Businesses are increasingly putting innovation at the top of the business growth agenda. This puts increased pressure on accountants to become more innovative in their approach and thinking.
But how is this possible when the accountancy profession is so hard-wired toward left brain process driven, analytical thinking?
The good news is that anyone can become a BIG IDEAS person. It just takes practise. (Ideally Passionate Practise).
Here are some simple exercises:
- Start noticing everything. Become a traveller in your day-to-day life. Notice more. Start questioning the processes and assumptions under which you operate at work and in the office.
- Every day, ask yourself a good open question and write it at the top of a sheet of A4. Write a list of possible solutions and don’t stop until you’ve filled the page or written at least 25 answers (whichever happens sooner)
- Get a whiteboard in your office and sketch out the key problems you’re trying to solve. It’s far easier when you can see the problem (plus it helps others see the problem too).
- Read more widely. Pick up random magazines e.g. from weekend newspapers, and notice key themes and trends. Notice the design of slick advertising. Read articles that you might not normally consider reading.
- Mix with more people. Say yes more to invites from people who you might not normally choose to hang-out with. Ask questions and listen. Suspend your judgements or preconceptions. You might just find that you’re way off the beat and learn a thing or two.
- Mind-map your thoughts on a sheet of paper. Use lots of colours. (Your mind likes colours. Trust me). Look for connections and draw arrows to connect them. Stick it up on the wall. Return to it later and notice that you’ll spot even more connections. Spooky.
- Get up and walk about when you hit mental sticking points. Extra blood flow to the brain via exercise could be just the stimulus you need to make that break-through.
- Ask good questions. Good questions are those that are open and invite possibility thinking e.g. “What if we opened an office in X, what might this mean for our business?” See point 2 above.
- Encourage a culture of idea generation within your team. Eradicate cynicism. Allow team members to feel empowered to challenge the norm without fear of being ‘”shot-down” or made to feel silly or embarrassed. After all, initial seedling ideas can turn into giant market leading oak trees.
- Develop an ethos of learning as a continuum within your team and become sceptical when things start to feel obvious, comfortable or black and white – revel in the grey and uncertain as this is where breakthroughs live.
Here are just 10 ideas. Try some today. Let me know how you get on or any other suggestions you have?
[Photo credit to ViaMoi]
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How can you spot new break-through opportunities or areas for improvement within your office or department?
Developing a traveller mindset within your office may hold the key…
Remember the last time you went somewhere new – perhaps on holiday, on a business trip or simply to the other side of town? Recall how you felt. More alive, curious, noticing more perhaps?
We enter into a state of high alert when we visit new places. We are ready to respond to dangers – the fight or flee mentality kicks-in. This is part of our evolutionary make-up to make sure we don’t get eaten by predators. Less useful in this respect now but still of much use to us today if directed properly. We experience heightened awareness and notice the small details. We are critical where things seem unfamiliar and ask for help where we are unsure. We are curious and open to suggestion and learning. We have a beginner’s mind. Or a traveller’s mind.
Compare this with your day-to-day mindset in the office. All is familiar and ‘normal’. You’ve stopped questioning the things that don’t really make sense or could be better as you’re busy with the day to day work. You’re losing the ability to spot what’s wrong or where improvements could be made. Things have always been done this way – right? Your critical judgement has become mellowed. The small details (that make all the difference) go unnoticed. You have developed an expert’s mind at your office (or so you thought!) This is not your fault. It is the result of moving from a traveller’s mindset (when you first joined the organisation) to becoming a native.
Actions
You need to regain that sense of being a traveller within your work. This requires reinvention on your part. Re:thinking. Here are some suggested steps to assist:
- Start asking the BIG why question? Ask WHY? about everything you and your team do at work. Is this process really necessary or are we following (misguided) convention that’s developed over years? Will this action be of benefit to clients and / or the team? Cascade this mentality across the team for every process, service and action.
- Take a holiday – ideally a long one. Reflect. Wallow in your traveller’s curiosity and look for opportunities, new connections or breakthroughs derived from your new surroundings. What can you learn to take back to the office?
- Consider a secondment e.g. into industry (become a client for a while – I found this experience to be enlightening)
- Work from somewhere different – become a traveller by working like one on the move e.g. why not draft that proposal or presentation on the train or in a coffee shop? Different sounds, views and surroundings can stimulate new insights
- Visit other offices within your organisation (if applicable) – spend some time there. Soak up the atmosphere. Take notes of areas for improvement. Compare with your office.
- Take new joiners and existing staff out for a coffee and discuss areas for improvement – they may still have traveller’s eyes
- Ask clients for feedback on service quality, breadth and value. Also ask for suggestions for new services
- Get out of the office more. Go see clients your clients!
The easiest way to get cracking in your journey to reignite your traveller mindset is to get out of the office! Go do it.
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