Innovation – Outback Steakhouse Earrings
Problem
When my youngest daughter was working her way through college, she worked at the Outback Steakhouse Restaurant as a hostess, waitress, and bartender. It was at the time “dangly” and “hooped” earrings were in style. Being a college girl and working for tips, she was to be stylish.
One evening she wore a tasteful but ornate pair of earrings, they actually touched her shoulder. I thought they were cool! Her boss thought otherwise. She was reminded of the restaurant’s earring policy “No Earrings Larger than Quarter” and was told that either the earrings go or she goes.
Solution
So, I made her these. “No larger than a quarter.” They are exactly one quarter! She wore them and almost got fired anyway. Oh well, no sense of humor.
“When you come to a roadblock, take a detour.”
-Mary Kay Ash
Lon Safko
Serial Innovator, Keynote Speaker, Trainer, Innovative Thinking
Tags: innovative thinking, creative, creative thinking, Innovation, critical thinking definition, innovation definition, critical thinking skills, creative process
