ELEPHANT ALERT!
Ages ago they didn’t believe the human body had “cells”. They didn’t even know cells existed. Then the microscope was invented – and suddenly cells existed. The microscope didn’t invent cells, it revealed them.
What solutions do you need that don’t exist right now? And what will you do to facilitate the necessary “equipment” to discover the solution?
Here’s the elephant in the office: Some take the approach that if they can’t “see” the solution, then it’s not there. When new ideas are offered these people shoot them down, discredit them, or dismiss them. “It’s not possible!” they claim. This means their organization is doomed, because it is now limited only to “what is possible,” or more accurately, “what’s been done before.”
STOMP THE ELEPHANT
We just left Quebec City, Canada, after addressing the Packaging Association of Canada. They’re in a tight spot: Everything they do to provide you packaging requires energy – and fuel costs have skyrocketed. Plus, they must respond to the growing consumer demand for green products.
No easy solutions are in sight. But the industry isn’t in peril. After meeting these leaders, I’m convinced they’ll pass onto future generations a legacy of quality and innovation, because they have a key understanding.
The microscope was needed to prove cells existed. Discovering business solutions requires creating a mechanism where solutions reveal themselves. That mechanism is your culture. Here are three actions to better do this:
- Establish a focus on what’s already working;
- Ensure people feel good (read: creativity);
- And develop a “let’s-determine-how-that-idea-will-work” mentality vs. a “here’s- why-it-won’t-work” approach.
Do you believe your solutions are out there?
Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?
