*A safe place to fail.We should always strive to succeed in everything we do, every day. But at the same time, it is good to know the culture of the American workplace is beginning to embrace the spirit of THINKING SIDEWAYS. If we are in constant fear of trying things in a new way, we will never innovate, we will never grow, and we will never expand. We will stagnate and die in the sea of sameness.
*Make mistakes, learn from your mistakes, and EVOLVE!
“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” Thomas Edison is a great example of someone that personifies this idea. Every time you try a new idea, you learn from that experience. Be courageous, because your new idea may be the one that saves the sale, or streamlines the process, or fixes the issue.
*Get involved! Do something creative!
"Gee, all of this sounds great, but I have no ideas."
"I don't want to rock the boat"
Corporate America has realized you can’t keep doing the same things the same way and has begun to embrace a culture of change. But if YOU are still afraid, start outside of work. There are some great hobbies and organizations you can get involved with. Get creative and try new things. Do things that challenge your status quo.
Consider becoming part of the Maker movement. Repurpose old items, take apart broken equipment, learn what makes thing work. Will you be the next great inventor? Maybe not, but you may learn why something works, why it doesn't, and why MAKING A CHANGE MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
Look into your local or corporate Toastmasters Club. I joined the Wilkes Toastmasters two years ago. Toastmasters is a group where it truly is A SAFE PLACE TO FAIL. Toastmasters Clubs are very supportive, offering a friendly professional environment to improve your leadership skills through public speaking. Every meeting includes evaluation which gives all members the opportunity to improve.
Download GeoCaching software onto your smartphone. What is GeoCaching? It is a FREE, real world GPS treasure hunt. Using your smart phone's GPS, you can IMPROVE YOUR PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS by trying to locate hidden containers all around the world. This is great alone or with a family as you get to explore the world around you. GeoCaches usually have a logbook for you to sign and often have little prizes for you to swap. (GET REWARDED!)
Those are just three things you can do outside of work to help you motivate yourself to evolve and help your company to EVOLVE!
-Denis Lachapelle, ACB, CL
about.me/denislachapelle
And until next time my friends, when I will try to bring you some really cool recipes of been stock piling, I wish you peace, love, and Hollandaise sauce!
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