It's planning season. And around here, real planning begins byimagining what is possible rather than focusing on the incremental.Earning the leading market share in your category is possible;squeaking out a couple points of growth is incremental. Butachieving what is possible often requires us to do things better,smarter and differently. In other words, it requiresinnovation.

I was thrilled when I recently met Stephen Shapiro, author of“Best Practices Are Stupid: 40 Ways to Out-Innovate theCompetition.” What resonated with me was Steve's view thatexpertise is the enemy of creativity. The theory is simple: Themore familiarity you have with a particular topic, the less likelyyou are to create a breakthrough in innovation because your brainis pre-programmed by your knowledge and experiences to findfamiliar solutions. If we ask the right questions, more often thannot we'll find that smart companies in other disciplines haveanswered them. Some examples:

How can we create an insurance-shopping experience thatpeople enjoy and tell their friends about? Instead ofstudying the direct writer with the latest online shopping gizmo,look at Trunk Club—a firm that targets a demographic that,typically, despises the traditional notion of shopping forclothing: men.

Trunk Club reinvented the shopping experience for men. First,they assign a personal stylist to every client. Second, they createpersonalized experiences without ever meeting most of their clientsin person. After a phone consultation, the stylist sends anelegantly packed (and easily returnable) “trunk” of hand-selectedclothes and a personal handwritten note. These messages, along withprofessional follow-up e-mails, humanize the experience, contributeto high revenue per transaction and stimulate word of mouth.Imagine what is possible if we were to find such unexpected ways toreinvent the shopping experience for our own clients.

How can my agency attract new customers and stand out inthe community? BMW is tackling a similar question, seekingto redesign dealerships by “decluttering the showroom” over thenext several years. The concept is simple—replace cliché cubiclesand high-pressure conference rooms with a bright, open spacefeaturing interactive high-definition touchscreens and employeesassisting customers on tablets. Yup, just like an Apple store.

How can we become an employer of choice for bright youngtalent? You don't need a search engine to know that Googlehas earned that status. Sure, the company's exceptionalperks, which include organic meals, investment in employeetraining and education and wellness centers, play a role. Alsoimportant is the culture that Google has created. Almost all“Googlers” say the company has great leadership that welcomesinnovative suggestions from employees, and it doesn't hurt thatleadership encourages employees to spend up to 20% of their timepursuing an innovation or other interest of their choice. Imagineif your workplace stimulated so much passion and creativity.

There are many more challenges and opportunities facing ourindustry that already have been addressed in one way or another bya different discipline. Whether these relate to the underwriterseeking new, more efficient ways to properly assess risk; theindependent agent who obsesses over differentiating herself fromthe direct writer down the street; or the claims adjuster whodesires to fulfill the company's contractual obligations whileaddressing the client's emotional needs, the answers may be foundin a purposeful tangent. What better time to find one than planningseason?