Think Big!

This one comes to you from several different angles. First, as my friends Jessica and Phil Almeida were visiting from NJ this past weekend, I got into a conversation on our drive down to Columbia, SC for dinner with some mutual friends. Phil and I were talking about what cars we like and what we want. We started talking about the advances that some of the cars had made in terms of MPG's and the desire for other cars to catch up. I made the comment that I wondered when we'll finally get a car that can drive us. Mercedes has a car that will stop itself. Infinity has cars that tell you when you are getting too close to the middle or side lines. Several companies have cars that will parallel park themselves. It's only a matter of time!!!

Phil asked if I had ever been to www.TED.com? I told him I had not and I didn't know what is was about. Phil went on to tell me about TED and how it's dedicated to telling everyone about new and potentially world changing ideas. To the topic at hand, he said he had seen a video by Bill Ford discussing the future of cars and how they will talk to each other. Cars will one day, be able to tell you when to change directions to avoid traffic. They will be able to secure parking spaces for you while you are in route to your destination. They will have the technology to talk to each other. One step closer to driving us!

The Operations team at my office has a meeting once a month to think of the big changes they want to make. Not just changing of documents or updates to language on our website, but how can they make the client experience better? How can they process 4 or even 5 times the amount of business without adding a lot of staff? How can they change the way the financial services industry process business?

What ideas can we think up that will address the big issues that are important to you or your business? How can we collaborate with each other to bring our expertise to bear on these issues? I hope that this will inspire some big thinking that may be able spark an idea that will lead to some future change to an issue that you believe in and are passionate about. Watch the Bill Ford video on TED.com and the other videos they have that talk about the big ideas that should be shared. Talk to your friends about those ideas and collaborate with them. Think Big!!