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LESSONS I'VE LEARNED IN LIFE
By David LaManna

I always enjoyed school and was fortunate enough to have a few wonderful and insightful teachers who fanned the fires of curiosity and creativeness within me. Unfortunately, in today's educational environment (both school and societal), it appears that too much emphasis is placed on conformity and order. Political correctness has infiltrated everywhere attempting to squelch creativity and deny innovation, the very things necessary to improve ourselves, our world, our products and our services. It made me start thinking about what I've learned (outside the box) that has been most helpful in my success journey. Below I've listed a few of the valuable lessons that have served me well. Let me know what you think and feel free to share your own thoughts with me.

1. There's More Than One Right Answer: I learned early (after many failures in many things) that successful people understand the value and importance of going beyond "one right answer" and reaching for another possibility. Yes, as professionals, we need to cultivate a thorough knowledge and understanding of our field of expertise. But I don't think it is good practice to let our expertise and preconceived ideas block new approaches and concepts from entering our radar screen. "That's the way I've always done it" immediately says you're shackled to tradition and confined to what you currently know. This type of "silo-thinking" is non-productive and potentially dangerous to individuals and businesses seeking to remain successful. Learning that there are multiple right ways to do business is a hard lesson but extremely advantageous to those who understand it. You don't have to be wrong for me to be right…we can both be right with different answer or approaches.

2. Failure Is Okay: Actually, I never call it failure but rather one way that didn't work. We all have setbacks but failure only happens when we give up trying. There can be no creativity, no innovation without risk. And with risk comes the possibility of setbacks or obstacles. Tom Watson, the illustrious founder of IBM, said it this way: "The way to increase your success is to double your failure rate." He knew what he was talking about. He experienced many setbacks and roadblocks on his way to building IBM into one of the most successful and respected companies in the world.

The key is to learn from your failures by reviewing what happened, what didn't work and what lessons could be learned from your experience. Then take corrective actions. Ask yourself, "How could I have handled this situation in a better way?" or "If I had to do this over, what would I change or do different?" Finally, let it go. Too many times we hold on to our failures and setbacks. We need to dismiss them mentally and emotionally by realizing that our worth is not derived from one failure or one bad decision.

3. Cultivate Diverse Perspectives: Creativity is sometimes overshadowed by a "conformity to the group" mentality. Tom Peters, management guru and author of Thriving on Chaos", put it like this: "If you and I are in a problem-solving session and we think alike, then one of us is redundant." In other words, we need different perspectives and insights. We need a potpourri of solutions that we don't already have when we're facing a dilemma. We don't need conformity but rather creative collaboration.

4. Continually Challenge the Rules: Often we get caught up in blindly following the established rules. While rules are a necessary part of our lives, too often they encourage in us an unwarranted acceptance of the status quo. This mental laxity is in direct opposition to creative thinking and innovative invention. Why not use rules and policies as flexible guidelines rather than iron-clad requirements? One way is to practice what I call "mold-breaking", that is, trying new ways to do everyday things. For example, read a book on a subject you've never explored before or plan a weekend doing a new activity. In work, suggest a novel way of doing a routine process or creatively rewrite the procedure for an established program. William James, the esteemed philosopher, suggested we ask ourselves questions to stimulate our creativity and challenge the status quo. For example, ask yourself, "What would happen if…" or "Why is that rule in place…" or "What am I assuming…" Look at the way you typically go about your day. What rules of behavior can you challenge or change?

5. Imagination Counts Plenty: The scientist in all of us demands a logical, analytical solution. But innovation, problem-solving and creative solutions go beyond logic. The most creative people inject imagination, humor and intuition into their thinking process. The rapid-fire pace of change often renders logic and overwrought analysis too slow a tool for decision-making. Using the creative sides of our nature speeds up the process of solution-finding. Many times our "gut feeling" or our subconscious insights turn out to be the best solution. I keep a record of my ideas and observations and my dreams and feelings. By doing this, I've learned to have faith in my hunches and insights even if they weren't totally backed by logic and analysis.

There are many things we can do to foster our success. Our potential for accomplishment is unlimited. We don't need to follow…we can blaze our own trail…at any time or age in our lives. It's never, never too late. Create an alternative course of action…reshape your circumstances…develop a healthy disrespect for the impossible. Try some of the ideas above or use your own. Start today thinking outside, around and beyond the box. The results will amaze you.

© Copyright 2004, David LaManna. All Rights Reserved.