Surface level problems lead to surface level solutions. The alternative is to dig and dig and dig, until you arrive at a much more interesting and useful problem.

An easy and well known example of this approach is found in Steve Job’s return to the company he founded, Apple Computer. Apple was on the road to bankruptcy when Jobs returned. A surface level problem identification may have led to tweaks in the manufacturing process or increases in the company’s portfolio to give costumers the options they thought they wanted. But Jobs did what he was highly skilled at, he started digging. His solution was to return the company to its underlying philosophy based on simplicity, which resulted in his 4-grid product strategy. The problem wasn’t the products, it was philosophical incongruence. That problem was several layers down. We all know how things turned out. (If you are interested in a more in-depth version of this story, Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs is fantastic)

So how do we do this if we are not Steve Jobs? It’s easy. Think like classical Greek philosopher Socrates…or a 4-year old. Socratic questioning is a phenomenal tool to get past the surface and dig deep into an issue or challenge. Kids do this naturally.

Kid: “Why do I have to eat vegetables?”

Adult: “Because they are good for you.”

Kid: “Why are they good for me?”

Adult: “Because they have nutrients you need to grow.”

Kid: “Why do I need nutrients to grow?”

More interesting and useful problems are a few layers down. Better solutions are down there too.

Start digging.

Keep Digging was originally published in CreatLive: Connect the Dots on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The farm to table movement emphasizes locally-sourced, sustainable food production and preparation. The idea is to focus on freshness, contextual relevance, and support the micro-economy of the community. And it’s booming in the food service industry! The National Restaurant Association has ranked elements of the farm to table movement in the top 10 food trends across the country for years.

But what can we learn from the farm to table movement if we don’t have a farm, or a table, or work in the food industry? What does farm to table look like in education, healthcare, and other service industries?

Peeling back layers of the locally sourced onion, people are simply looking for new ways to connect. Why do I care if my hamburger came from a cow down the road who happily feeds on grass in an open pasture? Am I paying 2 to 3 (or more) times what I would pay at a fast food restaurant because my morality gets the best of me? Maybe. Or maybe buying a hamburger from someone who owns a business in my community, who bought beef from another community member who cares about his cows, makes me feel connected in a way that a drive-thru fast-food bag just can’t.

Transpose this connection idea to any industry. Do people who are enrolled in education (any level) want to be taught the exact same thing the exact same way as everyone else? Or do they want to learn and connect in a way that feels fresh, contextually relevant, and supportive of both them and those around them?

What type of connections are the people you serve looking for? Connect the dots.

Check out our creativity services at www.creatlive.

Farm to table (without a farm or table) was originally published in CreatLive: Connect the Dots on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The realization that the creative process underlies any change we make led to the idea of finding a way to help people and organizations understand and intentionally use the creative process. I’ve heard far too many people say “I’m not creative”. Creativity, like so many things in life, is a choice. If you want to be creative in your work, your industry, your life, you can. I started CreatLive specifically to address this challenge. To help people and organizations who feel boxed in and aren’t sure how to break out. This is what creativity does.

The ironic parallel process in all of this is that this business is a completely new and creative venture. I’ve never started a business. I’m completely out of my normal wheelhouse of teaching, supervising, counseling, and conducting research. I’m continuously reminding myself that I need to get uncomfortable enough to try something new and not simply rest with what I know how to do already. Practice what you’re preaching Daniel. Practice what you’re preaching.

Where’s your discomfort? The boundaries of our “normal” is where discomfort lives. That’s also where creativity is waiting.

Something old and something new was originally published in CreatLive: Connect the Dots on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.