5 Simple Strategies To Inspire Innovation

By Bea Fields

Imagine for just one moment that you wake up one morning with a new idea for a product or service that could make you millions. Would your life change? You bet it would!

The reality is that millions of biz owners sit each day with ideas rolling around in their heads like marbles…they roll around and never go anywhere. Why? Because they are stuck in that broken record of “No way could I ever do that!”. But…if you start designing your life to make innovation a part of your daily living, something big will indeed happen…but only if you practice these five simple but critical strategies.

1) Gather The Best Ideas From Unexpected People

There are people in your life who are quiet or who you consider a bit offbeat, but you can see the wheels turning in their brain. Don’t discount these people when it comes to idea generation. Go to them, and ask them for their input. More often than not, these folks have the best and brightest solutions to your challenges.

2) When Your Blood is Boiling…Blog About It

Are you totally pissed about something going on in life or the world? If so, there is a good chance others feel the same way. While I don’t support blogging simply for the purpose of ranting, on occasion, you need to speak out when you are really steamed. The dialog which transpires can often lead to a brand new product or service that can help people solve their biggest problems in life.

3) Think Across Borders

By now, you have probably noticed that our world is global and much smaller than it ever has been. Competition is fierce, and you can reach someone thousands of miles away in a matter of minutes. As you are moving into the innovation cycle, move beyond your own geographical boundaries to see what the competition is up to, and use your creative genius to beat them at their own game. They will more than likely respond to up the ante, and then it’s time for you to respond again…getting better, stronger and more creative as a result.

4) Surround Yourself with Intellectual and Emotional Horsepower

If you are an entrepreneur, you may think you are now going to love the freedom of flying solo, but trust me on this…it will be a long, lonely and very treacherous journey if you try to innovate all by your lonesome. When it comes to innovation, the best thing you can do for yourself is to surround yourself with people who have a combination high IQ (intelligence), strong EQ (emotional intelligence) and street smarts. And…by all means…do not surround yourself or listen to people who have failed over and over again in business and who are still in the cycle of struggle. Surround yourself with people who are succeeding wildly beyond your imagination, and learn from their wisdom.

5) Turn a Table Upside Down

The majority of people use a table as an eating surface. But…have you ever tried to turn a table upside down and then design a way to use the table with the legs sticking up? While this may sound bizarre, innovation requires that you think upside down, in opposites and from left to right. You have to be willing to get your mind out of its current groove/revolving door and start re-grooving your brain into a new direction. Get out in the world, and get really nosey about the bizarre in life. Most of the easy and obvious problems in life have been solved. It’s time for you to solve a problem that people don’t even know they have until you bring it to their attention by turning the table upside down!

About The Author
Bea Fields is the President of Bea Fields Companies, Inc. She is the co-author of Millennial Leaders: Success Stories From Today’s Most Brilliant Generation Y Leaders and EDGE! A Leadership Story.

Tags: Bea Fields, innovation

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