Just back from my breakfast networking, where I ran a quick session called “Dare to be Different”.
Based on the fact that success in any walk of life means behaving differently to the mediocre majority, we ran quick, focused brainstorming sessions on how we could all approach our work in new, unexpected and different ways.
In a short period of time, and given we’re not all at our best at 7.30 in the morning, this was nevertheless a great example of how collective thinking can help to challenge the status quo and generate new ideas.
How many teams really encourage collaborative idea-generation? In my experience, most team members are so busy doing there thing that they have little time to consider their team-mates’ issues, and nor are they invited. Most people would respond: “there’s no point in asking them, they don’t know anything about what I do”
And this is the point. Einstein is often paraphrased, but my version of is excellent quote is “No problem was solved by the same thinking that created it”
In other words, those opinions, questions and thoughts of someone completely unconnected with your world may just be the key to great leaps forward.
Give it a go, what have you got to lose?