Imagine this scenario:
You’re in an exceedingly expensive restaurant, and are presented with the 60-page wine list. The selections comprise a variety of languages, none of which you speak. The prices start at three figures. You see phrases like “Romanée-Conti Grand Cru,” and “Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese.” Your eyes glaze over, and you tremble with fear. In desperation, you look up at your server and say:
“I’ll have a Miller Light.”
That’s how many people approach innovation.
Not you, of course. It’s the others.
They think of it as a daunting, intimidating superpower (much like navigating the aforementioned wine list) that’s reserved for members of an elite club. A club of which they are not a member.
And so they avoid it altogether.
On the other extreme, consider this restaurant that I once visited in Tappahannock, Virginia. I asked my server what wines they had, and she said (in that delightful Virginia semi-drawl), “Well, you have your red, and you have your white.”
Not so intimidating, right? (Also, the prices were considerably cheaper.)
Innovation, like restaurant wine lists, can range from extremely complicated to extremely simple. It’s not an exclusive club. It’s more like an open house, where there’s something for everyone.
So come on in and play. Do you want red or white?
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My innovation keynotes and team consulting are backed by 15 years' experience leading a highly-innovative team under ridiculous pressure. DM me about working with your teams or keynoting your events.
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Photo by Javier Balseiro on Unsplash