My newsletter on outsiders and knowledge:
In 1995, John Novak, a salesman & commercial director of automotive emissions at the Englehard Corporation, thought of a system that would use a catalyst to break ozone molecules (emitted from a car radiator) into oxygen and convert carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide. Englehard joined force with Ford and capitalized on the idea. Dr. Haren Gandhi who was the director of the chemical engineering department at Ford said “I’ve been in the field for 28 years and this is a completely new way of thinking. It’s a new mind-set.” Novak came out with the idea because he was involved in a multi-departmental team. It is an excellent example of how it may be easier for outsiders to think in ways contradicting existing beliefs.*Are you/is your team open to views from outsiders?
