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The whole point about an idea is that it ’ s just ... an idea . You ’ re not making a firm recommendation just yet , you ’ re simply provoking discussion . Through discussion you can then develop it into something more practical and implementable .
Specific , operationally-focused ideas for improving your clients business ( e . g ., an idea on how to reduce costs , improve timeto-market , or increase employee retention ). Big-picture ideas dealing with strategy and organization ( e . g ., an acquisition idea , a suggestion for improving the balance sheet or knocking out a competitor ).
Ideas which shape clients ’ perspectives and understanding of the world around them ( e . g ., a perspective on how a new demographic cohort will impact hiring , training , and retention strategies ).
Ideas can be helpful at an institutional or personal level . They can be small and specific or focused on the big-picture . They can be intended as suggestions or focused on shaping a client ’ s perceptions .
Sources of Ideas
Here is a brief list of some idea generation techniques and sources that may be helpful to you in developing your own ideas for clients . I ’ ve shared some of these in other articles and blogs , but they bear repeating :
Observation
By exercising “ mindfulness ” - a keen awareness of the world around you and the particular moment you are in - you can come up with lots of interesting ideas . In 1948 , George de Mestral , a Swiss engineer and amateur mountaineer was hiking in the Alps . After his walk , he noticed his socks and dog were covered in burrs . Curious about how they stuck to his clothing , he examined them under a microscope and observed the tiny hooks that allowed the burrs to hang onto the fabric . In 1955 , he patented Velcro , now a billion-dollar industry .

The whole point about an idea is that it ’ s just ... an idea . You ’ re not making a firm recommendation just yet , you ’ re simply provoking discussion . Through discussion you can then develop it into something more practical and implementable .
in order to make investments accessible to the average man and woman . His slogan for Merrill Lynch became to “ take Wall Street to Main Street .”
Suspension of Judgment
Good idea generation requires a suspension of judgment in order to allow “ unrealistic ” alternatives or ideas to be allowed into the discussion . Many great discoveries were either accidental or the result of “ mistakes .” Marconi pursued his ( ultimately ) successful experiments in the belief that radio waves followed the curvature of the earth ( they don ’ t ). Penicillin and x-rays were also “ mistakes ,” which developed into lifesaving medical breakthroughs .
Reflection
“ I lived in solitude in the country ,” said Albert Einstein , talking about the sources of his great ideas , “ and noticed how the monotony of quiet life stimulates the creative mind .” Some researchers in the field of creativity , in fact , believe that insight occurs during the reflection and relaxation that follows a period of intense activity and work .
Getting Your Hands Dirty
Use Your Client ’ s “ Lens ” to View the World
Whenever I read something - an article or book - I have a nearly sub-conscious filter at work which is searching for ideas , examples , or concepts that might be useful to my clients . Here ’ s a small but relevant example : I read that while there are billions of stars in the universe , only 6,000 can be seen from the Earth with the naked eye . Furthermore , from any one vantage point on Earth , only 2,000 are visible . While working with a client on a teaming program , I picked up on this and made a mental note . Later , it became one of the analogies we developed in communicating the goals of the teaming program : A global , interconnected team has a far broader perspective to bring to a client , seeing , as it were , three times as many stars .
Develop lots of ideas and throw the bad ones away
Studies of scientists who have come up with breakthrough ideas reveal an interesting phenomenon : These scientists publish far more papers than their less-creative peers . As one CEO told me , “ Some of the most creative people are able to throw away the bad ideas much quicker than other people can .”
Analogy and metaphor
Analogies are a powerful way to create new ideas and transfer concepts from one domain to another . Charles Merrill , the founder of the modern financial behemoth Merrill Lynch ( now owned by Bank of America ), tapped into the power of analogy when he brought stocks and bonds to the masses . Early in his career as a banker , he helped finance several of the burgeoning retail store chains such as J . G . McCrory , which were focused on the mass market . Merrill quickly adopted this new concept of mass merchandising and used it to reconceptualize and restructure the stockbroking business - which had previously served only the very wealthy -
The more you understand your client ’ s business and life , the easier it will be to come up with good ideas . This is a dilemma for professionals who work in large companies : as you become more senior in an organization , you often work less and less with clients , and when you do , you are often exposed to projects and client situations at a very big-picture level . You do less and less hands-on work with specific client issues and problems .
The more you “ walk the halls ” and get your hands dirty , as it were , the more ideas you ’ ll come up with .
Push yourself
Set a goal to come up with 2 or 3 new ideas a quarter for each client . As we ’ ve seen , they don ’ t all have to be earth-shattering ideas . Take time to really reflect deeply on your client ’ s problems and issues - it will set you apart from your competition . As George Bernard Shaw wrote , “ Few people think more than two or three times a year ; I have made an international reputation for myself by thinking once or twice a week .”
Dr . Clifford J . Ferguson is the Managing Partner of Rainmakers , and Board Member of Glad ’ s House Kenya . You can commune with him on this or related matters via email at : Drcliffordjferguson @ me . com .