I arrived in New Orleans to speak at APICS 2014 on empowering and engaging employees, and so I’m in the New Orleans state of mind. Certainly, as my bio confirms, one of my favorite spots anywhere is Cafe du Monde. Where else do you have so little selection yet it is jam packed almost anytime of the day? I consider it a “must”! They have created an iconic brand that no traveler can do without.
After beignets at Cafe du Monde, we walked by a parade with great music – at first we thought it was a funeral as they are quite the affair here; however, it turned out to be a wedding. The entire bridal party & guests looked like they were having a great time. Perhaps we should all take a page from the New Orleans handbook and make icons and fun out of everyday events and experiences.
One tip to implement this week:
Take a step back from your everyday work life and “smell the flowers”. Take a day’s vacation or set aside time to reflect. It’s hard to have ideas when you are dealing with 1000’s of incoming messages every moment of the day. Instead, think about how to create excitement with your business and/or teams as you reflect with a New Orleans state of mind.
What can you do that would be different and refreshing that might create a buzz about your company, you and/ or your products? In essence, how might you stand out from the crowd? Ask your colleagues for ideas. Consider going to a new environment for the afternoon for brainstorming. Sometimes it takes shaking things up to stimulate new thinking. Give it a try and you’ll likely be surprised and pleased with the results.