Big Sky – Big Ideas

“There’s so much sky here,” my friend exclaimed.  “No more than where you live,” I answered.  “The difference is that you can see more of it in the west.”  Where I live now – with wide open spaces and the ability to see over 100 miles from my backyard – is much different from where I used to live – where he still lives – with trees obscuring your line of site and blocking the ability to see as much of the sky or distances as far as I now can.  

Here in New Mexico the topography is different than the topography in Virginia.  The first time I lived here I used to say that I’d never seen the horizon on land – just at the beach where the water met the sky.  That probably wasn’t true, but I marveled at how wherever I looked, I could see the sky touching the earth.  This new horizon – or view of it – gave me a different perspective.

Did you ever hear people say that they’re most creative when they are not at work? There’s something about stepping out of your usual routine and environment that allows new ideas to flood our brains.  When you expand your perspective, you expand your horizons as well. 

What do you do to expand your perspective? How do you break free from your routine and environment in order to find your creative self?  Some people crave solitude and serenity, others the bustle of big cities. The fact is, you can find energy and creativity in different places and situations – you just have to expand your perspective!

As leaders in your organization, you recognize that creativity and innovation are critical – whether it’s developing new products or services or just finding improved ways of doing things.  You want nurture that innovative self inside each and every employee. One way you can encourage that is to have tech-free zones within the workplace, or tech-free times such as no emails or texting at certain times, days, over weekends, or on vacation.  Insist that your team members take the time to clear their minds and broaden their individual perspective.  

You can read more about innovation on page 98 of The Manager’s Answer Book.  And remember “What you imagine you create.”