The Sky’s the Limit

Posted on September 18, 2008 by Harry K. Jones

Over the past few years of doing research for our creativity seminars and keynote presentations, I’ve been forced to broaden my horizons and open my mind to accept just about anything. For instance, there was a time when you might have had a problem trying to convince me that the following examples actually exist:

Square watermelons
Solar-powered talking tombstones
Undersea community resorts
747 limos on the freeway
7-story corporate headquarters shaped like a picnic basket
Indoor ski resort in the desert
Billboards in the sand at the beach
Napping modules in the workplace
Caffeine-enhanced bath soap
Tracking pizza online … and the list goes on.

The latest addition to this unusual list is “Dinner in the Sky” … the latest must-have dining experience for the Uber rich. It’s exactly what the title infers, a restaurant in the sky. Visualize the perfect dinner party with 21 of your best friends and/or family members. Your party is gathered around a 30 by 16 foot 11,000 lb. (5 ½ ton) table, securely strapped into your seats with a four-point harness, and then elevated more than 150 feet in the air by a gigantic crane. There’s nothing between you and the ground other than the seat you’re strapped into and a small platform to support your feet.

The large oval table accommodates 22 people in addition to the three staff members, two world-class chefs and a waiter, in the kitchen located in the center of this unique creation. To add to your experience, the giant oval slowly revolves 180 degrees. If the rotation and the breathtaking scenery isn’t enough, you can invest a little more to include a second crane with platform—or more if desired—such as music, product introduction, etc. to heighten your magical moment. However, you can forget about chatting with your associates as the winds at 150 feet make quiet conversation near impossible.

Like any other luxury today, you have additional options available as well. If you choose, you can have Breakfast in the Sky, Lunch in the Sky, Cocktails in the Sky or even a business meeting in the sky … the only limit to the eight-hour experience is your imagination! You can even go up after dark as the platform is very well-illuminated.

Of course, there has to be a down side, and that would be the price. $15,000 for a three-hour session! That does not include electricity or catering, so this is clearly an experience reserved for the filthy rich. However, the concept is certainly catching on. It originally started in Austria and now has licensees in 16 countries! If you’d like to see some breathtaking pictures of this unique concept, go to this link for the video.

Let’s hope your safety harness prevents your experience from being The Last Supper and my only recommendation … be sure to hit the bathroom BEFORE you lift off.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Don’t Underestimate UPS

Posted on September 11, 2008 by Harry K. Jones

One of the many things I enjoy and appreciate about reading is the thrill of constant discovery. If you’re reading the right material, it’s quite obvious that the more you read, the more you learn.

For instance, like so many others, I spent years seeing those busy bee UPS drivers dressed in their dull brown uniforms driving their oversized, unattractive brown trucks all over the country delivering packages. Little did I know that, behind the scenes and unbeknownst to most of us, Big Brown was changing the world by focusing on logistics of all things.

Forbes Magazine says: “UPS used to be a trucking company with technology. Now it’s a technology company with trucks!” This, of course, is an excellent example of the needed change we’re hearing so much about in today’s media.

In his best selling book The World Is Flat, author Thomas. L. Friedman shares a few perfect examples of what UPS is doing in its new role of flattening the world.

For quite some time, the Toshiba Corporation suffered from a major image problem as a result of simply taking far too long to repair the broken laptops. Today, if you happen to own a Toshiba laptop computer that is under warranty and you have a problem with it, you’ll be happy to know that all you have to do is call Toshiba to have it repaired. That much hasn’t changed. However, from that point on there’s a world of difference in procedure. They will tell you to drop it off at a UPS store and have it shipped to Toshiba. However, here’s what they don’t tell you:

UPS will pick up your computer and deliver it to its hub in Louisville, Kentucky. That hasn’t changed either. However, once it arrives at the hub, it’s no longer shipped on to Toshiba for repair. UPS employees, trained and certified by Toshiba, will repair computers and printers right there at the airport in their own workshop. If you could visit that hub repair facility, you’d find UPS employees dressed in blue smocks, in a special clean room, replacing motherboards in broken Toshiba laptops.

UPS analyzed the time factor and then suggested to Toshiba that it simply cut out the many middle steps that were causing the disturbing delays. Those steps of course consisted of shipping the computers from Louisville to the Toshiba repair facility, repairing it at that location, and then shipping it back to Louisville before being returned to the customer. In certifying Big Brown technicians, it is now possible to send your Toshiba laptop in one day, get it repaired the next, and have it back the third day! As a result, Toshiba’s customer complaints have been reduced dramatically!

While you’re digesting that example of “thinking out-of-the-box,” don’t make the mistake of thinking that its creativity stops there. Due to increasing gas prices and time challenges, many people have chosen to avoid the local mall when shopping for tennis shoes. Now you can simply go online and order a pair of Nikes from its web site. That order is then routed to a UPS-owned warehouse near the Kentucky hub and a UPS employee picks, inspects, packs, and delivers your shoes for Nike.

The same procedure holds true if you happen to order your underwear from Jockey.com. UPS employees, trained by the good folks from Jockey, will actually fill the order, bag it, label it, and deliver it to you from another large warehouse in Louisville!

So the next time you’re comfortably sitting in your living room decked out in your underwear and tennis shoes working on your laptop, gives thanks to your very creative friends at Big Brown!

About Harry K. Jones

Make the Right Turn to Save Gas

Posted on September 4, 2008 by Harry K. Jones

The purpose of this series of articles on thinking out-of-the-box is to continually point out the numerous examples of creative thinking that we can find in our daily environment. I find something every day that reminds me that there’s no limit to the creative solutions we, as a nation, can produce to solve problems, overcome obstacles, and navigate the speed bumps of life.

I may be rare in the fact that I just naturally draw assumptions from time to time. For instance, ask me to quickly toss out the name of an organization I would consider as creative and innovative, and I might offer up something like Disney or Google, and I would obviously be correct. Both of those choices were relatively safe bets. However, you might be stunned at the number of tremendously enterprising businesses that dot the landscape from coast to coast … companies which, at first glance, appear to be Clark-Kent-like in their daily mild-mannered appearance. However, under closer scrutiny, their “super” inner-structure is remarkably focused on ingenious and revolutionary outcomes to cope with an ever-changing and increasingly competitive environment.

One such company today is UPS—The United Parcel Service. Mention “Big Brown” and many folks think of the Kentucky Derby winner that captured hearts and headlines earlier in the year. Others immediately envision the traditional over-sized brown delivery truck which has been manipulating our streets for decades to deliver packages and documents to customers worldwide.

Creativity probably does not come to mind as you visualize one of those vehicles or those who navigate those monstrosities along their daily routes. You might be surprised at what goes on within this organization. UPS is breaking ground every day with its cutting-edge technology and innovative breakthroughs. Let me share just one of the many.

UPS boasts a delivery fleet of 93,637 package cars, vans, tractors and motorcycles worldwide. Can you imagine its concern over rising gas prices the past few years? Rather than sitting back waiting for someone else to solve this rapidly growing dilemma, UPS put their heads together in an effort to deal with this critical challenge.

UPS apparently made the right choice. Literally. After deliberate research and study, UPS discovered it could squeeze the most out of each gallon of gasoline by simply turning right as often as possible. Stay with me here.

UPS drivers are trained to map their routes to turn right whenever possible. It saves fuel and reduces emissions by minimizing the length of time their trucks are idling. And it’s safer too, because they don’t have to cross traffic. With left turns, more time is spent idling while waiting for oncoming traffic, and right-on-red regulations also help save fuel.

UPS drivers have been doing this for several years, and they say the savings are substantial. In the beginning it was an informal trial and error approach. Now they have a combination of not just experience but computers, codes, and programs that allow them to plot out right-turn routes in seconds. UPS dispatchers map out directions on tablets known as DIAD boards. Every route is designed to take right turns whenever possible.

The company estimates that in 2007, UPS saved 3.1 million gallons of fuel and avoided discharging 32,000 metric tons of emissions into the air by turning right whenever possible. Do the math. In the U.S. alone, UPS has 61,000 drivers so if it can save one gallon of gas on each of those 61,000 routes, that’s a lot of fuel. Last year alone, it saved over $12 million on fuel costs! You can bet UPS has also saved a bundle by avoiding accidents by not having to turn into oncoming traffic thousands of times a day.

Can you imagine the tremendous amount of gas we could save in this country if everyone would practice this very simple technique?

About Harry K. Jones

Simplicity Reigns Supreme

Posted on August 28, 2008 by Harry K. Jones

I must admit that I sometimes go overboard in sharing the latest example of innovation as part of our creativity seminars, keynote presentations, and even in this particular portion of our blog. I know this to be a fact simply by listening to the feedback I get during program discussions.

Since we highlight underwater cities, the conversion of 747s into limos, $15,000 dinner parties hanging above the city, and other extraordinary examples, many people assume that creative ideas must be costly and can only be produced within a Think Tank or by a Research and Development team consisting of technical experts.

Let me assure you that this is not the case. There are numerous innovations revealed almost daily in the media that would prove to be not only very simplistic but extremely cost effective. We just don’t seem to pay attention to that category. Let me give you an example. We’re approaching the end of the summer and our last big picnic opportunity as we celebrate Labor Day. Among other traditions, we’ll be doing our thing over a campfire with marshmallows and hot dogs. To do so, we must find a good stick, get close enough to the heat source to perfect our treats without scorching our bodies, and bump into everyone else with the same goal in mind.

Well, some creative soul has solved all of those problems for us by simply browsing through the tool shed with an open mind and a creative spirit. Wah-La! … Ye olde steel spring-tine garden rake. What a concept!

The long handle allows you to keep your distance from the flames.
The steel tines won’t burn as a stick will certainly do.
One person can grill 12-14 hot dogs rather than elbowing a dozen friends out of the way to find a suitable spot near the flames.

I’m not certain I’d personally settle for the rake in my tool shed as I’ve used that one for just about everything. I’d rather buy a brand new rake to be used only for this new tradition.

Think about it … low cost, saves times, offers convenience, reduces work force, and renders uniform performance. What more could you ask for? At this point, you may very well be laughing on the outside, but I’ll bet you just made a note on your to-do list to check out the tool shed or stop by the lawn and garden department of your local hardware store in preparation for Labor Day, right?

Bottom line: you can be creative in any arena. Enjoy your holiday!

About Harry K. Jones

Thinking out of the Shoe Box

Posted on August 15, 2008 by Harry K. Jones

Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear as we once again provide unique examples from current life situations to prove that creativity and out-of-the-box thinking can be discovered anywhere at anytime if you’ll simply take a moment to look around you.

Can you remember the days when you were very young and had nothing better to do during your summer vacation than to lie on the grass with your friends, watching the large billowy white clouds slowly move across the bright sunny sky and discuss crazy subjects which you knew were total fantasy? Ah, those were the days! However, little did we know.

Let me give you a couple of examples of the kind of fantasies we may have discussed.

Wouldn’t it be cool if we could buy a pair of tennis shoes that converted into roller skates at our every command? What could be better?
This one’s even more weird. How about a pair of tennis shoes that not only smelled like our favorite nostalgic instant drink of our youth, Kool-Aid, but were also available in bright colors than reflected those of our favorite flavors?

Apparently, someone involved in one of those ludicrous brain-storming sessions took notes because decades later, those particular two childhood dreams have become reality! Had someone at that time suggested this might someday happen, we would have provided him with a “gang wedgie” and thrown him in the lake as we laughed our way through the remaining day.

Least we doubt the powerful alliance of creativity and technology, let’s review a few of the latest “raves” among the younger generation.

Roger Adams may very well have been the recipient of one of those dreaded “wedgies” from his fellow dreamers because in late 2000 he patented a pair of roller shoes he called Heelys. They look, at first glance, like any other tennis shoe. However, these unique creations have one or more wheels embedded in each sole allowing the proud owner to walk, run or, by shifting their weight to their heels, roll. Braking is achieved by lowering the back of the foot so that the sole contacts the ground. “Heeling,” as it was soon labeled, is a form of skating that has since been banned from many areas such as shopping malls and schools. That didn’t seem to hinder the sales of more than one million pair the very first year. Certain models allow for the removal of the wheels for comfort reasons or for reasons of practicality or safety. Several imitators quickly appeared on the scene to the delight of many youthful converts.

As though the realization of this first fantasy wasn’t enough, the attainment of the second vision is hard to believe.

Reebok, the prominent British footwear company, has collaborated with Kool-Aid to create some of the coolest kicks your mind could imagine. Not only do they offer six bright Kool-Aid colors, but these shoes actually offer authentic smells, which include grape, strawberry, cherry, lemonade, lemon-lime and orange! These fun and fashionable shoes are based on the classic Reebok Pro-Legacy basketball shoes. The smell is provided from a unique sock liner and each shoe includes Kool-Aid Man graphics, detailed ice rubber soles to mimic ice cubes, and a peek-a-boo Kool-Aid graphic bottom. The line also includes equally-fun T-shirts, hoodies, and hats.

When I first heard both of these stories, I must admit I believed neither. After verifying each report, an honest question emerged in my inquisitive brain. Who was it, sitting at that Reebok boardroom table among his/her cronies, that had enough self-confidence and ingenuity to say: “Here’s a thought—why don’t we devise a way to make our popular tennis shoes look and smell like Kool-Aid?” Remember this factual experience the next time you’re at your wit’s end in search of a solution or you’re doubting the possibility of a strategy others may question!

About Harry K. Jones

The Wisdom of the Towel

Posted on August 7, 2008 by Harry K. Jones

Let me begin by admitting that this title is a little misleading. Of course, a towel has no wisdom. It might boast a few cool threads, but that’s nothing more than a fashion statement. However, for the sake of this conversation, the towel does play a key role.

When it comes to dealing with difficult, challenging times, there are two types of people in the world today, and they both find themselves dealing with a towel.

Type # 1—Most of you know someone like this person. When the going get tough, they simply play it safe and throw in the towel. They give up. They share their wisdom and experience by researching reasons why something won’t work. They invest their time, energy, money and resources in search of finding a variety of ways to insure failure. They blame the economy, the industry, the government, competition, customers and anything else they can come up with as to why things aren’t going well. Their game plan is to sit, do nothing, wait, and hope things will change. They reject change, bench-marking, trying something different, or thinking out-of-the-box. It’s so much easier to sit, do nothing, wait, reject responsibility, and blame the world for current circumstances. Every organization has someone who fits this description.
Type # 2—This person also feels frustrated during challenging times. It’s a natural emotion. However, this person will use the towel to wipe his/her brow of the perspiration generated by the effort to make something happen! Followed by a deep breath and renewed vigor, this person will again return to the battle by trying something new, bench-marking, networking, thinking out-of-the-box, searching for solutions, embracing change, and refusing to throw in the towel.

Which of these two people would you prefer working for? We see examples of both approaches in every industry today. How can one retailer produce revenues and profits surpassing their top ten competitors combined at a time when talk of the economy is nothing but doom and gloom?

Why do we see one particular airline not only surviving but actually thriving at a time when all competitors are devastated as they face continuous head count reductions, strikes, downsizing, mergers and even bankruptcy.

Pure and simple … it’s a choice.

Let me prove this point. Most everyone would have to agree that the airline industry is currently experiencing what is probably the most challenging year in its history … mergers, acquisitions, downsizing, strikes, rising fuel prices, delays, lost luggage, a slowing economy, threat of terrorism, growing competition, aging technology, reduction in the number of flights, airport security, lost luggage, fare wars, regulatory issues, bad image, and poor customer service. What more could you ask for? I can certainly understand why some airlines might consider “throwing in the towel.” In fact some have done just that. It’s somewhat tempting to wait for a government bail out, hope the competition dies before you do, or simply sit in hope and anticipation that things will change.

Well, based on recent industry reports, a few others have wiped their brow and focused on making something happen!

Delta, Northwest, US Airways, United and Continental have recently decided to start publishing advertising on the boarding passes that customers print at home as a way to generate extra revenue. The boarding passes will be filled with targeted ads, coupons, restaurant and shop recommendations and other tailored lists of events. The information will be based on destination and duration of stay.

Several airlines already puts ads on tray tables while ad agencies have also targeted overhead bins and even air-sickness bags with varying degrees of success. Many airports are hoisting ads on electrical outlet stations and baggage carousel conveyor belts. TSA recently approved selling ads on the bins used at security checkpoints.

More and more boarding passes are being printed at home in hopes of avoiding airport delays. Research estimates about 40% of 700 million flight check-ins a year are now conducted online. That’s 280 million blank billboards that could be utilized to advertise!

While these ideas may have been laughed at a few years ago, they certainly make sense in today’s chaotic environment. What are we going to see next, ads on the back of flight jackets worn by pilots or painted ads on the pavement in the spaces where we park our cars at the airport? Maybe even ads painted right on the airplane we’re about to board. Oops, never mind, that’s already been done.

Examples abound in all areas of those who choose NOT to throw in the towel. The results include creativity, solutions, opportunities and success. The next time you’re facing a challenge, consider the Tale of the Towel. Think about the outcomes you truly desire, consider both options, and make the appropriate choice.

About Harry K. Jones

Who Would Have Ever Dreamed?

Posted on June 11, 2008 by Harry K. Jones

Let me begin by assuring you that this is not a joke. In fact, I’m going to fore go any of the many humorous remarks I could make on this subject. I’m not even sure where to start with this one, but it’s certainly worth mentioning in the spirit of Out-of-the-Box Thinking.

Let’s start with the old axiom that to be truly successful you simply need to: “Find a need and fill it.” With that in mind, consider this fact: Water is very heavy to carry into space. Next year, the number of residents on NASA’s space station will double from three to six … intensifying the magnitude of this challenge of water supply.

A system was developed in Russia in the 1980s to deal with this problem, but it was never used because of concerns over crew squeamishness. Today, we don’t have the luxury to shelf potential solutions to this growing challenge. Astronauts living on the International Space Station will soon take recycling to new extremes. They’ll get their drinking water from the toilet!

NASA has spent decades perfecting a system to transform urine into water that can be used in space for drinking, food preparation, and washing! Agency officials say the water from this system will be clearer than U.S. tap water.

The $250 million machine should be fully operational in six months. Recycling waste water is also gaining popularity on Earth. A dozen or so U.S. communities have plants that cleanse sewage so it can be added to aquifers that supply drinking water. The biggest plant, which can serve 500,000 people, opened this year in Orange County, California.

Officials admit that the recycled water poses “psychological issue to get past” but also point out that after tasting it many, many times, they can’t tell it apart from any other water. It’s no longer urine, it’s water.

I share this real-life example of thinking-out-of-the-box to illustrate the fact that there are no limits to what open, creative minds, focused determination, and a true challenge can produce. With our growing economic and environmental needs, I’m sure we’ll be witnessing more and more innovations such as this one.

It is indeed a prime example of the age-old adage uttered by Napoleon Hill: “What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” Don’t allow current boundaries and beliefs to stifle your creativity. There was a time when air travel, cell phones, and heart transplants were thought to be impossible!

About Harry K. Jones

Take Me out to the Ball Game

Posted on June 4, 2008 by Harry K. Jones

As I’ve so often mentioned, I’m always on the look out for examples of creative thinking. I like to share them during keynote presentations and seminars with those who claim:

“I am not creative.”
“Creativity requires an extensive education.”
“I don’t have the experience to be innovative.”
“Creativity is reserved for our R & D Department.”

And the list goes on. Over the years, I’ve heard just about every excuse in the book. And they’ve all been proven to be false — by those who have no time for excuses. They’re too busy being creative!

Well, I’ve found another unique example. Most people go out to the ball park to relax, have a beer and a hot dog, spend time with friends and/or family, and enjoy the age-old ambiance that inhabits any stadium that plays host to American’s favorite past time. Some even watch the game as they pay allegiance to their favorite team!

However, some creative souls grab a fish net, tie their kayak to the top of the car, apply sun tan lotion, grab a transistor radio and an ice chest of sandwiches and beer and head to the ball park.

This particular ball park happens to be in San Francisco. Once known as Candlestick Park, it is now AT&T Park. Just beyond the right field wall is a tranquil section of San Francisco Bay called McCovey Cove, named after famed Giants first baseman Willie McCovey.

During the heydays of Willie McCovey and more recently Barry Bonds, as many as 50 kayaks used to float in McCovey Cove just outside the park, with individuals poised to fish out a home-run ball hit into the water by the super sluggers. Last year, as Bonds seemed to be in the spotlight constantly, a large number of advertisers paid as much as $20,000 to have their brands put on the kayaks in hopes of appearing on TV!

Now that’s creative! Can you imagine being paid 20 grand to float in the serenity of McCovey Cove, taking in the sun, feasting on your favorite sandwich, quenching your thirst by sipping your brew of choice, listening to the game on the radio while you listen for that distinctive “crack” of the bat that means a valuable collector’s item may very well be on its way to your fishing net? Nab the right baseball at the right time and you just might be adding to that figure of $20,000! Kind of sheds a whole new light to “Take Me out to the Ball Game,” doesn’t it?

True, the economy has impacted attendance, fewer home run balls are reaching the Cove, Barry Bonds has left the building and advertising revenues are more than likely on a downward trend. That’s not the point. The idea was creative. It’s proven to be successful. Its time will return, and it’s another example of an idea which was conceived, believed and achieved! Now it’s your turn. Do your thing!

About Harry K. Jones

Caffeine in the Shower

Posted on May 28, 2008 by Harry K. Jones

It was bound to happen soon or later! Whether your chosen delivery device is a White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino from Starbucks or the ever-popular liter of Mountain Dew, nothing beats the gentle jolt into full wakefulness provided by the humble C8H10N4O2 molecule (caffeine). Apparently there are many who simply can’t wait until they shower, dress, and drive to their local coffee shop or 7-11. And someone responded to that lack of patience.

Someone has added caffeine to soap. That way, all you need to do is to stumble out of bed and into the shower, wash with a bar of caffeine-infused soap, and you’re well on your way to full wakefulness. Engraved with a glorious “C” for caffeine, scented with peppermint oil and infused with caffeine anhydrous, each caffeine soap bar contains approximately 12 servings/showers per 4-ounce bar with 200 milligrams of caffeine per serving. No, we’re not kidding and no you don’t eat it. The caffeinated soap is absorbed through the skin.

CNN says the world’s first caffeinated soap is called Shower Shock and comes to us from the good folks at ThinkGeek. At $6.99 per bar that’s only 58 cents per serving. Not bad! And if you spill it, it doesn’t matter!

About Harry K. Jones

Create a Breakthrough

Posted on May 21, 2008 by Harry K. Jones

I’ve been around long enough to remember that any organization in the know was proud to boast the existence of an R & D (Research and Development) department.

This department consisted of a chosen few who concentrated on creating breakthroughs, innovations, and new products and services. These unique individuals had the education, experience, talent, creativity and mind-set to come up with ideas that could change the future of the organization.

You don’t see many R & D departments these days and for good reason. We’ve learned the very valuable lesson that breakthroughs can evolve from any person in any area of the organization. Why limit this opportunity to a chosen few?

What is a breakthrough?

It’s simply a productive insight making an important discovery.
It’s the development of new, radical approaches to traditional constraints, as opposed to incremental or minor changes in thought that build on the original approach.
It’s an unconventionally fresh, more exciting way of doing something.
It’s a dramatic improvement in each area that makes you more powerful, efficient, effective, productive and more valuable or inspiring to those you serve.

Major breakthroughs come from the correct mind-set — one which must be nurtured within your culture. It’s an attitude — an opportunistic attitude. Those who make breakthroughs are always opportunistic … constantly searching for that moment and situation which will make a difference.

A recent study revealed that out of 85 breakthroughs, only 21 were discovered in large organizations. Most of the best ideas come from people just like you who are encouraged and supported in their efforts to excel. For instance:

The dial telephone was invented by an undertaker and the ball point pen by a sculptor.
The founder of Nike, an avid runner, sat at his kitchen table and poured rubber into a waffle iron to create Nike’s unique sole for their running shoe.
William Wrigley Jr., a young soap salesman, started selling baking soda in Chicago in 1891. To entice new customers, he threw in two packages of chewing gum with every sale. Guess what the customers were more excited about? He listened and built an empire.
Michael Dell started selling computer components from his dorm room in 1983. When his sales reached $80,000 a month, he dropped out and put all his energy into the business. Dell currently employs over 65,000 people and earned revenues of $61.1 billion last year.
Warren Avis founded Avis Rent A Car in 1946 with 3 cars at Willow Run Airport in Detroit to address one of his chief frustrations — finding an available cab at the airport! His company quickly became the nation’s second largest car rental business in terms of market share, a position it maintained for decades.
Clarence Birdseye, a fur trader in Labrador, made an interesting discovery while ice fishing at 40 degrees below zero. When you pull a fish up through the ice, the fish freezes, fast and hard. He also discovered that when thawed, the fish were tender, flaky, and moist — almost as good as fresh caught. The same was true for frozen caribou, geese, and the heads of cabbage that he stored outside his cabin during the long Canadian winter. The quick-freezing process he pioneered produced frozen foods that created a multibillion dollar industry and gave farmers the incentive to grow crops for a year-round market.
In 1972 the Democratic convention nominated George McGovern to run for President against Richard Nixon. During the convention, Senator McGovern dumped his vice-presidential running mate Senator Eagleton because he had been hospitalized three times for nervous exhaustion in the 1960s, and twice had undergone electroshock therapy. A young, 16-year-old entrepreneur saw a one-time opportunity and bought up 5,000 suddenly obsolete McGovern-Eagleton buttons and bumper stickers. He paid about 5 cents a piece for them. He soon resold them as historical and rare political memorabilia for as much as $25 per item. This is an excellent example of an opportunistic mind-set. True, this young man’s one-time windfall profit did not change the world. However, his opportunity-focused attitude saw an opportunity where no one else did. This focus became part of his psyche. By the way, that young man was Bill Gates!

Most major breakthroughs are a result of looking at things with a common sense degree of open-mindedness, added to the ability and willingness to take action on what you see. They don’t require advanced education, a high IQ, or vast amounts of money.

A major breakthrough is merely:

A fresh new way of doing something.
Applying old things in new ways.
Applying new things in new ways.
Applying old things in new combinations.
Applying new things to old or new markets.
Applying old things to old or new markets.

The most dramatic breakthroughs frequently center, pure and simple, on better ways to do things — faster, easier, or more effectively or logically. Strive for breakthroughs. Expect breakthroughs. Create breakthroughs. Benefit from breakthroughs.

AchieveMax® Blog

Business articles on change, creativity, customer service, leadership, motivation, teamwork, and time management, written by AchieveMax® professional speakers.

Category Archives: Out-of-the-Box Thinking

The Sky’s the Limit

About Harry K. Jones

Don’t Underestimate UPS

About Harry K. Jones

Make the Right Turn to Save Gas

About Harry K. Jones

Simplicity Reigns Supreme

About Harry K. Jones

Thinking out of the Shoe Box

About Harry K. Jones

The Wisdom of the Towel

About Harry K. Jones

Who Would Have Ever Dreamed?

About Harry K. Jones

Take Me out to the Ball Game

About Harry K. Jones

Caffeine in the Shower

About Harry K. Jones

Create a Breakthrough

About Harry K. Jones