Think Strategically — Putting It All Into Perspective
Something crossed my desk this morning that reminded me of the power of perspective. It came from one of my favorite newsletters…Michael Bungay Stanier’s Outside the Lines. You can view his current issue here: http://www.boxofcrayons.biz
Fresh Ideas that Matter…Make Time to Read This!
When it comes to the future of the internet, most business owners and entrepreneurs have more questions than answers. If you are one of them and you would like to take your thinking to the next level, then you need to read John Reese’s new special report, The Rebirth of Internet Marketing.
Reese pulls no punches in looking at where we are most likely headed in the online world, making a compelling case for a future where competition is intense, where current business models cease to work as they have in the past, and where serving site visitors becomes a necessary condition for selling them anything. His insights regarding the impending death of the long form sales letter and the emerging power of the authority site are truly compelling.
Here’s your action plan:
1. Download your free copy of the report here: http://income.com/blog/?p=3
2. Block out an hour to devour it with a focus on what it means for your business today, and more important, tomorrow.
3. Set it aside, think about it for a couple of days, and read it again…this time making notes about specific actions you want to take now or in the future.
4. Return to it in a couple of weeks and read it one more time to make sure you really grasped what it means for your business.
BOTTOM LINE: Trust me on this one…it merits the time and it will yield a powerful payoff!
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!
Lessons Gleaned
Filed under: Build Business, Get Results, Take Action, Think Strategically
Many of my recent posts have revealed the challenges of the time period we are in with the growth of Big Idea Guru, LLC. I’ve shared the consternation of being lost amid too many choices, suggested the need to think bigger, and tossed out a lot of advice and suggestions about what to do in such situations. But there has been an important gap in my writing herein of late…
Much of it has been more intended to provoke thought rather than to encourage action.
The reason is simple…I have been bogged down while learning some very powerful lessons that I felt the need to share, but I have not been ready to share them. Sometimes you just need to settle in and learn first, then teach what you have learned, and while that is almost impossible for a born educator like me that is what has been required lately.
So what are the lessons that I have gleaned (or in some cases had strongly reinforced) from these recent experiences?
1. It is sometimes too easy to convince yourself that you are on the right path, but that doesn’t mean you are…stepping back and accepting critical feedback is a challenge, but it is the most important thing you can do to make sure you are moving in the right direction.
2. Developing strong relationships are based on trust and mutual respect is a necessary condition for success…without people who can help you to see both the potentials and the pitfalls of your plan, you will never achieve maximum results.
3. Revealing the true potential of your ideas takes a great deal of time and a lot of effort, regardless of how simple it may seem at first…valuable lessons will be gained from false starts and missteps, with progress sometimes coming when you least expect it.
I will stop there. I could add more to the list, but the key points have been made and redundancy might well emerge if I attempted to go further. My hope is that you will find these lessons helpful as you build your business, and that you will remain focused on creating results and keep moving forward…instead of getting bogged down in thinking too much, which can be detrimental to progress in any endeavor.
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?
Lost in the Fog?
It was 3 am when I headed out the door and headed off to BWI for a quick three-day trip to Monterey where I was speaking at a credit union conference.
My normal two hour drive to the airport serves as valuable thought time, and is usually quite enjoyable. But this morning, not only was the hour unGodly, the weather was even worse.
The further inland I drove, the denser the fog became. By the time I reached the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, I literally could see no more than a few feet in front of me. The fog was so thick that I drove long stretches of road with no real idea where I was…almost missing the I-97 turn-off from Route 50 to head to the airport.
But for some reason the fog didn’t bother me all that much on the drive. Sure my arms were tense, my shoulders sore, and my eyes tired when I arrived at the airport. But at that time of day, that was somewhat expected after a long drive.
What happened that I did not expect was that the fog actually fueled my thinking about some issues that have been dominating my mind these past few weeks. It was an apt metaphor for the combined state of information overload and decision hesitation that’s been plaguing me, and it led me to some important realizations.
No doubt some of you are familiar with this scenario. It happens when you are in the midst of a major push in your business and there are many potential pathways available for the next step. As you research options, talk about it with people you respect, and run through various scenarios, the only thing that seems clear is that you cannot see very far in front of you…much like my foggy drive to BWI. At times like this, making any choice becomes more difficult than usual because you just don’t know which path to choose and it is often difficult to distinguish between them (much like finding the right exit in the dense fog).
Here’s what I learned from my drive to BWI that foggy morning…
- Just because things are unclear, it doesn’t mean you are on the wrong path, heading the wrong way, or that you will not arrive where you originally intended; and
- There is value in continuing to take action, even in the face of uncertainty and risk, slow and steady progress will yield results of some kind and put you further ahead than you were when you started.
So the next time you feel a bit lost in the fog and looking for answers, relax and keep moving forward…it really is the only thing you can do to keep things on track!
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]
A Matter of Congruity
Filed under: Communicate Clearly, Lead People, Take Action, Think Strategically
Words like character, honor, integrity, honesty, and trust are used to describe it. But no matter how you refer to it, you no doubt realize its importance: If people cannot count on you to do the things you say you will do, to live up to your promises, and to interact with them in an honest and forthright manner, they will quickly move away; and they will seldom be silent.
That is the essence of congruity. It is not found in the words you say, but it is demonstrated in the actions you take. Because as Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “Who you are speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you’re saying.”
Across the past few weeks the subject of congruity has surfaced in my observations, conversations, and interactions in a way that has illustrated the sharp contrasts between those who are congruent and those who aren’t.
Let me briefly illustrate.
Recently I was watching a speaker at a conference and sensing that the message didn’t match the man. It was more than a gut feel, it was something almost tangible…gaps in the stories that didn’t ring true when taken as a whole, an insincerity and lack of respect for the audience that was almost palpable, and an obvious mismatch of actions off-stage versus actions on-stage.
I should note that though this speaker is not a personal acquaintance, his work is very familiar to me…it is often held up as an example of success in his industry, and chances are that if I shared his name you would recognize it. But without any prompting on my part in the weeks since hearing him speak, no fewer than six people have mentioned his name to me, and in every case it has been to share something that confirms my impression and heightens my concern.
One person strongly cautioned me about engaging in any type of business relationship with him. Two others shared their observations regarding the lack of congruity between the person he is off-stage and the person he is on-stage. The next noted his obvious lack of respect for the people he serves, and the last two identified specific personal experiences where his business dealings have been less than honest.
In stark contrast, during this same time period, there is another person with whom I have interacted who is clearly at the opposite end of the spectrum with regard to congruity. He is one who walks his talk, who is the same person on-stage that he is off-stage, and who is spoken highly of by everyone who mentions his name.
Which one of these men do you think will achieve more success and have more impact in the long term? And more important, which one are you becoming more like each day?
Simplicity in Threes
Filed under: Get Results, Take Action, Think Strategically
We’ve talked before about the power and importance of simplicity. Now let’s take it one step further by incorporating the power of threes…
So as you look to simplify your business and increase both effectiveness and efficiency, apply these simple rules…
1. When evaluating alternatives for any decision, consider three alternatives, no more, no less. If you have more, eliminate and consolidate to focus attention on the three most important relative to the decision you are making.
2. When creating action plans, define three steps that you will take to create a clear pathway to success. With a limited number of action steps you increase the chance of them being achieved, and you increase the level of engagement of everyone because the objectives are clear and specific.
3. When examining problems, identify three possible causes or three specific symptoms, and develop solutions for each before making your final decision. You’ll make better decisions, and you’ll deepen your understanding of the problem which will help you prevent future problems.
Bottom Line: Try this for a month and see what happens…chances are when you leverage the power of threes and simplify everything, you’ll see a definite improvement in results at all levels!
A WORD OF WARNING: Don’t use this concept artificially to simply organize longer lists into subsets of threes…force yourself to simplify and focus in on ONLY three options!
