Today’s Aha!
Great ideas can come from the craziest places…
Don’t underestimate the source of a great idea. Over the past week, I can’t tell you how many times I have said “Aha!“ or “Wow! …that’s an awesome idea! “The simplest comment can be so profound. And it can come from the most unexpected person or place. So, check this out…
I am on the treadmill watching Oprah (yes, I am a closet Oprahaholic…) and she is having a conversation with some big important movie star using Skype. If you’re not familiar with Skype it is a free online video telephone. Seriously, it’s like George and Judy Jetson used to use in the old cartoon “The Jetson’s”. Anyway, I thought to myself …Oprah keeps using this Skype gizmo to have guest on her show. Why does she do that? Well there are probably at least two reasons good reasons: 1) it saves on travel costs and 2) it saves a ton of time shuffling last minute guests to and from Chicago. I thought to myself… that’s it, I can use Skype to connect with customers all over Michigan. It’s free… it’s fast … most important it’s fun! I now Skype 6 to 10 times a week and beam myself from location to location in minutes. Pretty cool!
My point, open your eyes… your ears and your mind… There are so many great ideas out there that can be used to solve so many different problems.
A couple of days ago, I was in a leadership meeting at our church. Just like the for profit sector, non-profit organizations are getting creative with cost cutting ideas. We learned that the janitor came up with a $12000 per year cost cutting idea. Get this… by closing off one section of the massive parking lot on weekdays the church saves money by not salting the parking lot. Because the parking lot fully surrounds the building there are over 6,000 other parking spots to choose from. Besides the demand for parking is obviously the greatest on Sunday morning. So, none was really inconvenienced by the change. Now … that is a simple idea from a truly unexpected place.
If there is one thing that I have learned over the years it’s that sometimes we just look too hard and take ourselves way too seriously when looking for great ideas. So, today put on your pink sunglasses and go out looking for ideas. See every encounter, every interaction, and every situation as an opportunity to spark a new idea. I guarantee you will be amazed at how many great ideas you’ll spot.
Just think of the possibilities….
Pay it forward and share your Aha! comment here!
Don’t underestimate the source of a great idea. Over the past week, I can’t tell you how many times I have said “Aha!“ or “Wow! …that’s an awesome idea! “The simplest comment can be so profound. And it can come from the most unexpected person or place. So, check this out…
I am on the treadmill watching Oprah (yes, I am a closet Oprahaholic…) and she is having a conversation with some big important movie star using Skype. If you’re not familiar with Skype it is a free online video telephone. Seriously, it’s like George and Judy Jetson used to use in the old cartoon “The Jetson’s”. Anyway, I thought to myself …Oprah keeps using this Skype gizmo to have guest on her show. Why does she do that? Well there are probably at least two reasons good reasons: 1) it saves on travel costs and 2) it saves a ton of time shuffling last minute guests to and from Chicago. I thought to myself… that’s it, I can use Skype to connect with customers all over Michigan. It’s free… it’s fast … most important it’s fun! I now Skype 6 to 10 times a week and beam myself from location to location in minutes. Pretty cool!
My point, open your eyes… your ears and your mind… There are so many great ideas out there that can be used to solve so many different problems.
A couple of days ago, I was in a leadership meeting at our church. Just like the for profit sector, non-profit organizations are getting creative with cost cutting ideas. We learned that the janitor came up with a $12000 per year cost cutting idea. Get this… by closing off one section of the massive parking lot on weekdays the church saves money by not salting the parking lot. Because the parking lot fully surrounds the building there are over 6,000 other parking spots to choose from. Besides the demand for parking is obviously the greatest on Sunday morning. So, none was really inconvenienced by the change. Now … that is a simple idea from a truly unexpected place.
If there is one thing that I have learned over the years it’s that sometimes we just look too hard and take ourselves way too seriously when looking for great ideas. So, today put on your pink sunglasses and go out looking for ideas. See every encounter, every interaction, and every situation as an opportunity to spark a new idea. I guarantee you will be amazed at how many great ideas you’ll spot.
Just think of the possibilities….
Pay it forward and share your Aha! comment here!
Robyn Marcotte
Aha! Leadership LLC.
Aha! Leadership LLC.
1 comment:
This is a great reminder to me to be present in the moment. It helps me see those great ideas...right there in front of me!
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