Your Facebook friends on the East Coast may be talking lately about the gorgeous fall weather, and this past Sunday was both colorful and warm. We took the opportunity to go to the playground.
While watching our daughter navigate a maze-like climber, we saw a cyclist. Riding on the rocks above the playground! We quickly called her to look at the wondrous sight of two elements that don’t typically belong together: a bicycle and a big rock. Of course she was nonplussed, and soon returned to her own climbing.
Yet this man continued to maneuver over the schist, elegantly manipulating his bicycle like it were a horse. Just look at him! To us this represents the utmost in innovation.
When we bring together two disparate ideas, something new happens. In our case, we began to view the mound of rock as a conduit rather than an obstacle. And we saw the bicycle as a vehicle to scale uneven and high terrain. From here, our mind was open to build on these concepts and consider more and newer possibilities.
It started with this man’s desire, pure and simple. He wanted to ride his bike over these rocks, which propelled him over each and every bump and chasm. The prospect of getting what we want can be a powerful motivator, and often when we pursue something simply because we want to, great things happen.
Switching up the typical context of our world is a foundation for how we can innovate in our organizations. Then allowing ourselves to seek what we want, we’re free to experience the unexpected and wonderful results.
Have you innovated by leveraging something out of its context?
