If it ain't broke don't fix it - this approach is not valid in today's world of business.

Imagine if we followed this advice, how many advancements would we not have today.

We often get caught up in every day work and if things are going well, we tend to slow our innovative advancements.  Or this is also where we demote new ideas or move advancements to the corner of our desk.  Funny, since when things are going well, that is exactly when the brain is most effective, positive and open to changing things VS when things are going poorly or in crisis mode, that is when too often we yell out "all hands on deck, we need to change and innovate and do this ASAP and no one goes home until we get something"

What happens if we follow that mantra and just keep doing the work?

  • If you are a business and your process/operation/projects are going well, then somewhere someone is copying it and you will soon be over taken.  
  • If you are government/non-profit, then you are missing out on opportunity cost of faster, cheaper, better quality and society is not going to advance (will stay status quo)
The simplest innovations do make a difference by being cumulative but even more important, they also create an environment that feeds off each other (like a growing energy that needs a spark to be ignited).

During meetings, how much time do you put to open ended questions and then pause, let the people speak. Then pause, then build off the people, promote the collaboration and trusting space where you can speak openly and freely.  

I related this to a walking meeting I just took (Beautiful trees, flowers, grass) and set my mind at ease, gave me new energy and new approaches to tackle a key problem I am stuck on.  And the idea was helped by me watching a magpie.  Such a simple bird, yet able to take a type of apple, smashed it against the sidewalk, then pulled it apart with his feet, then pecked at it to get the internal nutrition.

How do you think that magpie learned that.... likely from trial and error and from innovating new approaches.  

A great Einstein quote is: “To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science.”


Below are a few pics from my walking meeting, with that INNOVATIVE Magpie at the bottom (thanks Mr. Magpie). 

Remember to change it up (physical location drastically impacts the success of your ability to get the creative brain neurons firing)





PS:  if want to check out my walking meeting post previously published, it is located at the end of June