Turn Setbacks Into Innovation with Humor (and a little Celine Dion…)

You know what stinks? Being forced to spend the night in an airport.

You know what’s awesome? Turning that setback into a fun and hilarious video that goes viral.

You’ve probably seen the video of a man who got stranded in an airport overnight and decided to make a ridiculous video of himself lip synching “All By Myself” by Celine Dion. If you haven’t seen it, take a look:

Hilarious!

This is a great example of how a setback can lead to innovation when you have the right attitude.

For some people, getting delayed an hour is enough to put them in a foul mood, have them complain, and make everyone miserable.

Having to spend a night in an airport is extremely unpleasant. If you’ve never experienced this, trust me, it is.

Most people would range somewhere from extreme negativity (complaining, yelling, feeling very sorry for themselves) to begrudging acceptance (“let me find a chair or stretch of carpet to try to get some sleep…”)

By choosing a different tactic, by having a sense of humor, this man achieved his 15 minutes of fame. He got a direct response from Celine Dion, an invitation to her 4^th of July show, and a chance to meet her in person. He was interviewed on Good Morning America. And if he’s smart, he is turning this into more prospects and customers for his lighting business (or other business or life opportunities)

You may not think of it as innovation, but he did something that had not been done before and created a positive productive outcome.

I do not wish that you end up stranded in an airport. However, when a setback happens in your life or business you can choose extreme negativity, you can begrudgingly accept your fate, or you can stay positive, have a sense of humor, and use your creativity to turn that setback into meaningful innovation.

What are you going to choose?

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If your team, department, or organization could use help turning setbacks into innovation, contact Avish now to find out how to bring him to your group.

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