There is an argument that ambiguity can lead to stagnation.

Ambiguity is by definition, a situation in which something can be understood in more than one way and it is not clear which meaning is intended. Many find it hard to make a decision when things are not clear and so they may not make a decision. Not making a decision invites the acceptance that the status quo rules, and that the current norm is ok.

Our world is changing fast – ambiguity is increasing and defined outcomes are becoming less common. Decisions therefore are becoming more difficult to make, and not making decisions will keep focus on yesterday’s world and cause stagnation.

Make the decision on amber or red, don’t wait for green.

When was the last time that you really listened to a piece of music that you had not heard before and really appreciated the skills, the happiness and the joie de vivre that the music left you with?

I mean, when was the last time you really listened to some music?

Did you take that invite or did a pressure stop you exploring this new country.When was the last time that the music that you were listening to, invited you to a far away place distant from our modern hustle and bustle?

I love listening to music, and would describe my music taste as totally eclectic.

I love experiencing new sounds and even as I write now, am inspired by a track by Sourkous Stars – a deep African (Congolese) sound that was brought to the US in the early 90s. I feel like I am with them, experiencing the thrill of now and the happiness.  A respite from the busy day, and a natural interruption from life as a UK business owner – nice.

Why not now go to iTunes, Amazon, or another music site and experiment with how something different can take you to a different place where there are new opportunities and new excitement.

Let me know what you find, and enjoy!

The challenge in innovation for me though is not the coming up of ideas, it is the analysis of what it is that is going to take something from ok to amazing. A coach friend often asks me whether I get attached to projects that I am working on. In a coaching context, as a professional coach, it is advisable not to get attached to the business challenges as this would dilute if not destroy the impartiality and effectiveness of the coaching discussions.

This is the same with innovation. Sure, one needs to have the drive and tenacity to keep with the focus that any innovation needs, however, the ability to not be precious about a concept or an idea is equally important. This allows one to rationalise how good an idea is without the emotional baggage that comes with ownership that can distort this view.

One needs to understand when to let go of the elephant that is weighing heavily on the creators mind, and move onto the next one.

After all, how often do you see an elephant that flies?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp-_oUwdSeY

What if everything you know is wrong?

The more we thought about it, the more excited we became by the potential this question is capable of unlocking. We began to have very excitable conversations about how this question could enable people to leap into a brand new paradigm in which ideas, products and solutions that don’t yet exist could be conceived. We got excited by the potential of this question to get people through the current economic turmoil into the new economics that will emerge. What if the people we introduced this question to could become leaders and first movers who actually invent the future? What if we could multiply that to thousands of people? The Experiment was born.

Available from today we have put together a weekly programme of exercises that should take each participant about an hour a week. At the end of each week we ask each participant to report back on some simple metrics so that we can begin to collate data on the outcomes of The Experiment. This really is a genuine experiment that we believe will make a huge difference to those who participate. The administration fees have been kept as low as possible to make The Experiment accessible to as many people as possible.

So this is your invitation to join us and to spread the word and to find out where this journey leads.