Where to Look for Ideas

Where should we, as stone industry professionals, look for ideas for improving our businesses and our industry?

Peer groups and networking are great ways to get ideas and solve issues. Collaborating with others in similar roles is a great way to solve specific problems, but when it comes to big changes that could change the trajectory of your business, I would suggest looking elsewhere.

Looking to other industries can provide inspiration, and trade shows can be a great source for ideas. I have been to trade shows centered on mining, timber, automation, and manufacturing, and have taken ideas and inspiration from all of them.

Different industries develop different ways to solve common issues. Sometimes we can get so locked in on what we’re doing that we don’t take a step back and realize there may be a better way of doing something.

What can we learn from other industries? Is there a secret hiding in another industry’s trade show that would help your business?

Similarly, traveling abroad is another great way to broaden your perspectives and see how a different group of people solved a problem that we’re all faced with. Sometimes we already have the best solution, sometimes we don’t.

Think about how to solve a problem in a new way. Moneyball is one of my favorite books. The Yankees just signed Giambi, and you can’t afford to recreate his production by signing one player - maybe you can in the aggregate by thinking about scoring runs in a different way. Maybe you are trying to boost sales after a key customer leaves or replace an employee - how can you do it in the aggregate instead of in one chunk?

Can we solve a problem through a novel solution when a one-for-one replacement isn’t an option?

In an environment where people, technology, and advertisers are all constantly clamoring for your attention, some quiet time could be what you need to work through a problem or come up with a great new idea. This is one I am currently struggling to carve out time for. Think about when you get a great idea in the shower - you’re not intently focused on anything, and ideas just come to you. The same thing can happen in other settings - you don’t necessarily need a two-hour shower to think, maybe you need a walk in the woods or some other time for contemplation while doing something you don’t have to intently focus on.

Is your next big idea out here somewhere?

Some of us are internal thinkers and some are external. I do my best thinking by myself but know many people who think by talking things through with people in their orbit. There’s no right answer, find what works for you.

Beware the internet, social media, and AI-generated echo chambers, where algorithms serve up content they think we’ll like. For new ideas, you may need to look in a new location. These platforms are trying to keep you engaged. A new idea can be threatening or upsetting - even if it’s exactly what you need to hear. Social media, YouTube, and AI sites are trying to keep you on their platform to maximize ad revenue, not challenge your thinking.

I believe we as an industry have a number of issues to work through. We’ve got plenty of challenges and more are on the horizon.

Let’s shake things up, look in different places for inspiration, and think through how to improve our businesses and the industry as a whole.

-Alex