90 ideas in 90 minutes. I’m writing this in a hotel room in Harrisburg, PA. When I went in search of my morning coffee earlier, I saw a bunch of signs for an event called “90 Ideas in 90 Minutes.” I had to know more. Here’s the short version – a group of industry leaders get together and listen to 9 of their peers (who have been pre-selected to speak) share 10 ideas on topics ranging from increasing productivity to staying motivated to strategizing.
This blog has offered several posts encouraging business leaders to cut back on the time that they spend lamenting about what’s holding their organizations back and to spend much more time deliberating about what can be done to make things better. So this “90 in 90” concept is like a triple shot, extra hot, skip-the-whip, non-fat something or other. After doing some research, I found that most of these kinds of meetings are done first thing in the morning (think breakfast or before.) Attendees are encouraged to arrive early to network before the program actually begins. Then, in rapid-fire-succession, each of the 9 speakers stands at the podium and lists their 10 specific items.
Think about your organizations for a minute. Honestly answer these questions: What kind of strategy meetings do you have? How productive are those meetings? Do you even have strategy meetings or are you too busy dealing with the daily grind? Do you just have that one big strategic planning session every year? If so, do you supplement that session with others to help manage projects, track progress, and discuss new ideas?
Is your organization conducive to sharing ideas, innovation, and creativity? Do the employees know that their contributions are valuable and that their suggestions will be considered? How do you celebrate success? What kind of culture and environment have you created?
Perhaps it’s time for a “90 in 90” type of program at your organization. Or are you just too busy?
Your Full Potential 