WorldWide Drilling Resource

43 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® SEPTEMBER 2013 Focus on IGSHPA The International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) will hold its Annual Technical Conference and Expo October 9-10, at the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” is not the case here! You want to take back all the great information to enhance your geothermal business. The conference and expo provides excellent connections to other professionals. Take a look at the essential tools, products, equipment, and services for a first-class geothermal install. See WWDR there! Some topics up for discussion dur- ing the event include: j Drilling processes j Grouting concepts j Air and debris purging j Thermal conductivity j Pressure drop calculations IGSHPA provides the opportunity for a worldwide perspective on the indus- try. Preconference workshops start on October 7. Courses offered are: Accredited Driller Workshop; Accredited Installer Workshop; Building Load Analysis and Pumping; and Certified GeoExchange Plus Course. Visit www.igshpa.okstate.edu for more information. Ray, Tom, and Kevin were on hand for Sonic Drill Corporation at IGSHPA’s 2012 Conference. WWDR photo. The Un-Comfort Zone II by Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. Surprise: Creativity is a Skill not a Gift! You can reacquire your natural creative ability with these steps. In today's highly competitive busi- ness climate, creativity can no longer be limited to artists and inventors. The marketplace is changing rapidly, and in the words of Intel Chairman Andrew Grove, companies must “Adapt or Die!” Every organization needs people - at every level - who can bring new ideas to the table. People who can come up with new uses for old products, new techniques to close sales, new methods for increasing productivity, or, in this era of downsizing, new ways to do more with less! The problem is many people do not believe they have any creative ability. After years of socialization - especially during the formative years of school in which we were taught to conform - most people believe creativity is a gift only a few are born with. The good news is ingenuity is not a gift, but a skill that can be cultivated. It is a skill that can be acquired at any age. And, the timing couldn’t be better, because it is a criti- cal skill in today’s economy. The trick is getting those creative juices flowing. So, how do you go about doing that? Nobel Prize winner, Albert Georgyi, who discovered vitamin C, offered this answer, “Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.” Sounds easy enough, right? But, when you begin to think about all the things you’ve looked at all your life, you realize how you really haven’t thought too many different thoughts about them. Why is this? It’s because you’ve been looking at those things the same way you always have. Or as Frank Baum, wrote in the Scarecrow of Oz, “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” So, how do we stop looking at everything around us the same way we always have? The key to innovation is to begin looking at those things in different ways. In other words, another perspective. This, however, only answers part of the ques- tion. The rest of the answer comes from understanding the essence of creativity is all about solving problems or satisfy- ing needs. Sometimes it is as simple as this ancient observation by the philoso- pher Plato, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Plato is basically telling us we are most likely to be creative when we are forced into it. Oops, better keep some duct tape and WD-40 handy! You are also likely to be creative when something is annoying you. Isn’t it the squeaky wheel that always gets the oil? Think about all the tasks you have to do - whether at work or home - I’ll bet there is at least one you absolutely hate to do. It’s always the one you sim- ply can't avoid. This is an opportunity crying out for some creative improve- ment. And, if you hate doing it, there may be countless others who hate it too, which means your solution could turn into a million dollar idea. More on creativity next month. Robert Robert is an author, humorist, and innovation consultant. He works with companies that want to be more com- petitive and with people who want to think like innovators. For more information on Robert, visit www.jumpstartyourmeeting.com or contact him via e-mail at admin@ worldwidedrillingresource.com November’s deadlines are: Space Reservation - September 25 th . Ad Copy - Display & Classified - October 1 st .