What Might You Be Falsely Assuming?
If you or your company wants to innovate, the first thing you'll need to do is check your assumptions -- those arbitrary lines you've drawn in the sand.
The "box" people say they want to get out of? Nothing more than their collective assumptions -- and there have been many throughout history.
Some real whoppers.
Assumptions are your blind spot -- what you don't know you don't know -- what you don't see when you look in the mirror just before crashing into the car about to pass you.
Here are six (of many) ways to go beyond them...
SIX WAYS TO GO BEYOND YOUR LIMITING ASSUMPTIONS
1. Make a list of what you think they might be.
2. Ask your friends, co-workers, and customers.
3. Read these 30 examples, then note your own.
4. Brainstorm your problem through the eyes of someone else.
5. Everytime you see a FedEx logo, ask yourself: "What am I assuming about Project X?"
6. Turn your biggest limiting assumption into a "How can we?" question, then brainstorm it with a few friends.
This is just a starter list. Let me know how YOU identify and go beyond limiting assumptions and I'll post the mega-list here.
Or, you can invite me in to shed some more light on this topic. Unless... um... er...you're assuming I'm too expensive... I don't have a Ph.D... you're boss will never go for it... there's a freeze on spending... no one has the time... or any number of the other top hundred reasons why it can't happen.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at June 18, 2009 06:56 AM
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