Inspiration

I normally loathe such beginnings, but, in this case, it's unavoidable. Dictionary.com defines inspiration as "a thing or person that inspires."

No shit, dictionary.com.

What's more compelling, though, is the etymology and the possibilites for further discussion:

c.1303, "immediate influence of God or a god," especially that under which the holy books were written, from O.Fr. inspiration, from L.L. inspirationem (nom. inspiratio), from L. inspiratus, pp. of inspirare "inspire, inflame, blow into," from in-"in" + spirare "to breathe". Inspire in this sense is c.1340, from O.Fr. enspirer, from L. inspirare, a loan-transl. of Gk. pnein in the Bible. General sense of "influence or animate with an idea or purpose" is from 1390. Inspirational is 1839 as "influenced by inspiration;" 1884 as "tending to inspire."

Inspiration is about taking something in to you -- breathing. It is not necessarily positive or negative, but it definitely comes from the outside. I think it is a universal human (and possibly otherwise) experience, just like breathing, that people understand, but they may not see it as a something that can be developed and harnessed. To that end, I have started thinking about inspiration in many levels. Each level builds on the next until inspiration is a strategic tool that individuals and organizations can use.

Dear colleagues, please check these out and let me know where it takes you -- how it inspires you.

Inspiration.

Serendipity. Every person has experienced an unexpected moment of inspiration. You mentally drop what you are doing to explore. It could be the accidental combination of two chemicals that creates a revolutionary reaction. It could be someone’s strange T-shirt on the bus. We don’t seek it out, but serendipitous inspiration stops us in our tracks and demands inquiry. Unfortunately, there is no way to manufacture this form of inspiration, but it can serve as a common denominator for individuals developing their inspiration capabilities. I would hypothesize that the more you think about inspiration, the more it will find you.

Intentional Distraction. This is inspiration in its most common form. Its sole function is to release the conscious mind from its standard routine or set of direct concerns. Watching TV. Surfing the internet. Solving a puzzle. Playing a game. Taking a nap. Unless he or she is a pathological workaholic, every person has preferred modes of distraction. While there are no apparent predictable benefits to business from intentional distraction, the personal discipline is key to more advanced applications of inspiration. In fact, research shows that your subconscious mind is far more effective at solving complex problems than your conscious mind, so intentional distraction is key to thinking differently and, above all, maintaining good mental health.

Forced Connection. This is the first step in applying inspiration to a specific real-time objective and it is a skill that requires development. How can the glass of water in front of you help your sales team? The results of your efforts may lead to the next transformational innovation or it might lead to a good laugh. The goal here is not to solve a specific problem, necessarily, but to develop the discipline for finding connections between focused objectives and seemingly tangential sources of inspiration. Forced Connection is divergent thinking at its most basic and it often produces surprisingly relevant results.

Targeted Inspiration. Once the divergent thinking skills of Forced Connection are developed, an individual or collective can seek sources inspiration that will stretch thinking, challenge assumptions, and create new connections – all with a specific real-time objective in mind. What can a five star hotel learn from a zoo? What can a marketing team learn from a hostage negotiator? Selecting sources for targeted inspiration requires experience, discipline, and resources. This form of inspiration is the engine of innovation for business because it is the quintessential “new input” needed to get new outputs.

Culture of Inspiration (Inspiration as a Way?). The end goal. Inspiration as a way of life. Inspiration as a way of business. Once individuals have the permission, resources, and skills to address their real-time objectives using inspiration, they will become advocates and catalysts for inspiration. The benefits of inspiration will be undeniable and the practice of inspiration will be integral to the individual and the collective.