new ideas Archives - Dennis E. Gilbert

14
Sep 21
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Protected Ideas Halt Forward Motion

Are there protected ideas in your workplace? Those ideas that are on sacred ground, untouchable, or off-the-table?

While some thoughts or ideas may be off-the-table due to legal concerns with protected classes, discrimination, or even harassment, others are often felt to be untouchable without good reason.

Protected ideas are not open to the consideration of new ideas. In these cases, new ideas are blocked, refused, or otherwise disregarded because they might upset the rhythm or flow of processes or systems, or worse.

Quality systems sometimes struggle to find the balance between locked in for specifications, and the opportunity of innovation.

Quality systems expect the exact. The exact should be able to be replicated a million times or more.

Innovation expects development, change, and new directions.

Then the idea of continuous improvement surfaces and that adds stress to the quality system.

A tug-of-war.

Are you protecting old ideas?

Protected Ideas

Productivity and growth are often halted when the effort is spent on defending and protecting, in leu of exploring.

There is often a counterproductive mindset of, lock everything in place and never change. Yet, change is a requirement for progress.

It may be possible to explore a new path without sacrificing an old way. Just because the old way has been proven effective does not mean that it will always be the best way.

Fast moving businesses and organizations discovered this to be factual during the early days (and on-going) of the 2020 pandemic.

Perhaps there is a balance, a happy medium, or a method to embrace both the tested and the unexplored.

People say that it is so, but where is the proof?

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

16
Dec 20
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Smartest Person Syndrome, Do You Know Someone?

Tags : know-it-all new ideas overconfident questions smartest person

Do you know someone who is suffering from SPS, aka, smartest person syndrome? We once called this a know-it-all but today with social media making some voices louder than ever before it may be a little more complex.

It only takes a short amount of time on social media channels to find someone who is smart.

That may be both a truism and sarcasm.

Smart People

Most people enjoy being right.

They want to be the person who has the answer, all of the time, and willingly (or forcefully) shares their opinions often while ridiculing someone with a different opinion.

Do you know someone like this? Has this ever been you?

Many people have strong opinions. Their opinions are commonly rooted in their values and beliefs and are formed by past experiences.

Only use this laundry detergent, nothing else works.

Never take the highway to get across town.

Don’t use margarine, only real butter.

Another problem with opinions is that they often sound like facts. If the listener is not careful, they may get caught up in believing other people’s opinions are in fact, facts.

This is often the goal of someone suffering from SPS. He or she wants to convince others that their way is the only way. It couldn’t possibly be any different.

Smartest Person Syndrome

If you know someone like this and wish to explore something new or different you will need a different approach.

The trick is to allow the person with this syndrome to believe that they’ve discovered an alternative path. Some new information, or something so compelling that it overrides their previous values and beliefs.

It doesn’t happen by telling. It typically happens by gently asking questions.

New ideas then come from new information. New ideas have been created in their mind, not because someone told them, but because they’ve discovered it.

SPS is, at least in part, about the person wanting to be right. When he or she discovers the new information then the idea is their own. They were right before and they are right again now.

It makes things much easier.

I’m not sure there is a cure.

Let it be their idea.

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

01
Oct 20
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A Strange Breakthrough May Be Just What You Need

Tags : breakthrough career job success new ideas

Are you looking for the next big thing in your job or for your business? Could it be something to improve operations, increase sales, or absolutely delight customers? You may need a strange breakthrough.

Strange breakthroughs happen all the time. It may have started with the wheel, or perhaps it was creating a fire or wearing animal skins for warmth. Maybe in more modern times, we may think of it as contact lenses, the Post-It note, or WiFi.

In the food industry, we have things like the Impossible Whopper, donut burgers, and deep-fried almost anything.

All in their own time, these things were a strange breakthrough.

Perhaps it is deserving of a day of recognition.

A National Dumb Idea Day?

Strange Breakthrough

Sometimes the next opportunity is already in your head or your hands. It may be the simplest thing, brought to life, and forever changing the world.

Your breakthrough may happen when you least expect it. In fact, it may be happening right now.

It might be about a decision you’ve made on how you’ll delightfully surprise a customer. A hidden gift, a special discount, or awareness of their needs long before they even consider it.

In operations, it may be the removal of a step that doesn’t matter, items or actions with results that are never used, or reducing the time between the sale and ship.

For your job, it may emerge as reasons why you are grateful, how relationships matter, or seeing the legacy of your career appear before your eyes.

Your strange breakthrough may seem silly or dumb, yet it may be exactly what you need.

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Tag Archives: new ideas

Sep 21

-

Protected Ideas Halt Forward Motion

Protected Ideas

Dec 20

-

Smartest Person Syndrome, Do You Know Someone?

Smart People

Smartest Person Syndrome

Oct 20

-

A Strange Breakthrough May Be Just What You Need

Strange Breakthrough

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