noticed he was ‘losing money’ by allowing his clients to pay their invoices via Paypal. Later that day I visited a local deli for lunch and was greeted by a newly posted sign on the cash register stating that they now required a minimum purchase of $7.50 for credit/debit card purchases. Then last night on one of the network editions of the evening news there was a story about merchants who have minimum charge policies for credit or debit transactions (despite the fact that this violates their terms of service for their merchant accounts). Don’t get me wrong, Read more
It Takes More than an Idea
It’s no surprise that I am huge fan of the ideation process…every entrepreneur, business owner/manager, and independent professional should regularly invest time and energy in creating ideas, thinking them through, and taking action to implement those that will have the highest pay-offs. But it takes more than just an idea to create impact, Read more
Get Back in the Box!
Filed under: Communicate Clearly, Generate Ideas, Think Strategically
OK, everyone who is tired of being told to “think outside the box,” please raise your hands.
WOW…that is a lot of hands, but its no wonder…this shorthand phrase seems to dominate discussions of creativity, innovation, and ideas. Its used by facilitators to encourage people to reach beyond their comfort zones in brainstorming sessions, its used by leaders who want their teams to discover new ways to produce results, and its used by outside of the box thinkers to try and get people to understand their sometimes off-the-wall ideas.
But like many other phrases, it has been overused to the point where it often becomes merely a comment that is part of the script, instead of an exultation to actually think in new ways.
Today I would like to put a slightly different spin on the question of out of the box thinking by imploring everyone to get back in the box!!
My logic is straightforward and simple. Before anyone can actually escape a place where they are trapped (the box), they need to know where its boundaries lie, they need to know what it will look like when they are outside, and they need to have a clear context of the limitations that are being posed by remaining where they are at the moment.
And that, my friends, is the problem with telling people to think outside of the box…most of us don’t know what the box even looks like, so it is difficult, if not impossible, to get out of it!
The solution?
Before engaging your team in getting out of the box and thinking differently, take time to clearly define the box you are currently residing within. In other words, what is your current state?
You can begin this process by reviewing some basic questions that every business needs to answer…
- What is your reason for existence…your mission, your vision, your values?
- How do you currently define success…measures used to distinguish good performance from poor performance?
- What limits are currently in place…real or perceived boundaries that define what will and won’t be done?
- What is unique or distinctive about where you are today…specific reasons why you are better than the competition in one or more specific ways?
- Where are you heading at the moment…if nothing changes, where will you be in the future?
Armed with clear responses to these questions, you can describe your current box…which is the first step that must be taken before you can get your team to think outside of the box.
So take action today…define your box and get back in it BEFORE you try to get out of it. You’ll create more powerful solutions because you are working from a common point of departure, and you’ll find a great deal of potential that lies within the current box that people were not seeing because they did not clearly understand where they were in the first place!
An Idea for Tomorrow…
Filed under: Generate Ideas, Think Strategically
Perhaps you have seen this floating around on the internet or it has arrived in your inbox, but even if you havem, it is worth seeing again. The reason I am sharing it here is simple: It is a powerful reminder of just how important it is to think out of the box and look for new ways to do things,
Enough said. Take a look below and open your mind to new possibilities today!
Amazing technology from Japan...
Look closely and guess what they could be.
Are they pens with cameras?
Any wild guesses? No clue yet?
Ladies and gentlemen, congratulations!
You've just looked into the future; yep, that's right!
You've just seen something that will replace your
PC in the near future.
Here is how it works:
In the revolution of miniature computers, scientists
have made great developments with bluetooth technology.
These are the forthcoming computers you can
carry within your pockets.
This "pen sort of instrument" produces both the
monitor and the keyboard on any flat surface, from
which you can carry out functions you would normally
do on your desktop computer.
Is it time to say goodbye to our laptops?
Thinking too Small?
Filed under: Generate Ideas, Take Action, Think Strategically
Let’s face it. Sometimes now matter how hard you try, your mind will not allow you to expand the possibilities and consider the really big opportunities.
Maybe its fear…fear of the risks you will face, fear of the success that might come about, or just the fear of leaving your comfort zone.
Maybe its inexperience…inexperience in thinking outside the box, inexperience in going beyond where you have always been, or inexperience in whatever it is that you are not allowing yourself to explore on a larger scale.
Or, just maybe, its that you are simply not interacting with the right people, not reading the right books, or not watching and listening to the right information (whether it be from the radio, the television, or various other information and learning sources).
Whatever the cause, let me assure you of one thing: Thinking too small will limit your results, reduce your impacts, and keep you from achieving your true potential. Period. End of story.
From where I sit there is no greater sin than that of not discovering and achieving your true potential, not just for what you will achieve, but for what you will become in the process.
So what can you do?
1. Expand your network…make commitment to connect with at least one new person each week whom will help you to expand your thinking, or perhaps teach you about something you don’t know. Don’t make it difficult, just look around and find a person in your community or your industry and ask them for a few minutes of their time. Let them know you want to learn more about what they do, set an appointment, and make the connection. Listen, learn, and expand your mind!
2. Read more mind expanding content…few things are more abundant than information and the ways to access it seem to expand every day. Books, magazines, websites, blogs, and newspapers all provide content that you can read to expand your mind. If you really want to expand your mind, make a commitment to read publications you would not normally read, and learn to skim to capture the highlights so that you can access a broad array of information quickly. The process will open your mind and the magnitude of the information will bring forth new thoughts, new ideas, and new insights!
3. Watch and listen to more powerful messages…books on tape, podcasts, online videos, and tele-seminars are powerful tools for accessing information, many of wich can be consumed on the go. Search online for programs that fit your areas of interest, or better yet, that intrigue you because you don’t know as much about them as you would like to know…download them for watching and listening at your convenience, and reap the benefits of a broadened perspective!
There you have it. Three simple, easy action steps that can help you expand your thinking and lead you to explore new possibilities as you take the next steps along your journey to unlock your true potential…why not get started today?
Your Weekend Videos–Take IV
Filed under: Generate Ideas, Guru's Videos, Think Strategically
Here are this week’s clips… Enjoy!
8 Principles of Fun…
From the YouTube.com description:
An irresistibly funky animated movie designed to help you create more fun in your life.
[youtube XB43N0v7Eh4]
Random Thoughts for Creativity…
From the YouTube.com description…
Hit pause for a thought.
Hit play to think.
Random Thought is a creative tool for generating abstract ideas through image, word, and color association….mimics the blur of information we continually sift through each conscious moment of our lives.
[youtube HcoBNE8zmc0]
Words Can Reframe Your Thinking
Filed under: Communicate Clearly, Generate Ideas
Over the weekend I had the privilege of being part of an experience called Genimation (www.Genimation.com). Developed by Bob Smith and his team, this business planning process brings together genesis and imagination to create powerful outcomes.
Our focus for the weekend was Rick Raddatz’s company, Xiosoft, Inc. Rick is the creator of some great tools for adding audio and video to websites, and for developing marketing sites to build databases. He is about to roll out a number of new products and brought a team together to participate in a Genimation process to define a vision for the future of Xiosoft.
Most brainstorming sessions focus on defining a list of alternatives, narrowing it, and then going deeper by considering the pros and cons or advantages and disadvantages of each of the short list alternatives.
The Genimation process uses this same core concept, but with a unique and amazingly powerful twist…instead of considering pros/cons (or advantages/disadvantages), the questions are reframed in this way:
- To look at the positive side of each option, you answer the simple question: What do you like about this alternative?
Though it may seem trivial when you read it, trust me, this reframing changes everything. If you don’t believe me, sit down with a group of people and brainstorm a solution for a problem you are facing using this approach.
Chances are you’ll see consensus emerge more quickly, you’ll focus in on the important issues, instead of the trivial ones, and the process will be less contentious and stressful.
http://May1st2007.com/?x=1094027
Trust me, you want to take advantage of this opportunity if you are serious about growing your business and leveraging the internet as a tool.
Great Web Applications for Business
Filed under: Build Business, Generate Ideas, Take Action, Think Strategically
One of my promises to the readers of this blog is to share information that you can use. I came across this great list of applications you can use to grow your business. I encourage you to take a look at see which ones would work best for you!
Even if you are not yet in a position to utilize some of these tools, the simple exercise of looking them over will be enlightening, mind expanding, and interesting…so block out a few minutes and start looking!
Here’s the link:
http://www.avivadirectory.com/entrepreneur-apps/
Please take a moment to share your insights, reactions, and thoughts in the comment section!
Your Weekend Videos–Take III
Filed under: Generate Ideas, Guru's Videos, Think Strategically
Reality #1: The internet has become a very powerful way to share video information with people.
Reality #2: Some pieces of video are simply too good not to share.
Reality #3: The last thing you want on Sunday is more stuff to think about, so it is a good time to pause, reflect, and enjoy.
Outcome: Each Sunday (Eastern Time US) we will share a video or two that we think will add value to your life.
Here are this week’s clips… Enjoy!
Do Schools Kill Creativity?
[youtube iG9CE55wbtY]
The $100 Laptop Project
[youtube UvpP3Farb2g]
3 Minutes on Success
[youtube Y6bbMQXQ180]
Your Weekend Videos–Take II
Filed under: Generate Ideas, Guru's Videos, Think Strategically
Reality #1: The internet has become a very powerful way to share video information with people.
Reality #2: Some pieces of video are simply too good not to share.
Reality #3: The last thing you want on Sunday is more stuff to think about, so it is a good time to pause, reflect, and enjoy.
Outcome: Each Sunday (Eastern Time US) we will share a video or two that we think will add value to your life.
Here are this week’s clips… Enjoy!
Denny Dent, Performance Painter
[youtube pzJ5m-O3Jmg]
Click here to see this entertaining video.
Defining Innovation within the Mind
[youtube a7Ny5BYc-Fs]
Click here to see this intriguing video.
The Road to Small Business Success
[youtube oRitLGNnm5E]
