Ideas
are like building-blocks and the more you have of them, the greater the chance
of finding innovative ways to combine them into something new.
That might mean getting ideas from people
who are not similar to you, who possess knowledge you do not have.
As
a small business owner you should assess whether you are sourcing enough good
ideas from outside your immediate think group.
No business or entrepreneur can operate in a bubble. Your connection to
customers, vendors, employees, and other entrepreneurs is vital to
growing your business.
Yet, among the people you work with or your immediate think group, you cannot expect that everyone you come in contact
with will be curious, creative, analytical, and empathetic? That’s a lot to ask. Consider
expanding your network to tap into unique sources of information. Don’t forget that people who interact with your clients and can bring different and valuable perspective are not often invited
to meetings where innovative ideas are shared.
Who do you know like that?
You can gain insight and knowledge through
customers or end users. You can keep
current through industry group conferences, professional associations, trade
journals and even suppliers. You can
watch the competition. Inspiration can
come from many sources outside your immediate industry, too. When you pay attention to the world around you you might get a bright ideas through a news story, watching people at work or play, attending a workshop, reading a book or trying to solve a problem at home or work.
Do
you have the ability to talk to people of different age groups, social classes,
or cultures? Are you able to really
listen to understand people who think radically different from you?
Wisdom is all around you; you just have to be open to
it. Sometimes the most valuable thing
you get from your connections is not just an idea, but the inspiration or
courage to try something new or stick with a project.
One of the reasons that resourceful people are
so adept at finding solutions is that they have a strong network of
professionals and advisors in their field to lean on.
Start by making a
list of the top ten people you would speak to about a new idea.
Examine your list and ask yourself such as:
Do you have a strong network upon which you can seek feedback?
Do you get together frequently with one or two to bounce ideas around?
How often do you assemble as a think group to exchange ideas o
r
engage in a serious discussion about your ideas or your business while you pay attention and absorb their feedback? If you do not currently engage in discussions with the people in your network, can you change how and when you get together?
There
are specific actions you can take to improve your chances of generating novel
ideas:
Create a Discovery Network:
Consider
expanding your network to tap into unique sources of information: universities, independent entrepreneurs,
investors, inventors, scientists.
Exchange ideas with people from different activities, age and social groups. In building your discovery network, aim for
perspectives not just resources. Aim for
diversity, not just numbers. You want to
find events where you can intersect with different disciplines to get to know
experts and generalists, people of varied background, experiences, and
expertise in diverse fields, because they can make connections where others may
not see a link. Diversity strengthens your ability to zero in
on the right answers and solutions.
Join Groups and Volunteer:
You can also join
local business organizations that have networking events, such as your chamber
of commerce. Local opportunities to
volunteer with sports, art, or community groups that expose you to a variety of
people. You can do that when you take
classes. You may want to consider
starting your own think tank, non-profit group, or advisory board and invite
keen minds to join. Your purpose may open new avenues.
No matter how you make new
connections the key to building relationships has to involve mutual
benefits. That starts with being
attentive to other people’s opinions, challenges and needs. When you attend networking events, you will
not build a quality relationship when you are there strictly to promote
yourself or your business. You have to
offer value to others. When you
volunteer your time to local charities, advisory boards, or community projects,
you establish a different type of rapport with people who get to know you apart
from business.
Change the Range of your Magazine Choices:
Magazines give
you diverse perspectives to gain fresh ways of seeing the world. Read two or three magazines that are the
exact opposite of what you might typically read to actively seek out knowledge
across a broad range of other fields. Change
it up every month.
Attend Conferences, Workshops:
Aim to delve more
into subjects completely unrelated to your field of expertise. Watching an online platform such as Ted Talks give you a wide range of subjects to explore.
Ask More Questions:
Not one or two! As ten or 100 times more questions. Be like a child that asks 300 or more
questions a day. Translate statements
into questions. Read and ask questions. Keep a questions notebook - log the questions
you make, and review periodically to see what types of questions work best (What
if? Why? Why not? How might?).
Get Out of Your Office:
Go to where your
customers live or work. Schedule regular
excursions to observe them in their environment. It may only take half an hour to go see how
they use your product or service. They
may already be doing innovative things with your product and could give you
ideas for better features, better performance, more options, and so on.
Connect with People Around the World:
We often look for inspiration, ideas, or solutions
to come from education or business associates, but with organizations around the world sharing their
practices and ideas, we can tap into their diverse expertise and learn from
them as well. Even if people think radically different from you can learn, be inspired and also be a sounding board or inspiration to others. You may not beable to physically visit differen cities or other countries to delve into their issues and challenges but its so easy to virtually engage with other people who are willing to share their perspectives.
Organize Brainstorming Sessions:
There is no better way to create something unique and wonderful, achieve
the impossible, envision new perceptions or breakthroughs, or solve any problem, than through brainstorming. It is an organized gathering of
minds, who generate ideas, energize each other, and inspire other gatherings
and new rounds of thinking and exchanging ideas.
Don't Forget the Give and Take
Connecting, networking, or brainstorming effectively is about give and take, which means you need to reciprocate. Be generous with your thoughts, ideas, and attentive to how you can support others in generating new ideas.
Apart from the obvious benefits of expanding your connections you will also find it personally motivating and energizing.
You may have to experiment with different avenues of enlarging your discovery network. You may find that more than two or three work to your advantage.
If you try to ignore or
avoid any kind of conflict, it never really disappears. More often than
not, it simmers just below the surface.
Practice professional courage and deal with it.
Growing through conflict makes you a better human being..
Inspiration can strike when you least expect it, but that is rather an inefficient way to drive innovation and creativity. Want a do-it-yourself approach to decision-making and problem solving? Try one of these brainstorming techniques to develop your ideas.
Professionalism is what you do visibly that impresses and inspires others and what you do behind the scenes – integrity, self-regulation, conscientiousness – that allows you to fulfill your role to the best of your ability and gives you a sense of satisfaction and self-worth.
When you are overworked and under pressure, try these two super easy-to-implement strategies to fend off procrastination. They can be completed quickly and more importantly they work best to set the tone for an excellent day.
Kindness should extend to our colleagues and work family. In the workplace, kindness is a catalyst that helps to build trust, drives morale, improves well-being, engagement, and productivity. Kindness makes you feel good and that is a good way to spend your day.
As a professional, you want to get the job done – and done well. You do what is necessary to produce results that exceed expectations. You recognize whatever you do to keep advancing personally and professionally also helps your business to thrive.
