How To Breed An Innovative Business Idea — #30 of 31 Proven Skills [Research]
Skill #30 Transform the Negative Problem Cause into a Positive Effect
Even if the cause and effect of a problem both seem unassailable, it does not mean that nothing can be done. It is possible that the whole problem itself can be flipped and turned to advantage. Arguably the supreme demonstration of mastery in innovative skills is the ‘transforming’ of a problem into an opportunity
Skill #30 Transform the Negative Problem Cause to a Positive Effect could lay claim to being the most gratifying of the problem-solving skills. This is because it represents a classically appealing strategy — that of turning a problem into an opportunity, turning a liability into an asset, turning a negative into a positive. Interestingly the problem still exists but its effect is beneficial.
The thinking behind Skill #30 (which is one of 31 personal innovative skills) can be explained most simply as ‘turning a problem on its head’. Most of the time, this means transforming the effect of a problem so that it no longer blocks progress toward a particular goal, but, in a pleasing twist, tangibly assists progress toward that goal.
In addition to the essential activities that underpin what it does, every business operating today has an inescapable obligation to the environment. This is an unavoidable social commitment and obviously brings with it an additional cost of doing business. And, this compliance cost is much more significant for certain industries, such as those involved in mining and exploration. An oil manufacturer has a responsibility to capture carbon dioxide, a substantial and expensive task. The firm transforms this eco obligation by corralling the carbon it has captured and injecting it into the ground (where it is to be stored) in a targeted manner so that its infusion has the effect of exposing more oil to recovery. The necessary, costly commitment to contain carbon dioxide becomes an activity that boosts rather than hinders oil production.
Other Examples of Avoiding the Effects of Problems
A worrying possibility for any organization is complaints made publicly about it, especially if they are exaggerated, or worse, fabricated. This risk is much greater with the advent of the online world. Instead of attempting to ignore them and hoping they go away, Skill #30 offers an excellent innovative response. Make those complaints work for you. A club operator is subject to adverse comments that threaten to discourage customers. Recognizing that the complaints are few — especially in relation to the level of patronage they enjoy — they introduce the following message into their online advertising: “Come and see why less than 1% of our customers don’t like us”. Their innovative response is to transform complaints that could harm them into a potential source of benefit.
An inspiring example of employing Skill #30 to turn adversity to advantage concerns an American college football team. This is not your usual football team; every player on the team is deaf. By drawing upon their uniquely sharpened visual abilities, they use their acute sense of field position, swift hand signals, and zero halts for discussion to excellent effect. This innovative transformation enables them to outperform other teams and build an undefeated record in their competition.
Although four of the five innovative skills for tackling problems involve some evaluation or dissection of causes and effects, Skill #30 challenges a problem in its entirety. In a manner analogous to exploiting the challenger’s strength in judo to upend them, this skill flips a problem so that it expedites progress toward the goal rather than obstructing it. A problem is transformed.
Takeaway
*Thousands of categorized innovative business ideas can be found at Sebir.com
