It’s planning season. When I say “planning,” I mean the real thing, rather than that other thing that creeps in this time of year, when some insurance carrier reps prescribe seemingly arbitrary growth targets for their appointed agents.
The real thing begins by imagining 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. But achieving what is possible often requires us to do things better, smarter, differently. In other words, it requires innovation.
I was thrilled several weeks ago when my colleagues and I had the chance to meet Stephen Shapiro, innovation expert and author of Best Practices Are Stupid: 40 Ways to Out-Innovate the Competition. Of all the interesting things Steve shared, what resonated most with me was his view that expertise is the enemy of creativity and innovation. The theory is simple: the more familiarity you have with a particular topic, the less likely you are to create a breakthrough because your brain is pre-programmed by your knowledge and experiences to find familiar solutions. Conversely, the best, most innovative solutions to your challenges might already have been solved in other disciplines.
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