Comments on: Physics, Ideation, Community & Entanglement

By: Fred H. Schlegel

Fred H. Schlegel — Fri, 15 May 2009 04:31:12 +0000

Hi Andrew, the power of turning a complaint into an opportunity is an art form all in itself. Many great products are actually just solutions to a problem or need in the first place – so I agree, the complaints should be a great source of creativity. I’m glad you’re a part of the discussion as well, your comments are always thought provoking. Thank you!

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:54:32 +0000

Fred,

Thanks for the mention.

You have certainly developed a very thoughtful community here and I am glad to be a part of it.

Any form of customer or public interaction has the potential to stimulate creative thinking and this includes interaction through the blogosphere, a tool which organizations ignore to their peril.

One particular area which companies should not ignore is the monitoring of online complaints about their services, or problems which people have experienced in using their services. Hidden inside complaints are often ideas which constitute potential areas of service improvement, and companies should not ignore complaints as a potential source of creative ideas for improvements in service and/or product quality.

Andrew’s last blog post..Animal testing – a positive EU proposal to eliminate unnecessary suffering

By: Bill Welter

Bill Welter — Thu, 14 May 2009 18:09:06 +0000

Kay,
I love your suggestion of the mini-sabbatical. If people really planned on taking a “mini” they would also have something to look forward to during stressful times.
Bill

By: Fred H. Schlegel

Fred H. Schlegel — Thu, 14 May 2009 18:03:58 +0000

Kay – You bring such a visual sense to your comments, it brings your ideas to life. Interesting to think of ideas as corporate oxygen, that really highlights the need for organizations to keep an outward focus. Thank you for your additions here, they are appreciated. And now I think I’ll head out for my 20 minutes on the balcony

By: Fred H. Schlegel

Fred H. Schlegel — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:57:24 +0000

Bill – It would be interesting to see what grows from that suggestion. When there is an urgent need then sometimes the concerns about security and secrecy get put on the back burner. No reason to be secretive if your project is going to flounder on the rocks. Thanks for your insights!

By: Fred H. Schlegel

Fred H. Schlegel — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:53:55 +0000

Brad – Optimism is a good thing and I share your belief that adoption of new media will accelerate. I’m not sure that there is any other choice, especially as orgs continue to get leaner the new tools will drive productivity and communication. Thank you for your contributions!

By: Kay Plantes

Kay Plantes — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:57:15 +0000

Thanks for the mention. One image that came to mind as I read your blog–
ideas from the outside are like oxygen to a human. To little and you die; too much and you die. Finding the right blend is critical as is building up your musculature to do more with the oxygen that you get.

Organizations –whether we are referring to one part of a company or the whole company or even an entire industry — die when they get too little input from the outside.

My biggest fear about companies today is that everyone is working so hard, frantically, and so focused on getting through the short term that the spaciousness and openness required for creativity is being lost.

Everyone–take a mini sabbatical. For a day, an afternoon, a lunch hour, 20 minutes en route to work. Breathe. Imagine your world from a balcony and see what you cannot see when you focus too narrowly.

Kay Plantes’s last blog post..Strategic Leadership in Fearful Times

By: Bill Welter

Bill Welter — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:35:31 +0000

Fred,
Thanks for the mention and thanks for the great insights. Your closing comments about blogging at the corporate level should be used by every comany that is interested in building “communities of ideas.”
I conducted a workshop this week and when the attendees complained that travel budgets had been cut and they could not regularly meet each other face-to-face I suggested the one of them start a blog and “keep the conversation going.” Hopefully they will.
Keep up the good work, your posts push my mind to places it doesn’t naturally want to go.
Bill

By: Brad Shorr

Brad Shorr — Thu, 14 May 2009 10:31:19 +0000

Fred, Fascinating summary of your and your community's thoughts, and I love your conclusion. Indeed, why don't corporations take advantage of these wonderful communication tools at our fingertips, tools that can shake large organizations out of their lumbering and slumbering? You are too kind though, to say that blogs are relatively underused. I would say grossly underused or perhaps incomprehensibly underused. Regardless, I'm optimistic that adaptation to new media will accelerate - partly because of the bandwagon effect, partly out of desperation, and partly due to the efforts of folks like us who explore and explain its value. Brad Shorr’s last blog post..How to Succeed on LinkedIn in 100 Easy Pages