Take A Moment for R&D
In the process of cleaning and organizing my office recently, I was amazed at some of the things I came across – old ideas, notes I wanted to remember, articles that inspired me, etc. I launched a new section in my file cabinet – IDEAS. Since starting my own firm, I try to bring fresh ideas to my clients – a different way of doing things, an unusual way to look at something, and innovative solutions from one industry to another. I realized that some of the things I had filed away had a new relevance in this new market that they may not have had during the circumstances when I set them aside. I have vowed to keep my IDEAS section replenished, but also to stop and review its contents on a regular basis. You know, a little R&D.
One of the ways to find the time to do R&D in your brain is to set aside a two hour breakfast meeting with yourself. Put it on your calendar to get away and just think or do a little research. I do this on a regular basis, and find it extremely helpful. R&D doesn’t need to be you and bunch of people in a room hashing things out, it can just be a couple of hours set aside with yourself every month. Give yourself or your team a little R&D time. While R&D has been seen as another luxury that could no longer be funded during a tough market – I challenge you to move forward without it.
