Page 81 - Free the Idea Monkey

OUTSIDE IN-NOVATION
At the root of Zen philosophy is the ability to objectify your situ-

ation—to be able to step outside of it so you can see it for what it
really is. So now that you see yourself in the jar,
what do you do about it?

Here are three simple tips:
1. Get experts from beyond your industry

to help you stay honest and see what is happening
outside the jar. Whatever your challenge, there is an
expert in a parallel industry willing to help you overcome it. Let me
give you an example of what I mean by a parallel industry.

Let’s say you sell something as seemingly pedestrian as furni-
ture polish. It cleans, protects and restores. Now, what other things
do that? Well, oral care and skin care products are the first two that
come to mind.

Armed with this realization, how do you gain another perspective?
You could forge all kinds of formal relationships with other compa-
nies, but you don’t have to do that. You can simply call an expert at an
oral care or cosmetic company and ask to pick his or her brain.

2. Act like an anthropologist. As I wrote earlier, an essential
ingredient to innovation (and a key ability of the Idea Monkey) is the
ability to objectify any situation, to be able to step back from where
you are in order to gain context. Using experts from beyond your
industry is a huge help in doing that.

So is going outside the office and act-
ing like an anthropologist. Bring along a
couple of members of your team, an out-
side expert or two, and spend time with
your customer. Compare notes; you will
be shocked at how differently you all see
the situation.

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