What do you do with an idea?

You can run to it, or run away from it.

You can improve it, or dismiss it.

You can deny it, delay it, or try to deter it.

Or, you can allow it, grow it, and try to increase it.

You can fear it, or enjoy it.

You can hide it, or share it.

You can tear it down, or build it up.

What do you do with an idea?

It's really up to you. Remember though, another one is on its way. What will you do with it?

houston@figment-consulting.com

to boldly explore, to go where no one has gone before

Seth Godin refers to it as Edgecrafting -- going to the edge instead of staying in the middle where it is safe.

Star Trek described it this way -- "to boldly explore, to go where no one has gone before."

A Chinese tycoon, Liu Dejian, founder of mainland online gaming firm NetDragon Websoft is showing us what Edgecrafting looks like.

And my favorite point he made from his CNBC interview:

In an interview with CNBC, the 43-year-old Liu revealed that he hoped the design of the company's new headquarters would encourage employees to live up to Star Trek's adventure-seeking spirit as his Hong Kong-listed company ventured into uncharted territories such as online education and robots.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Having followers does not make you a leader.

Use of fear, threats, and loss are easy and quick ways to motivate employees. It also shines a spotlight on the lack of leadership skills for the one in charge. Fake leaders do not have the ability nor the desire to put in the work of leading, Instead, they turn to the quick and easy, justify it to themselves, and continue to build the facade around them.

Real leaders inspire, encourage, and allow for others to shine. Real leaders search for solutions, not accolades. Real leaders are as concerned about the means as they are the results knowing the latter very seldom justifies the former.

A real leader is a leader irregardless of whether or not they have followers. And, having followers does not make one a leader -- it simply puts one in charge.

houston@figment-consulting.com

If the norm is successful, then follow the norm.

Recently I spent time with a group in the blended learning space who understand that following the norm will produce normal results. They realize too this goes much deeper than a competitive analysis in order to find a niche to fit in or a space to occupy.

No, this is taking a step back and perusing the entire landscape in order to understand the norm and then determine if it is worth being followed. Apple, Disney, Google, and others did not achieve their success by following the norm. They understood that the norm allowed them an opportunity to reach higher levels of success by going against it, blowing past it, or doing something entirely different altogether.

In your line of business what is the norm? Is it successful and worth following? Or, does the norm present you the opportunity you need to lead in a new direction?

Instead of starting with the question - "How can we differentiate ourselves from our competitors?" - broaden the question and start with "What is the norm in our industry and is it worth following?"

When you do, breakthroughs can occur.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Change perspective and perspective can change

Much of what I write about, and do in my consulting business, has to do with challenging perspectives, and changing them. It allows for fresh ideas to occur -- sometimes they work brilliantly and sometimes they do not.

One of my mentors is author and creative thinker Michael Milchalko. I found his book Thinkertoys at a Barnes & Noble years ago, and it has been a constant companion of mine since then. Fortunately it wasn't the only book he decided to write. I have had the good fortune of being in contact with him over the years and continue to enjoy his thoughts, his perspective, and his writings.

In addition to authoring books, he puts out a regular blog dedicated to creative thinking. You can read his latest post here.

In it he will challenge you to change your perspective in order for your perspective to change -- allowing you to see things in new ways.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Customer service v customer experience

Customer service is meeting needs.

Customer experience is fulfilling wants while meeting their needs.

If you concentrate on the experience you have the potential to create loyal customers.

houston@figment-consulting.com

The problem with Seth Godin . . .

. . . is that he continues to make such sense in each one of his books that it is frustrating to me I did not think of writing them first.

In his latest book, What To Do When It's Your Turn (and it's always your turn) Seth challenges you on each and every page to rethink what you think you know, to move beyond waiting for others, and to take responsibility for yourself and your life.

It's both simple to read and very difficult to read at the same time.

If you desire for 2015 to be completely different, then take the time to go through Seth's new book.

houston@figment-consulting.com

The KittiesMama society

On August 9, 2008 KittiesMama joined YouTube. It is a channel dedicated to weekly vlogs, funny skits, and a little girl that plays makeup guru. Its wholesome entertainment.

KittiesMama now has over 767,000 subscribers and over 423 million views of her videos since they launched back in 2008.

This is the world in which we now live. You can choose yourself, launch a YouTube channel, and create your own destiny.

If you are waiting to be chosen by someone else - an employer, a boss, or a school -- give thought to choosing yourself. There's never been a better time to do so.

houston@figment-consulting.com

The edge of failure

Don't be afraid to fail.

Many times it is at the edge of failure that imagination accelerates and breakthroughs occur.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Be inspired by some of the great CEOs.

http://www.businessinsider.com/inspirational-ceo-quotes-apple-steve-jobs-2014-9#-1

houston@figment-consulting.com

Windowless Airplanes and Virtual Schools

Technicon France is re-imagining what it can be like to fly. Instead of thinking outside the box, they are throwing the proverbial box away. The result could be a fascinating journey the next time we take to the skies on a private jet. Who know, perhaps commercial airlines might be next.

The Future of Airplanes Could Be a Windowless Jet by Brittany Jones Cooper, Editor at Yahoo Travel.

How does this relate to virtual schools? Too many of them try to differentiate themselves by tweaking little things just like most commercial airlines do. Is there really a big difference between Delta and American? What about K12 and Connections Academy -- how different are they?

Technicon France is trying to change the flight experience as we know it. Imagine if United adopted a similar approach and utilized this technology -- in what ways would it alter the flying experience for passengers? Could it alter seat arrangements since there would be no windows? How would it benefit First Class passengers - could they utilize the technology for work while in flight? What could it do for Coach passengers - could the visuals provide a calming effect? The possibilities would definitely be expanded. More importantly, people would take notice of United.

In the world of virtual education where is the school that is re-imagining online learning in order to alter the paradigm instead of simply tweaking and hoping for better results? It can be risky out there close to the edge. Or, is it riskier to stay in the middle with everyone else?

Those in the middle seldom get noticed.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Playing not to lose in the World Cup

 

Mexico, Chile, and many other countries have found themselves in unfamiliar territory during this World Cup. They took leads on teams they were not supposed to beat. Then, they each forgot what it took to get that lead, and they began to play "not to lose." The aggressiveness went away. The daring went away. The calculated risk taking went away. Instead, they focused on running out the clock.

The end result: the very outcome they tried to avoid became a reality and they have all gone home after losing their games.

It's funny how businesses tend to follow a similar pattern. Start-ups are aggressive, edgy, willing to risk, and willing to try something different. Then, they find a measure of success and fear of loss sets in, and they begin playing not to lose.

The problem? They miss out on the opportunities in front of them -- the ones they were willing to take on, the ones that brought them the first measure of success.

Success can be paralyzing. Take time to determine if you are playing to win, or playing not to lose. Your next opportunity may be passing you by right now.

houston@figment-consulting.com