Vincent Hunt

I have been wanting to write this blog post for a long time. I have been wanting to write this because over the course of my 17 year career I have found this topic probably the most difficult topic for people to wrap their minds around. NOW I am NOT talking about ALL people - BUT I am saying MOST people, and the reason why I say most is because out of all of the people I talk to on a daily basis, and share "vision" with, there is a slanted ratio of about 75% of the people who "totally miss it" and then there is that rare and much desired 25% "that get it".

What the heck am I talking about? Right??

Vision. I am talking about the birthing of a new idea. I am talking about those who have the "gift" of vision (visionaries), and those who are to be recipients of the gifts benefits (host) ... AND more importantly, I am talking about how this relationship is handled. AND I know what you are probably asking... "Vincent, you are a Designer, an Experience Designer to be specific... What are you talking about VISION for?" If you are reading this and you are a "Creative" you are going to quickly understand why I am compelled to write this, if you are NOT a Creative - Read on... I am going to open a new matrix of thought for you. Hopefully.

If a creative person comes into your space, and they give you an idea... It's NOT 100% the responsibility of that creative person to GIVE you the idea AND to execute the idea. Sorry. Nope. This is no how this goes... Not all the time.

Most creative people are visionary by nature. They have the ability to go into the future, see the possibilities of a thing, and bring that thing into right now context for the purpose of execution. This is a gift. AND when this happens, from time to time, what the visionary sees is not for their own handy-work BUT the thing that is bought into right-now context is the project of someone else, even though they were endowed with the vision...

For example: recently I had a vision for a book that I felt like that if it were written by a compelling speaker, it's subject matter could shift the minds of many people and bless many, HOWEVER; I am not a compelling speaker, NOR am I a writer... I am a designer. I shared this vision with a compelling speaker... They agreed that the subject matter needed to be heard, AND could articulate it clearly. It was a perfect fit for them. Upon leaving the meeting with the speaker, I felt like I had blessed them with something that could dramatically shift their career and be a blessing to THEM. After about a week, my phone would not stop ringing, the compelling speaker wanted me to write the content, design the book, and in an essence, manifest the book into reality ... Remember... I am NOT a compelling speaker, NOR a writer.

If given a vision from a Visionary, do not hold the Visionary responsible for manifesting what is being given. Not all the time. NOW from time to time I will have a vision or an idea that I KNOW I am supposed to have an intimate relationship with, however; there are times where I am simply a "carrier" and the vision needs a host. If YOU are the host of a vision, make sure you write the vision down, make it plain, and think about it carefully. IF you are going to carry the vision out, assemble the resources you need to manifest the vision into reality. Surround yourself with the people that you need to forward the vision. IF you are NOT going to carry the vision out, let it go. If the visionary has not made a clear and evident connection with you, and the particular vision, than it's a really good chance that the visionary was simply giving you a piece of something that they saw in the future that could open doors for YOU, not them, not in the sense of them having any hands or "minds on" relationship with the vision/idea.

This exchange happens more times than not. I can remember countless projects that I had vision for, gave them to a host, and felt obligated to see the vision come to pass. SO often I would be involved in projects that were not designed for me and my passion center my ethos, BUT it was suited better for the host and external resources. The visionary has to be able to let go, and the host has to be able to forward the idea OR both have to conclude that the timing is not good... There are no lost ideas, BUT there are ones that could be out of season.

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From time to time I find myself acting in the role of an Innovation Coach - if such a thing even exists. Colleagues, potential colleagues, workshop attendees alike seem to battle with the idea of what I like to call "internal innovation". In other words, they have a hard time grasping their destiny, what they are to do in or contribute to theworld, because there are no working models of what they are to become in the earth, while I argue that what they are to become is locked  on the inside of them ... 

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For a long time I have battled with the idea of "building a better mousetrap". Fact is, I really feel like we have enough mousetraps. When I walk into the average electronics store - I can clearly see the problem with "build a better mousetrap" mentality. Shelves FULL of mousetraps, or in other words - the same "old stuff" with shiny new packaging. Building a better mousetrap mentality generally stems from the idea of "competition" and not "possibility" ...

Stop looking at the competition and start focusing on possibilities

Always trying to "out do" or "be better than" your competition will lead to incremental innovation, looking at the possibilities gives you new territories to explore, new questions to ask, and new products, services and brands to create... Maybe THIS should be the saying that we use...

"Stop building mousetraps and start breeding new mice...'

Create new markets, find new customers, carve new niche opportunities.

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