The seed of an idea

I was reading about metaphors the other day for a client and ran across an interesting one about the difference between ideas and innovation and using the metaphor of planting a garden to explain. Metaphors are usually challenging for me as I tend to take things literally—but this one worked.

Essentially, the seeds are like the idea—and anyone can buy seeds just as they can have ideas. The tricky part is actually putting those ideas into action and nurturing them along until they work out to be something successful—this is the innovation part. (The stick-with-it and carry it through to the end kind of thing.) So in the garden it’s like nurturing seedlings and watering them, making sure they have light, and then transplanting them when it’s time for them to move outside and grown into big garden plants. (I realize my explanation is not as graceful as the one I am referring to. I’ll look for the citation and post it when I find it.)

It was only a few hours later that I found Richard sitting at the dining room table, seed catalogs spread out in front of him. He looked up and said, “do you want a pumpkin patch this year?”

I like the metaphor, and although I am reluctant to make claims of innovation, I do think we have a good idea with the farm. This much I can be sure of. Meanwhile, we’ll try another pumpkin patch this fall and see how it goes.