When it comes to generating innovative ideas, it’s typically believed that those who are closest to a subject or problem are the ones best qualified. In reality, intense proximity limits creativity. What’s truly needed is distance from challenges in order to see the best way forward, so Kiirsten May and Alex Varricchio, authors of The Proximity Paradox: How to Create Distance from Business as Usual and Do Something Truly Innovative, newly released by ECW Press.
Authors Kiirsten May and Alex Varricchio started writing the book in 2017, never knowing that it would be released during a time when an unprecedented number of leaders are physically distancing themselves from the day-to-day and – either by necessity or choice – looking for innovative new ways to take care of their employees and customers.
Unpacking 10 common Proximity Paradoxes that affect the people, processes and industry of a company, The Proximity Paradox offers practical ideas to create the distance necessary for your next great idea. Rethinking your audiences, looking at new uses for services and launching quick innovations are a few topics covered. An especially valuable book for marketers, but equally applicable to all businesses that depend on innovation, The Proximity Paradox encourages us to ask hard questions about how we work, how our businesses are structured, and why we routinely find our creativity at odds with what’s asked of us as stewards of the bottom line.
Authors Varricchio and May are the owners of UpHouse, an award-winning marketing firm in Canada. They recently launched Crainstorm, a crowdsourced brainstorming web app that allows people to gather insight and ideas from marketers and other innovators. ◊
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