Back in 1993, the company I worked for (an IT company) was introduced to our new CEO. He was highly touted as a change agent and was going to take us into the new century. When he came to Denver to have his introductory “all hands” meeting with everyone there, the excitement was palpable. What was he going to be like? Where were we heading? We all wanted to hear how we were going to impact the future.

At the time, we had come out with an internet product that was revolutionary, but the powers that be had not let us release it. Someone asked this new CEO if we would be allowed to release it now. His reply (I’m not kidding and this is verbatim – I’ve never forgotten it!): “That internet thing is just a fad. It’s like the hula-hoop. It won’t be around long.” Within 6 months, all our creative leadership team was gone, having fled the company for places that understood the future. I remember sitting on the bus that was to take us back to our facility with a dazed look in my eyes and hearing comments from so many employees about how great this guy was. I just sat there thinking, “we’ve got no chance to be successful.” Now, that company is a shell of what it used to be.

Why do so many smart people miss the future? Some of it is ego. But a lot of it is living solely in what used to be successful. I lived in the countryside in Nebraska when I was little. I remember helping the farmers with plowing, planting and harvesting, even milking cows. Today, many of their huge pieces of equipment (combines, tractors, and milking machines, etc.) are run almost solely by GPS and other automatic equipment. The farmer’s life has changed drastically.

So the question is: how are you being innovative in your work? It is not just in the technology arena that changes are happening fast. How you greet customers has changed. How you buy coffee has changed. If you’re not always looking for a way to improve your business, whether through technology, processes or people, you are no better than stagnate, and more than likely falling behind.

I came across an article that might be helpful to you when you think about this. Although it relates mostly to technology, the thinking process it reveals can help you get out of your own mindset to experience innovative ways of thinking. Read the article here.

This month, one of our topics addresses the need to continually look for ways to innovate. It’s called How to Inspire Innovation. This is not limited to only technology. There are many other ways to innovate within your business. Attending this workshop will help you discover how to do that! Register here by April 10. 

If improving your management team’s skill set is important to you, let’s talk for 30 minutes and I’ll help you figure out what to do about it. To schedule a time to talk, call 720-515-8081 or email john.reeb@crestcom.com.