Have you been overlooking opportunity right in front of you?

Organic solutions are created in the natural course of events – think cup to hold water, and answer the question: i need something that will …., what could do it?

Design solutions are by intent and strategic – think smart phones, bluetooth or apps for the mac, and answer the question, i want to create …., what will make that work?

Both organic and design solutions work as advantage making approaches. Organic solutions can be spotted but must wait for a situation to emerge. Design solutions can be found as well with a proactive opportunity spotting approach.

A Start-Up business may begin with a design solution and then while it is developed and developing organic solutions can be found by the team.

The critical point is spotting the opportunity whether it emerges or is by design.

Alexander Fleming was doing an experiment in his lab and when he returned from a short vacation he found

a mold formed on his petri dish ‘ruining’ his experiment. But instead of tossing it out, he shifted from this is a

problem to this is a solution to killing the bacteria.

Fleming said, “When i woke up just after dawn on September 28th, 1938, I certainly didn’t plan to revolutionize all medicine by discovering the world’s first antibiotic, or bacteria killer.” But that is what he did in discovering penicillin.

Would you have had the opportunity spotting mindset that Fleming had?

Are you tossing out a solution that could revolutionize your work or at least make a difference?