When you first learn to swim you may be afraid of the water.

When you work with other people there may be areas of talk where you may not be prepared to go for the same reason.

In order to overcome the swimming phobia you have to learn to swim - and you can be taught.

In order to develop your innovation skills you may not be able to be taught - you have to learn yourself, albeit in the right environment.

If you described to other people how you might swim, and what the problems were - and then illustrated why swimming was difficult the result would be - swimming is difficult. There is no new information.

If you asked the right questions about your fear to others - they may or may not be able to help you. If they gave you advice - you could take it. There is an opportunity to swim - or do something different - providing there is sufficient motivation. If you are sufficiently motivated - you might try the approach again, and tinker with your actions each time. You might be refining your idea.

One of the key differences is having control over your emotions in the pursuit of new knowledge.

You are not - just doing things the ways that have always worked (even in a limited way) for you. You might like to think of these tried and trusted methods as "holy cows". It may be quite difficult to kill the Holy Cow. You may therefore experience resitence to change.

You are not - avoiding new things - as they are "scary" or not your area of expertise. These are like Black Holes. Large, scary and if you go into one you are not sure you can get out. Your gut reaction is to avoid them.

Our initial reaction to learning to swim, especially if we are a little older, is to resist doing it.

Lots of people get good ideas. Very few manage to turn them into reality. Why? The emotional risk may be too high.

Roger Croft is Managing Director of the PRD Partnership. PRD help companies commercialise their ideas into new products, services, or processes. He also writes and delivers courses and seminars for the University of Bath Small Business Hub. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roger_Croft