Each day, project, or process can begin with the curious question of “what else might we do?” Or “how else might we approach this?” We tend to assume that we have a limited number of choices, most of which we have made already. This assumption ties us to only using predetermined ways of approaching our work.
In reality, we have an infinite number of choices that might work as well, if not better, than what we have done in the past. This does not infer that what we have accomplished or the approaches we have used are wrong or poor in results. Many leaders will say, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” What this thinking leaves out is that there is room to build new capacity, new vision, new processes from what has worked before. Each day is an opportunity to create and use innovation to rethink what could be.
Imagine yourself as a child, experiencing something for the first time. That moment of wonder and joy when you discover a tasty treat such as ice cream, or that toy inside a Christmas gift. Those experiences bring such fun and awe to our lives, but they do not have to be left behind when we become an adult. Instead of feeling that we have already discovered all life holds for us, remember the world is really a big place. There is much in the world that we still do not understand, have not explored, and need to learn about.
The same holds true for your work and the areas that you lead. No matter how long you have been working at your job, there is still a need to continue exploring. What is around the next corner, what would happen if you were to take a new approach, how could you add new elements to existing processes, how could you use your knowledge to deliver something in a whole new way? These questions help us to be curious and to capture new insights into our work.
Let’s continually ask ourselves what we can learn today and be able to use that insight to create new highlights for ourselves and others!
