I still remember the first time I heard of “writer’s block” – that sticky gloomy moment when a writer loses the creative spark and keeps staring at the blank page with no words coming out.
I was writing my second book.
Nothing was coming out.
And I just wanted to figure out what in a world was wrong with me.
(Nothing. It’s normal. Happens to everyone).
Well, these days writer’s block is not my issue – but reinventor’s block is.
Occasionally I simply get stuck.
No new reinvention ideas.
No juicy brainstorms.
No breakthroughs.
(For a person who makes money reinventing, that’s a MAJOR issue).
Luckily, after a few rounds of reinventor’s block, I discovered an easy fix: get inspired.
See fresh reinvention ideas.
Review the stories you already know.
Get energized by other’s ability to re-think, re-new, re-build.
And your inner-reinventor will definitely wake up.
So, just in case you are suffering from your own case of reinventors’ block right now, or want to build up an inspiring collection of reinvention stories for the future, I have three amazing ideas that are guaranteed to energize and inspire your renewal efforts – or that of your clients.
Let’s do this!
IDEA #1 : Boarding Pass
I don’t know who the author of this idea is – just saw an image on the internet and still cannot find the source – but what a powerful place to start!
Focusing on the boarding pass itself is NOT key here (after all, a lot of digital boarding passes are already making things easier to follow).
What is key here is making simple clear visual instructions wherever they matter.
Training manuals. Safety procedures. Business processes. Customer service info.
The list is long!
So, to make this idea work for you, ask yourself (your team, your client, or your student) this question: where can we introduce the smallest simplification to produce the greatest result right now?
IDEA #2: Misfit Market
If you’ve ever grown your own garden, you know how funky some of those fruits and veggies can be.
So, how come we never see those “misshapen” but perfectly tasty carrots and tomatoes in a grocery store?
The answer is simple: customers want “perfection”, so this produce ends up in a low-cost canned soup – or worse, in the landfill.
Misfit Market aims to fix the problem – by delivering ugly, but otherwise perfectly edible fruits and vegetables right to your door at 40% less than the traditional grocery store.
You save some money while feeling like an Earth-saving super-hero.
That’s some reinvention idea to be inspired by!
And the good news is that you don’t need to get your hands dirty with misshapen tomatoes: all you need is to ask yourself, your team, your client: where are we being wasteful today? What waste can we turn into value?
Starting small – like wasting time at the meetings or driving – is a good place to start 😉
IDEA #3 Customer Service
I am sure you all remember the last time a salesperson in the store would follow you non-stop offering assistance… Yes, that’s my version of a shopping nightmare – but I have a dear friend who absolutely loves it!
So, how are you supposed to know when to offer assistance and when to leave that grouchy customer alone?
Here is a simple, yet ingenious reinvention: let them choose and send you a secret signal.
Want to borrow from this idea?
Start with this question: where can we offer more choices in a fun, seamless, non-intrusive way to those we serve (customers, employees, our students, or perhaps kids)?
I hope these three examples got your creative juices going – and brought your team/students/clients into some good reinvention flow.
Drop me a note – I would love to hear what you come up with 😉
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Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva helps companies such as Coca-Cola, Kohler, and IBM turn change and disruption into an opportunity.
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