Greetings.  Critical problems and remarkable opportunities.  These are the things that should merit our greatest attention.  And our best thinking.  But in the rush to make something happen, all too often we settle for incremental solutions based on old and tired frameworks.  If only we could unlock the brain power to come up with new and better ideas when we really needed them.  The kind of ideas that really matter and create much greater value for those we serve.  And, we can!  By following a simple and energizing thought process.  

For each important "challenge" you and your colleagues face, try to stretch your "thinking" by looking at it from the following perspectives:

1.  What's our best thinking to date?  Not just in our business unit (or silo), but in the wealth of knowledge and insight that exists across our company.  

2.  What's the best thinking in our industry?  Not just in our company, but in the wisdom of our leading competitors and partners.

3.  What's the best thinking in other industries?  Not just in our industry, but in other industries that are renowned for their genius in meeting this type of challenge.

4.  What's the best thinking from popular culture?  Not just in the world of business, but in other walks of life where new ideas and approaches have changed the way things are done. 

5.  What's the best thinking in other cultures?  Not just in our culture, but in a world filled with fresh and exciting ideas, perspectives, and insights.  

6.  What's the best insight from nature?  Not just in the domain of humans, though we are a relatively clever species, but in the amazing workings of the rest of the natural world with all of its creatures, systems, and wisdom.

7.  What's the best insight from science?  Not just in the realm of our work and its theories, but in the brilliance of leading scientific minds in all disciplines and their most compelling ideas.

8.  What's are best possibilities from science fiction?  Not just from our view of reality, but from the visions of others who have imagined a future filled with very different possibilities.

In the weeks ahead we'll explore each of these "places" in more detail.  But for now, realize that innovation and innovative thinking is a wonderful discipline that requires us to balance a keen focus with the ability to quickly cast an ever wider net.  And that wider net means discovering the best ideas, insights, and inspiration from an amazing world around us.

We win in business by casting a wider net in a sea of possibilities.  And by combining our best thinking with the wisdom others understand so clearly.  Maybe it's time to step out and unlock your real genius?  

Cheers!