Josh Linkner's Blog, page 3

Invent Your Own Language

I’ve often wondered why some organizations enjoy a disproportionate share of the wins. It’s easier to explain in business when a company might have a bigger war chest or better real estate or more efficient software. But it gets more confusing in sports, when teams must play with the same number of players by the same rules and draw from the same pool of talent.

The New England Patriots have played in nine of the last 20 Super Bowls, winning six of them. The Montreal Canadiens have won 24 Stanl...

Are You a Thermostat or Thermometer?

While these two temperature-related instruments may be easy to confuse, they’re actually surprisingly different. Thermometers can report the current temperature with remarkable precision. Your shiny new digital thermometer will ensure you know that your family room is exactly 69.3 degrees. Or if your five year old daughter seems warm, it will only take a couple seconds to know how high her fever is with that handheld device you snagged from the drugstore for just $12.

In contrast, a thermostat i...

Ditch the New Year’s Resolution; Try This Instead

By the end of this second week of January, 29% of us will abandon our New Year’s resolutions. By the end of the year, only 9% of resolutions will remain resolute. Sobering.

So many of us resolve to change, only to have those commitments meet an untimely death. A single, small temptation can lead us astray, causing us to conclude that our resolutions have crumbled. Better luck next year, we tell ourselves, as we regress to our old ways.

A key problem with resolutions is their all-or-nothing natur...

Question Everything

Progress only occurs when we challenge assumptions and question the world around us. Here are 27 questions that’ll really get you thinking, questioning, and wondering:

If you describe something as indescribable, haven’t you already described it?If bald people work in a restaurant, do they still need to wear a hairnet?Do you think if anything is possible, it’s still possible for anything to be impossible?Why is sandwich meat round when bread is square?Do fish have a thirst for water?Why is ...

The No Decision Trap

When we have an important decision to make, we often fall prey to a most insidious trap. Wanting to make the right choice, we carefully weigh all our options before finalizing a decision. We gather information, solicit opinions, read articles, receive coaching, and consult with trusted mentors. With high stakes, we mistakenly believe that delaying or avoiding the decision altogether is a safe choice, while choosing a different path is the option with all the risk.

Yet the worst decision of all –...

Sent is not Received

Last week, I had the amazing opportunity to fly on a small, owner-operated plane while listening in on the conversation between the pilot and air traffic control. Besides geeking out as both a tech and aviation nerd, I observed a powerful communication technique that can be a game-changer for us all.

ATC: “989-Foxtrot-Echo, ascend to 9000 ft. and bear right 10 degrees.”

Pilot: “Ascend to 9000 ft., bear right 10 degrees. 989-Foxtrot-Echo”

Let’s unpack this. First, the plane is referred to by its ...

Flood the House to Catch the Mouse

Imagine you were tasked with inventing a better mousetrap. Literally. A typical brainstorm session may yield incremental improvements in the spring or the bait or the construction materials or the packaging.

One common innovation mistake involves an over-commitment to a particular solution type. We envision a typical mousetrap and search for ideas to optimize the existing approach. But the most effective innovators do the opposite – they fall in love with the problem rather than a singular solut...

Innovation Techniques from Jazz Musicians (Part 3 of 3)

For the last entry in my three-part series featuring the creativity techniques of jazz musicians, I’m excited to share two more approaches to sparking ideas and unlocking your creative genius:

Technique #5: Isolated Substitutions

Great jazz musicians love to substitute one thing for another. Like a chef who decides to swap out red pepper for broccoli rabe, jazz musicians find fresh ideas by “subbing it out.” The piano player, for example, may substitute one chord for another. A trumpet player ma...

Innovation Techniques from Jazz Musicians (Part 2 of 3)

As a music geek and a student of jazz for over 40 years, I’m obsessed with the intricate, dangerous, soul-filled improvisational skills of legends like Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, and Ella Fitzgerald. Which is why I’ve decided to share some of the inside approaches that have delighted audiences and made history. Last week, we covered two techniques: Trading Fours and Contrast. Let’s continue to learn from secretive jazz masters whose approaches spark brilliant creative outputs.

Technique #3: Mi...

Innovation Techniques from Jazz Musicians (Part 1 of 3)

Having studied jazz improvisation for nearly 40 years, performing thousands of times all over the world, I can tell you that instantaneous creativity is the language of jazz. Jazz music is a real-time art form; there’s no going back to re-do or touch-up your work. The improvisation is intense, fluid, and dangerous. Let’s take an inside look at some of the best-kept secrets from jazz musicians in order to unleash our own fresh thinking.

Technique #1: Trading Fours

One of the go-to techniques of g...