Anything For You All: Instant MBA: When You Focus Too Much On Your Business, Creativity May Be Lost

Jumat, 03 Agustus 2012

Instant MBA: When You Focus Too Much On Your Business, Creativity May Be Lost

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Friday, August 3, 2012

Today's advice comes from Tara Hunt, CEO & co-founder of Buyosphere, via Inc.:

"I was so laser focused that...I stopped going out with friends. I didn't watch movies (unless they had something to do with my business). I would not take my eyes off the prize because I was convinced that laser focus is what I needed and any distraction would derail me from a successful path."

When embarking on a new enterprise, one must always be searching for creative solutions. Determination and dedication are important personality traits of any entrepreneur, but all too often, having a "laser focus" on a long-term project leads to myopia and isolation. Taking this approach can alienate loved ones and supporters, who often serve as muses for innovation. External creative forces from daily living are also lost when one turns inward to focus on a project.

According to U.S. News and World Report, "Fortune 500 companies, including Hewlett-Packard and Sears, have hired creativity consultants to help boost innovation." While startups don't have the capital [or the need] for such services, creativity is fueled by experiences, and being housebound won't generate new ideas.

"It wasn't until I was forced to take a step back and recalibrate that I realized my focus was hurting my business more than helping it. I had lost my vision, my community, my passion--even my waistline."

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