As is customary now on the Think For A Change Blog, I like to re-publish this blog entry from 2006 as a reminder of the importance of just sitting down and thinking every once in awhile.  Incubation, thinking, meditating or reflecting, whatever you call it, is indeed the innovator's secret weapon.  The purposeful search for problems and solutions puts you at a great advantage!

In a recent meeting with a client for whom I frequently do some innovation management maturity consulting, he mentioned that this particular blog entry has always stuck in his memory.  "It made perfect sense," he said, "because my people are going to be taking a week or two off during this holiday season and, whether they realize it or not, they will be thinking about their problems at work."  So together, for this year, we established a special idea incentive program.  For every idea each employee comes back to the office with on January 4th, 2010, they will receive 1 dollar to spend at the company store.  In the words of my enlightened client, "I can't really ask these folks to think about improving my company during their time off, but if they do, and they want to share those ideas, I think it is appropriate to pay them for that effort."

Additionally, with the recent passing of Roy E. Disney, who saved the Walt Disney Company more than once due his demand that the organization never forget where it started, the re-print of this blog entry seems all the more timely. 

Enjoy...

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Walt Disney wrote in Reader's Digest (December 1941) that:

"One reason the Christmas season appeals to me is that it makes us suspend business-as-usual routine and let our minds soar for a while. It is a time when the imagination is more sprightly than at other periods of the year; Christmas seems to release even the most solemn of us from the Scrooge realism that occasionally besets all of us. It is natural,of course, that I should think of Christmas in terms of imagination,for imagination is my business."

Hopefully you have some vacation time to spend with family and friends this Christmas and holiday season. If not, you'll still be treated to a quiet office, what with all of the other people being off. 

Walt's quote above reminds us that we must all find some quiet moments from time to time. These quiet moments allow our subconscious time to catchup with our busy conscious mind.  The subconscious probably has some ideas it has been working on, but hasn't been able to get through to us during the busy end of the year activity.

So how do we take advantage of the power of reflection? 

• Think on a scale larger/smaller than what you are used to thinking
  • See the forest for the trees
  • Look for patterns
  • Look at how nature solves "problems"
  • Do something you typically don't do
  • Try to (not to) generalize everything you encounter
• Ask questions
  • What if...?
  • How about...?
  • How can we...?
  • Why not...?
• Create Time
  • If you can't find time in your busy day for reflective thought, make time:
    • Get up one hour early
    • Go to bed one hour late
    • Go to the park for lunch
    • Listen to music instead of the news
    • Take a long shower or bath
    • Cut the grass
    • Take the dog for a walk

In today's hectic rat-race, it can be very difficult to find time for reflective thought and getting in contact with our sub-conscious.  New ideas typically don't present themselves when we are too busy to think.  In order to truly tap into your great, but yet unknown ideas,make time to get away, think deeply, and truly reflect on your problems, potential solutions and other great thoughts.

To all of my blog readers, clients, colleagues and friends...Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!