Comments on: What Do You Think You Know and Why Do You Think You Know It?

By: Greg

Greg — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:26:00 +0000

Matt,

Thanks for the tip. I’ll check it out.

- Greg

By: Matt Blank

Matt Blank — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:21:07 +0000

A great book to check out is ‘The War of Art’ by Steven Pressfield. Mainly creativity comes to those that work. You can’t do something great if you don’t do something first.

By: Greg

Greg — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:17:31 +0000

Stirling,

I agree. Most of success is just grinding it out and creativity research shows that innovation is the same way.

Apparently the key creativity factors are:

1. Domain Knowledge: You have to know your field well if you are going to add something useful too it.
2. Productivity: The more work, the more great work.
3. Useful analogues – Quite often great solutions are found by borrowing a solution from a different context and applying it in a new way.

By my count, that’s about 2/3 of grinding it out:-)

- Greg

By: Stirling

Stirling — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:22:10 +0000

Some great comments here!! Rearead your post and now understand what you meant Greg on the reality of very large and very small objects. The point is that in business true breakthrough moments happen rarely. It is easier to be risk adverse, to continue in the way things have always been done and to go only with the 80% then to seek new ways/methods/products/approaches.
Very few of us do this in our private lives so to expect others to do it in business is fanciful. For me I appreciate true creativity and when it happens in art, music, literature, design or business its to be applauded and encoraged.

By: Greg

Greg — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:27:41 +0000

Matt,

Thanks. I’m glad you liked it:-)

- Greg

By: Matt Blank

Matt Blank — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:40:26 +0000

Greg,

Excellent read and very eye opening. Everyone likes to use the phrase ‘think outside the box’ but few actually do it. And the ones that do change the world.

Matt

By: Greg

Greg — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:53:10 +0000

Momblebee,

As usual, you make some very good points.

However, I’ve found that it is very important to listen and learn why they object. Usually, there is a good reason (and I’m talking from experience in some rough places and some very nasty people).

If you at least understand what the problem is (for instance, the guy is corrupt and have people killed on a regular basis, so certainly doesn’t have to listen to you) you can at least figure out how to deal with it. It’s much better than shooting in the dark.

- Greg

By: Cheryl Andonian

Cheryl Andonian — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:33:32 +0000

Greg, Peter,
I have run into this problem not only as a consultant, but while working in-house and in my own venture as well with my own business partners. Spent some very frustrating meetings, that were exercises in futility, not due to my lack of backing evidence, knowledge or understanding, but due really to a lack of shared brand vision. Greg, I think your response is correct assuming that all involved are open minded, are all working toward the same goal and share the same vision- again if it’s a healthy modern company that insists on letting innovation permeate every level of the organization. Unfortunately in many cases, those elements are not in place and it becomes an issue of simply not speaking the same language. For me, it often boils down to a right brain, left brain thing. Either you get it or you don’t depending on how your brain works and how you think. Not sure in many instances that there is an easy solution.

By: Greg

Greg — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:19:07 +0000

Peter,

Well the first thing is to ask yourself why you are so sure that your solution is the right one and why you are getting so much resistance.

The best way to do that is to listen and learn what their objections are. If you can address their concerns and show the benefits of what you are proposing, there is no reason they wouldn’t want to implement your ideas.

If you want to gain trust, you have to give it first.

- Greg

By: Peter

Peter — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:01:41 +0000

I’ve always found the biggest problem is not thinking laterally or radically, but persuading others to see your vision.

Consultants are particularly prone to this. From outside you can see exactly what needs to be done to transform the profitability of a company, but communicating that to the people in that company is well nigh impossible (otherwise they would be doing it).

Any ideas for not only having the idea but communicating it?