Welcome!
It’s
time for another shovel-full of creativity from Idea
Sandbox! With the weather changing, a nature related
problem-solving tip seems appropriate. Enjoy!
Idea Sandbox Tip
Let Mother Nature Provide Solutions
A time-tested technique for problem solving is to take your challenge
out of context and look at it from a different perspective. One context
we all can relate to is nature... Mother Nature offers much for us to
learn.
To generate solutions with the help of Mother Nature, ask…
“How does nature deal with a situation like this?” Or,
“How do plants and animals address this situation?”
Here is a list of some common business challenges:
- Your company’s product or service has low awareness.
- You are bored or lack growth opportunity in your job.
- You have items in your store (or home) with high potential for theft.
- Sales have been declining in your product line-up.
So, let’s take a look at how nature reacts in these situations
and how we may apply the analogy…
1. CHALLENGE - Your
company’s product or service
has low awareness.
What do nature’s awareness-builders do?
|
|
The firefly uses her light to attract a mate. |
Perhaps your customers are
the ones in the dark and you need to provide
illumination and let them know what makes your
product special. |
| Birds use their song to defend their territory. |
Perhaps you need a new advertising approach. Or
maybe even a jingle - your bird call! |
2. CHALLENGE - You are bored or lack growth opportunity
in your job
What happens when something in nature is outgrown?
|
|
When the hermit
crab begins to outgrow his shell, he looks for
a larger one and leaves the old one behind. |
Perhaps you need
to get out of your old shell. Is there a different
opportunity within your organization that will
provide you with new challenges? Or perhaps you
need to find a new place to work altogether. |
3. CHALLENGE - You have items in your store (or home)
with high potential for theft.
How does nature protect things from being targeted?
|
|
Oxen organize
themselves so that the stronger oxen are on the
outside of the herd and the weaker within. They
respond to a threat by forming a circle with
the females and young in the center. |
In your store… Consider
putting high-theft items in the center of your
store where they can be easily monitored by the
surrounding sales team. |
| Tree bark shields the tree with
protective layers of dead tissue that lack nutrients.
Plant-eaters rarely consume dead bark on a standing
tree. |
At home… Protect
valuables within items that look like they lack
value by using a ‘diversion
safe’. You can buy a book safe and common
household product decoys with secret compartments
to protect valuables. |
4. CHALLENGE - Sales have been declining in your product
line-up.
How does nature create efficiency?
|
|
Natural forest
fires kill invading weeds, release nutrients,
and reduce competition allowing existing trees
to grow larger. |
You may have
too many products. More isn’t necessarily
better. Eliminate products that, like weeds,
are invading your stronger products. This will
release resources and reduce competition allow
existing products to grow larger. |
Next time you have a challenge; ask yourself how nature
manages in similar situations. The analogy doesn’t have to
be a one-to-one match, but use it to inspire solutions
you may not otherwise have thought of. |
