When You’re Done with Book Learning…

Fullbridge isn’t the solution to your problems and we don’t believe in “best practices” either. We have the far more fun role of catalyst. We want to trigger that light bulb that goes on when people’s eyes meet in collaboration, when communication speeds up, and there is a semblance to a bobble-head convention. That’s the power that Fullbridge wants to trigger in teams, and subsequently, individuals.
I pose two scenarios. In the first, you are given materials to study on the best way to approach a task. Maybe it’s a framework, or a set of directions to be followed. In many cases this is critical. The last time I went rogue on assembling an IKEA book shelf, I ended up with visible connectors on an upside-down shelf. While I was able to strategically hide the reminders of my poor direction-following skills with well-placed items, it wasn’t an ideal outcome. Sometimes, it’s important to read the manual to reach a desired outcome.
In the second scenario, you haven’t yet bought your book shelf, but want to give a large number of books a more permanent place in your home. You start to kick around some ideas with a few friends and decide that bookcases are an easy solution — but you can be more creative. You can Google “furniture made of books” (which I highly recommend), or you can look for inspiration around you (as many of the folks in these search results likely did). This type of thinking is what earns some the label of “street smart” or “creative type” or “problem-solver”. It’s thinking that strays from the “best practices” and inspires a more innovative approach to everyday challenges and opportunities. By being open to the inputs, perspectives and inspiration of others, you start to feed your own expansive thinking. This type of thinking makes for the most inventive outcomes and is to thank for ingenuity like the Post-it Note or penicillin or earthquake-resistant homes made of plastic bottles.
Look for an opportunity to spin traditional thinking on its head today — you may find yourself with that light bulb moment and a new perspective.

