I recently heard an oil industry executive quoted as saying that, “innovation does not happen at $100.00 a barrel.”
Indeed, it has been my experience that full funding is the glue that holds status quo in place. It is hard to implement meaningful and substantial change while we are reclining in our comfort zones. The truth is it usually takes some form of disruption, or even a crisis, to get us moving to the next, and often better, place.
Well, there is certainly disruption in Alaska! But is the sky really falling? Are we helpless victims of circumstance? I don’t think so and that is the purpose of this publication—to share both the good news and the ideas for positive change that we hear so little about.
To be clear, this publication is not intended to be some form of Pollyanna, self-help pep-talk. But perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if you did perceive it that way. The other contributors and I fully acknowledge that there is a lot to be concerned about with regard to the Alaska economy. But we also firmly believe that with disruption and uncertainty comes opportunity to reimagine what is possible and opportunity for new perspectives and ideas for innovation to get us moving to the next better place!
To that end, I hope you find this publication to be an inspiration for innovation. I look forward to hearing your perspective.
This article first appeared in the July 2016 issue of STRIVE magazine.
About the Author
Rick Thomas gets up every day with the goal of improving communication. Rick sincerely believes all errors and conflicts can be traced back to a single point of origin: ineffective or, in many cases, a complete absence of communication. In Rick’s role as Founder and CEO of The Chariot Group, he and his staff dedicate their efforts to utilizing innovative solutions to better connect people and ideas. Rick is a career entrepreneur and, as such, believes that if there is a problem or void, he and his team can fill it. He knows it takes only an innovative mind, perseverance and gumption.
