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Isn't That Just Like...?
by Steve Vaught
 "Hey, have you heard of the company that's just like Zappos, except it's for glasses?" The inquiry came from a co-worker and the idea was intriguing.
We often use Zappos as an example of an organization that is relentlessly focused on customer experience. They have taken a highly personal and experiential sale, purchasing shoes, and moved it out of the shopping malls to the... Read complete article >
Leadership Challenge:
Where does your organization focus its creative energy?
Your organization's creative energy is an important and valuable asset. Leaders often struggle with how to tap into this energy and focus it in ways to advance the business. Individuals in your organization volunteer their creative energy based on how they are lead. Therefore, it is up to leader to find ways to harness this energy and use it to solve challenges and spur innovation.
Start tapping into your organization's creative energy by trying this exercise in your next staff meeting:
- Identify a challenge your organization faces in delivering its desired customer experience.
- Express your need for everyone's help in developing a solution.
- Ask them to brainstorm the wackiest solutions they can fathom - ones that would, under normal circumstances, "get their butt fired". Have fun and capture all ideas.
- Pick two or three of the wackiest ideas and scale them back to workable solutions.
Getting others involved in the problem-solving process, and genuinely wanting their input, unleashes your organization's creative energy which leads you past "roadblocks" and takes your organization to the next level.
Ask the Rabbit
Q: How do I determine what makes us different from our competitors?
A: Finding authentic competitive difference does not start by looking at your competitors. True innovative difference, that breaks the rules in your industry, starts by understanding your customers. Customers provide the raw material to finding your competitive difference.
Empathize with your customers. Tap into their psyche to understand what gives them pain, frustrates, and annoys them. Also, determine what brings them pleasure, excitement, and relaxes them. In understanding your customers, no piece of information is insignificant.
Find ways to alleviate your customer's pain and enhance their pleasure. Use your organization's creative energy to find innovative solutions. Those solutions will become your competitive difference that not only will set you apart from your competitors, but your industry. |
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Join us online for the next installment in our series of no-cost seminars on Thursday, March 11.
This month's topic, "Competitive Difference", covers how installing your vision includes differentiating your organization from the competition.
Details & Registration >
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3/3: Vistage International
3/24: Business Innovation Zone luncheon presentation
3/26: 4H Foundation Board
3/31: Midstates Community Economic Development Conference
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A Whack on the Side of the Head
by Roger von Oech
 This 25th anniversary edition of the creativity classic by Dr. Roger von Oech is filled with even more provocative puzzles, exercises, metaphors, cartoons, questions, stories, and tips designed to systematically break through your mental blocks and unlock your mind for creative thinking.
Over the years, A Whack on the Side of the Head
has been praised by business people, educators, scientists, homemakers, artists, youth leaders, and many more. The book has been stimulating creativity in millions of readers, translated into eleven languages, and used in seminars around the world.
Find out more >
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