I’d like to extend a Fascinating conversation I enjoyed today over at Ed Brenegar’s blog… Maverick Polly LaBarre in Charlotte…. I met Polly LaBarre today through Ed’s encounter on the
TApparently … the luncheon event didn't happen as it was scheduled… so Ed and his friend Drew Henderson chatted with Polly about the ideas in Mavericks at Work.
I was intrigued with Ed’s take away from their conversation and wanted to pass it along and add my two-bits to it too.
The book features people with ideas that translated into business.
Ed said … “It really isn't like some high concept abstract idea, but rather some simple, disruptive idea that they see clearly having an impact on a particular market.”
I was especially intrigued by their discussion of the book’s key idea: “The insight that you can have an idea that rises out of your experience that makes a difference in the lives of people, and boom, you have a cutting edge, entrepreneurial business on your hands.”
According to this book and Ed’s roundtable… “Simple ideas that make a difference for the customer. That's how a Maverick gets started, then builds on it to create something really unique.” Is that the way your brain starts into and ends up with innovation…? I’d like to have been at the table to hear more … but I’ll bet we can talk Ed into telling us a few more details about how it works…. What do you think?
Of course, you can get me to say more. That's not the problem. It's stopping me.
Here's one thought that I've written about a little at http://edbrenegar.typepad.com/leading_questions/2006/09/translating_ide.html
One of the things Polly, Drew and I were discussing is the process of taking an idea and translating it into action. The limitation of most books is that they are not designed to make that translation. I don't think there is an assumption that it happens, but rather the goal is to articulate some ideas and illustrate them with stories. The hard part is the next step, what to do with it. For the majority of the readers of Bill and Polly's book it will be a rise in confidence that they can do something. They just don't know what. So that initial confidence that comes from an inspiring idea fades, and they have to go read another book of stories. It is a cycle of dependence upon someone else 's story inspiring me, rather than my own.
Mavericks is a bit different because the ideas that these entrepreneurs acted upon are transferable to any situation. That is why I took the time to write commentaries on each of the sections. Begin that process of connecting idea to an action.
Ellen, the last thing to say about this is that when we do translate an idea into action we are engage in a change process, and we are changed by it. When we make that translation and it works, our confidence grows and doesn't go away. We build real confidence that leads to courage and wisdom which are essential for entrepreneurs and change agents.
I'd be very interested in the specific questions your readers have about this process.
Posted by: Ed Brenegar | October 7, 2006 4:52 AM | Permalink to Comment