What’s New?

It’s Monday.  A new work week.  Maybe a fresh start?  Probably not, at least not unless you’re thinking and trying new things.  When was the last time you broke a media habit and watched a different outlet’s news?  Glued to CNN all day?  How about MSNBC or Fox?  Same stories, maybe, but VERY different perspectives, and that other lens might change your thinking.  Do you always order the same kinds of food or go to the same types of restaurant?  How about a cuisine you’ve never tried to see how the same ingredients are combined and spiced differently?  Always listening to the same music?  When was the last time you bought something of a different genre?

The world around us is changing every day and if we’re not changing with it we’re going to miss out.  The same old media plans won’t cut it – you’ll be missing out on a lot of opportunities to engage your audience.  Holding meetings with the same people all the time may result in the same answers.  How about inviting a new face or two?  Listening to new people can open up your mind to trains of thought you never knew existed.

Don’t misunderstand me – “new” doesn’t always mean “better” or “right”.  However, ignorance usually means wrong.  If I had to pick one factor to use when hiring, it would be “intellectual curiosity”.  Does the candidate want to know more about the world around them?  Those are the ones that are usually ahead of the curve and who can help you to see over the horizon, which I think is the hardest thing to do well in business.

What are you going to do this week that’s new?  How is it going to be different?  Because if you’re not happy with where things are, either personally or professionally, a new perspective is the only thing that ‘s going to help change them.