Read this article from James Feldman, from Shift Happens, one of our Speakers, for the BTOES From Home.

Fast forward a few years. We see that Polaroid is now in bankruptcy. The company missed the digital revolution because it forgot about its innovative spirit. How could this happen? One common way is when the upper echelons of the corporation stifle creativity throughout the organization.

Centuries ago, kings and other royalty had “yes men” by their sides. But many kings also employed fools, men who had special permission to make fun of and criticize the king’s policies without fear. Present-day CEOs have “yes-men,” but they are in dire need of
someone to give them an honest opinion.

They need someone who can tell those in the royal boardroom that the old ways are no longer useful and that innovation is the way to make money.

Creativity goes hand-in-hand with the courage to embrace the new and the innovative. Organizations are afraid to fail. Failure is the cousin of success. Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, Albert Einstein all faced numerous losses and

obstacles before using what they learned to create substantial successes.

Innovation is about the disruption of business as usual or standard operating procedures. Innovation creates collisions.

Embrace Innovative “Collisions”

Innovation can occur where you least expect it. Imagine a scientist is trying to produce a stronger glue. He tries and tries, but the glue just doesn’t stick. His product is a complete disaster—or is it? Every office in the world now has glue that doesn’t stick. The scientist, who worked at 3M, had just invented the raw material for the Post-it. Note. And the Post-it Note is now one of the most profitable products at 3M.

Collisions can sometimes become rare opportunities, and unintended results could have a silver lining. Look for inspiration everywhere.

• Think everywhere.
• Think when you’re out walking, when you’re in the shower, when listening to a boring speaker.
• Switch off your mind and think about that problem that’s been bugging you.
• You can’t always create on demand. But you can organize your mind to be continually receptive to new ideas.

For example, in 1941, a scientist went hunting with his dog. When the scientist arrived home, he found burrs were stuck to his wool jacket and trousers. The scientist decided to examine the burrs
under a microscope, and he saw hundreds of little hooks engaging the loops in the material. The scientist, George de Mestral, made a machine to duplicate the hooks and loops in nylon. He called his new product, "velcro” and the rest is history. Today, thousands of uses for VELCRO. Fasteners exist, all thanks to a man hunting with his dog in the mountains. The only problem with Thinking everywhere is you often don't have a way to record your ideas when they come to you. Then, you
forget, someone else hits on the same idea, and it’s too late. The solution is to keep a pen and paper handy in every room of your home, especially by your bed and near the shower. Or use
your smartphone. There are lots of dictations and note-taking apps. When you’re driving, you can pull over and dictate into your phone.

Plan Your Luck

Chance discoveries don't occur by chance. Instead, an environment must be one that allows new ideas to be conceived, recognized for their potential contribution, expanded into tailor-made
solutions, and then developed into products for other Customers. And the best way to arrive at innovative solutions is to use creative Thinking.

To that end, encourage your employees to ask questions, such as, Why do we do it this way? What If? Why Not? What’s Next? What’s Possible?

If management doesn't have the right answer, consider this an invitation for fresh ideas. Nurture the new ideas and welcome the questions to open communication channels and keep the stream of possible solutions flowing.

Beware of Leaks

Because genuinely new ideas are hard to come by and difficult to patent, the shortest route to new ideas can be to get them from someone else. Consequently, be alert to the possibility that others might be listening to the original idea you're sharing with someone. An idle sentence could provide the missing ingredient to a competitor’s research and development department. Where innovation is concerned, keep quiet and keep your ears open because you, too, might obtain problem-solving ideas from other markets or businesses.

Perhaps one key to successful innovation is skillful ego-massaging. That is, share your ideas, but use caution when choosing with whom you share them. Create, Then Innovate!
Innovation requires more than creative Thinking. Innovation is also dependent on developing ideas into products and services to keep your company on the creative edge. In the end, your determination to succeed is the ultimate stimulus for achievement.
Although many people can develop innovative concepts, only those who are determined to implement those ideas achieve success.

Once you nurture your ideas into being, charge ahead with the innovative spirit that all successful companies possess. Remember, innovation combines effort and timing, our desire to be first. Use 3D Thinking to Investigate, Innovate, and Initiate. Your business has every opportunity to achieve success with this IQ.

3D Thinking™ = Depth + Distance + Determination

Determine if you have the staying power to deliver the solution to your problem. (Please note, the word “problem” isn't necessarily negative. Your question could be, "We need a new

product for the holiday season” or “How can we effectively use our budget surplus for this year?”).

Write out your problem concisely and make sure everyone understands the situation and agrees with the way it's worded. Putting many restrictions on your
question at this time is unnecessary. What is needed, however, is the correct problem definition.
Spend most of your time defining the problem, and your solutions will be easier to reach. WHAT are you doing NOW, and WHAT is the consequence if you do not change (desirable or not!)?
Creativity is the ability of the human mind to come up with ideas and solutions to pressing problems.

The amount of time required to define a problem is approximately three times what you spend on solving the problem. Using the concept of going inside the box, determine the components of
the problem. To understand a situation fully, you must break down all the elements that create it.

1. First, write down the problem.
2. Now, write down the desired solution.
3. Then, break down all the elements contained in the problem that could create it in the first place.
4. Understand how to use the components in the solution of the problem-solving process.

If you don't define the problem correctly, you'll find solutions to the wrong problem. Take your time. Visualize

The results and see if the problem is articulated precisely.

Here are a few reminders for team leaders: Identity. Determine. Record. Recycle. Refine. Summarize.

Write down about five criteria for judging which ideas best solve your problem. Standards should start with the word "should"—for example, "it should be cost-effective," "it should be legal," "it should be possible to finish before August 1,” and so forth.

Give each idea a score of 0 to 5 points, depending on how well it meets each criterion. Once all the opinions are scored for each standard, add the scores.
The idea with the highest score will best solve your problem. But keep a record of all your best ideas and their scores, in case your best idea turns out to be unworkable. Exchange ideas. Suggest am “build” to the idea that makes it better. Don’t be negative. Push up, not pull down.

Let’s review the process.

D=Depth
Go “inside the box” and move the components around. Break them apart. Do the simple math of dividing them, adding, subtracting, or multiplying certain parts. Frequently, the solution is simply
how you rearrange the components. Moving them around often reveals a new solution. Innovation is how we make money from the creativity.

D=Distance
Now that you are “inside the box,” take a 360. look.

• Do you see a market that will pay for your innovative solution?
• Are there competitors that are already doing what you suggest?
• Can you do it better? Cheaper? Faster?
• How far can you take the solution?
• Will you make money from it or save time, materials, etc?

This is where you “monetize” your solution. Assuming you are for-profit, and even non-profits are for-profit, it is here that you start to establish the selling price or the
value of the saving.

D=Determination
Do you have the determination to move this forward? Did you get enough financial resources to “launch” the solution? Did you keep enough in reserve to promote, market, train, and distribute
your solution? If you have followed the process of 3D Thinking, you will have
come up with ideas, products, money-saving solutions, etc., that help you to overcome challenges, achieve goals, and solve problems.

• What does Customer WANT?
• What does the Customer NEED?
• What does Customer VALUE?
•  What does the Customer EXPECT?

Summary:
1. Define the problem.
2. Gather information.
3. Create alternatives.
4. Evaluate.
5. Choose.

• Customers want better results.
• Customers want better outcomes.
• Customers want the product of your product . . . not the product itself.
• The key to innovation is to become aware of the overlooked connections between actions and consequences.
• Discover what other options the Customer is considering.
• Collaborate with the Customer to establish value.
• Listen to what the Customer says they want and deliver what they need.
• Never voluntarily offer to reduce your prices. If you’re asked to provide a price reduction, reduce value first.
• Psychologically, higher fees create higher value and naturally greater profits for you.
• Make sure they know the full range of your services.
• Customers like you best when you function as a thinker—An Independent Problem-Solver with Innovative SOLUTIONS!
• 3D Thinking means your business climate is open to innovation and creativity and willing to implement next-generation approaches.

Your challenge is to find ways to deliver it to them.

Each of us faces our adversities. And the list of potential misfortune and suffering is long - financial troubles, job loss, terrorism, natural disasters, poverty, political turmoil, not to mention our demons, and more. It's no wonder we sometimes struggle to overcome our hardships.

But what makes one person tackle setback after setback while another person gives up in despair? Indeed, it takes intelligence to overcome misfortune. It also takes passion. It requires faith. It involves finding the strength to dig deep within and to rise above.

In a perfect world, we'd be at our prime all the time. But we live in the real world. We get tired. We get overworked. We feel overwhelmed. Sometimes it doesn't take much to knock the wind out of our sails.

Facing adversity is demanding. Sometimes we just want to curl up in a ball and hide. There's nothing wrong with a brief pity party, especially if there's a potential for cake. But seriously, it's okay to let the feeling of overwhelm, overwhelm you. The trick is in not allowing avoidance to become your default coping strategy.

Cultivating your resilience allows you to pull back the veil of suffering to reveal your inner strength. It requires hard work, discipline, and, at times, nerves of steel, but the result is worth it. Incorporating these tips will help you built your resilience muscle and prepare you for life’s inevitable trials.

There's no question that life during COVID-19 has been challenging. For many, it can be painful. It can feel unbearable. It may push us to the limits of our endurance. While being smart, passionate, and having faith are valuable traits to help us endure tough times, the real key to surviving and thriving in the face of adversity is resilience.

So here is your challenge, should you choose to accept it. Choose one situation you’re facing in your life right now that’s challenging your resilience. Now, decide to apply your newfound strength to this situation. Even a small change can make a big difference. Take one little action. Pay attention to how it feels. Notice what impact your story has on you and the circumstance you face, no matter how tiny it may seem. Repeat. That's all life is one experimental action after another, gradually adding up to change and growth.

No matter your age, background, experience, or your line of work, you can learn how to improve your resilience, so you're ready for any challenge life puts in front of you. Are you willing to give it a try? If you answered 'yes,' then that's all you need to get started – a willingness to try. If you're feeling like some inspiration to get you started, take a line from the resilient Dolly Parton: "I never tried quitting, and I never quit trying." That’s a tune we can all sing along to.

• Do you have a Recession Revenue Rescue transformation roadmap?
• Do you need more customers? Or rooking to retain current customers post COVID-19?
• Are you presently frustrated with the ‘shifts’ needed to survive COVID-19?
• Is the “New Abnormal” challenging navigate to achieve “New Levels” of success?
• Is it time to look at innovative ways to blow away your customers that keeps them coming back?
• Do you want to increase employee performance and loyalty?
• Do you want to “get a leg up” on your competition and shore up your brand’s trust and credibility?
• Are you ready to seize new opportunities that are emerging from the return to ‘normal?’

My presentation for BTOES will focus on unique ways to discover new opportunities using existing resources. We want to help you launch and accelerate your business to NEW LEVELS of SUCCESS. You will leave with relevant tools and tips that can catapult your business into the 'new normal' and help your telecommuting be more productive until you return to the workplace.