Are You an Innovation Cruiser?

Jeff Foxworthy says, “You might be a redneck if you think the styrofoam cooler is the greatest invention of all time.” Now we all know the greatest invention is the YETI. In fact, I used my wife’s YETI to keep the fish iced down from that fishing trip at Sea World featured in my Passion Cruiser blog. But seriously, I did use her YETI to ice down those speckled trout that I caught on a recent fishing trip in Louisiana with Captain Kerry Audibert. You can check out a shot of our catch on Instagram. We had a fantastic trip and caught some very nice size trout, especially considering the hot weather in August.

I bring up Foxworthy’s humor on innovation because I find myself clinging to the “status quo” frequently.  In fact, it’s so easy for us to enjoy our comfort zone that before we know it—we are a full-fledged cruiser. Now, if you haven’t caught on to what I mean by “cruiser,” just check out this blog.

We are literally faced with transformation of our businesses due to the sweeping changes and emerging trends in technology, social environment, demographics and shifting generational leadership. These monumental shifts demand that we develop anticipatory insights to predict, adapt and seize the many opportunities that always accompany major change. Dynamos are already busy being innovative and their future view includes innovative services and business models.   

The scary part is that the public accounting profession is not known for being innovative and yet innovation is critical for our future relevance. Everyone tires of the joke about the CPA ordering a fax machine after a client insists on faxing them a document—a dated joke that really rings way too true today as cruisers cling to the status quo. Our profession is known for being great historians and following trends rather than anticipating them. But each of us can contribute to the innovation our firms need to seize our future—each of us can be a dynamo.

So here are a few humorous quotes for us to self-reflect to determine if we are clinging to the status quo and, therefore, cruising on innovation.

1. You might be cruising on innovation if you love the idea of a sign that reads: The best ideas come from management.
2. You might be cruising on innovation if your favorite quote is: “We have always done it that way.”
3. You might be cruising on innovation if you are the team member that never gets any of the communications on something new.
4. You might be cruising on innovation if you have never heard of Daniel Burrus or Tom Hood.
5. You might be cruising on innovation if you are the team member who shows up to a brainstorming session with no insights and brags about having not wasted any time thinking about the opportunity or challenge.

Please share your humor with us today to make us #beEvenBetter.