Smart Business Magazine, January 2021

10 Smart Business January 2021 Want to disrupt markets Start by disrupting yourself in 2021 The new year is when we strive to break old habits and live fuller more productive lives Companies can do the same There are many steps that every organization can take to maximize its innovation potential Here are our top suggestions RE EVALUATE YOURSELF Your personal habits can have a profound impact on your ability to think creatively and work effectively Sleep isnt optional when you dont get enough the effect can be similar to intoxication A lack of sleep can also ramp up your consumption of junk food which in turn can induce daytime sleepiness Its a vicious cycle leading to diminished creative capacity and declining productivity In fact in the book What to Eat When by Dr Michael Roizen chief wellness officer for Cleveland Clinic the time that you eat is as important what you eat He suggests since your internal clock is set by the sun you should stop eating after dark Movement is also essential Walking can help you think spending time in nature can realign your attitude and running literally makes you smarter Exercise generally has far reaching mental effects including boosting neurotransmitter production and helping us cope with stress Almost as important as sleep diet and exercise is a life outside the office Facebook co founder Dustin Moskowitz came to regret the years he spent working almost nonstop because looking back he saw that he was less effective You can do great things and live your life well he wrote You can have it all and science says you should RE EVALUATE YOUR ORGANIZATION What does you organization do For whom Why These questions may seem silly until you drill down to the most fundamental level Left unexamined your notions about your identity core competencies and capacity to change can hold you back without your even realizing it All businesses strive for efficiency but processes can become so ingrained that no one ever questions whether other methods might yield useful results A good habit is still a habit and by definition nearly subconscious Product innovation often requires business innovation as well RE EVALUATE YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS I learned to write by looking at paintings in the Luxembourg Museum in Paris In the first paragraphs of Farewell I used the word and consciously over and over the way Mr Johann Sebastian Bach used a note in music when he was emitting counterpoint Thats Ernest Hemingway talking to New Yorker magazine in 1950 He instinctively grasped something crucial inspiration can be found in unexpected places The boundaries between disciplines are imaginary But trips to the museum and symphony are wasted if we cant tune out distractions According to neuroscientist Moshe Bar to be creative we need to think less not more The capacity for original and creative thinking is markedly stymied by stray thoughts obsessive ruminations and other forms of mental load Many psychologists assume that the mind left to its own devices is inclined to follow a well worn path of familiar associations But our findings suggest that innovative thinking not routine ideation is our default cognitive mode when our minds are clear Innovation is a way of life Resolve to live yours to the fullest in 2021 DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION Bill Nottingham Bill Nottingham Principal VP of Growth Nottingham Spirk Nottingham Spirk was founded in 1972 and has developed hundreds of patented products that have generated more than 50 billion in sales for companies that lead their respective industries and for fast growing entrepreneurial firms The business innovation and product design firm offers a full service vertical innovation process from research to product design to prototyping to consumer testing 2163564124 bnottingham@ nottinghamspirk com www nottinghamspirk com