As businesses adapt to what seem to be constantly changing market conditions, it’s a good time to pause and look at the way you do things with fresh eyes.

But how can you get a different perspective on your business when you’re so close to it?

The Proximity Paradox by Kiirsten May and Alex Varricchio addresses that.

‘If you’re an expert in an area and you need to do something innovative, you’re going to need a set of fresh eyes,’ Kiirsten and Alex told us.

Here are their tips to get some distance from business-as-usual…

Invite newer employees or junior staff to your next brainstorm or problem-solving meeting

Take advantage of their fresh perspective.

Interview a creative professional from another industry;

ask them about their creative process to refresh the way you look at problems.

Give your company a fake name and pretend you’re a new disruptor that’s just entered your industry.

How would you structure your business?

Brainstorm with kids!

Break your challenge down into the simplest, most-relatable form, and then recruit the little people in your life to help you solve it.

Be conscious of your innovation and execution ceiling.

Your innovation ceiling is the furthest reach of your imagination; it’s your ability to think creatively. Your execution ceiling is your ability to get things done with the resources you have available. Bring your innovation ceiling to blue-sky brainstorms and leave your execution ceiling for the project planning meetings.