Tag Archives: wellness

Issue 2: Are Innovators Born or Made?

Issue 2: Are Innovators Born or Made?

“Innovation is the central job of every leader – business unit managers, functional leaders, and the CEO.” – A.G. Lafley, co-author, Game Changer

Reading something like this would normally intimidate me. That was until I started studying innovation, imagination and creativity in preparation for the upcoming Global Spa and Wellness Summit in Aspen, CO this June.

The Great Debate: Are Innovators Born or Made?

Like many people, I assumed that creativity is a trait or “gift.” You are either born with it or not. In my mind, I’m an “or not,” especially if I compare myself to people like Steve Jobs. Then I picked up the first textbook in my self-taught course, Innovation 101, titled The Innovator’s DNA. Authors Dyer, Gregersen and Christensen wrote that there have been many research studies showing (quite conclusively) that creative skills are not simply genetic traits but that they can be developed. I’ve heard it before, and yet I was still not totally convinced…until I read this:

“Imagine that you have an identical twin, endowed with the same brains and natural talents that you have. You’re both given one week to come up with a creative new business idea. During that week, you come up with ideas alone, just thinking in your room. By contrast, your twin:

  1. Talks with ten people – including an engineer, a musician, a stay-at-home dad, and a designer – about the venture
  2. Visits three innovative start-ups to observe what they do
  3. Samples five “new to the market” products and takes them apart
  4. Shows a prototype he’s built to five people, and
  5. Asks “What if I tried this?” and “What would make this not work?” at least ten times each day during these networking, observing, and experimenting activities.

Who do you bet will come up with the more innovative (and usable) idea? My guess is that you’d bet on your twin, and not because he/she has better natural genetic creative abilities. Of course, the anchor weight of genetics is still there, but it is not the dominant predictor. People can learn to more capably come up with innovative solutions to problems by acting in the way that your twin did.”

Issue 2: Are Innovators Born or Made?

Light bulb! I have an identical twin, and we’ve learned a thing or two over the years about how this nature/nurture thing works.Sure, we have similar genetic traits (as in buying our mom the same birthday card even though we lived 1,000 miles apart), but we have also developed our own set of unique traits and, in these areas, one of us clearly excels markedly over the other.

The Dyer, Gregersen and Christensen trio have done all of us non-believers (aka “or nots”) a huge favor here. They’ve made it abundantly clear that anyone can become innovative, imaginative and creative, and it is not just for a few lucky countries, companies or people. Maybe you have suggestions for how we can strengthen our innovation, imagination and creativity muscles. (And I’m not talking crunches, lunges and squats.) Join the conversation, and stay tuned for the next Weekender!

One of my favorites on Innovation:

Issue 2: Are Innovators Born or Made?

THE INNOVATOR’S DNA
Did you know these guys say you need just five skills to master innovation?

Issue 2: Are Innovators Born or Made?

INNOVATION ON DEMAND
Check out the Forbes.com video: “What Makes a True Innovator” starring The Innovator’s DNA authors Jeff Dyer and Hal Gregersen.

Medical Tourism Taking a Back Seat to Wellness Tourism

WellnessTourismReport Medical Tourism Taking a Back Seat to Wellness TourismI rarely do this, however am making an exception in this case because I feel it is that important.  Rather than just giving you a link to an article, I am retyping the entire article here for you (with attribution, of course).  It is from today’s (Feb 20, 2012) Manila Standard Daily newspaper and  titled, Tourism plan zeroes in on ‘wellness.’

The reason this is important is because it shows that what the research from the Global Spa and Wellness Summit has been predicting, is, in fact now happening.  I don’t think many people really “got it” before because it was more theoretical however this is reality.  The spa industry should be all over this – and making sure that government entities recognize how valuable it would be for them to help promote their country’s spa tourism.

Tourism plan zeroes in on ‘wellness’

Medical tourism is likely to take a backseat to health and wellness programs because the Aquino administration intends to focus on those booming tourism sectors, an official said Sunday.

Tourism Undersecretary Daniel Corpuz said most of the Philippines’ major hospitals were internationally accredited but only a few foreigners were going here for treatment.

“So we would rather concentrate on non-invasive procedures or the health and wellness [programs] than procedural operations.” Corpuz told reporters at the sidelines of the National Tourism Statistics conference 2012 in Manila.

He made the statement even as Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez said his department would be pushing the municipality of Oslob in Cebu as a tourist destination because of its famous whale sharks.  Tourists visiting the area and Donsol in Sorsogon in Sorsogon could swim with the giant but docile creatures.

Corpuz described medical tourism was a complicated market segment and therefore hard to push.  The Tourism Department launched its medical tourism program in 2007 to boost the country’s tourism industry.  It pushed aesthetic surgery, complex orthopedic procedures and cancer and cardiovascular care among other things.

The department said the country’s beaches and resorts, world-class facilities and friendly people would entice foreigners to come here for treatment.  Macon Ramos-Araneta.

(Published in the Manila Standard Today newspaper on /2012/february/20.)

Issue 1: Innovation through Imagination for Spa Professionals

match 200x300 Issue 1: Innovation through Imagination for Spa Professionals“A world filled with innovation capability and innovators is a much more hopeful world.” – John Kao

Many have said that the spa and wellness industry is seriously lacking in innovation and needs some spark. So, the Global Spa & Wellness Summit would like to bring you a new – and hopefully innovative way – to ignite the conversation!

Meet “The Weekender.”

This weekly communication is designed to start one conversation about one topic with the entire global spa and wellness universe. For the time being, we’ll be zeroing in on the topics of Innovation and Imagination.

  • All content is linked to a blog, where you can join the conversation by posting comments and sharing ideas (which is most definitely encouraged).
  • And, for a taste of things to come, look for a comparison of the world’s “most innovative” countries and companies, views from expert innovators, a few TED presentations on the topic, advice on how to grow our individual imaginative skillsets, and a general spotlight on what people are writing and saying about innovation right now. (No one can deny that “innovation “ and “imagination” are hot topics making headlines!)

Earlier this morning, I spoke with John Kao, the author of Innovation Nation and a confirmed keynote speaker at the upcoming Global Spa & Wellness Summit taking place in Aspen, Colorado. Here are a few things from my research and our conversation that caught my attention:

  1. John calls himself an “Innovation Activist”
  2. In this interview, which I encourage you to read, he defines “innovation” and explains why it is so important for the future of our world: “I define innovation as a set of capabilities that are possessed by individuals, teams, countries or geographies that allow the continuous realization of a desired future.”
  3. John’s book Innovation Nation includes an analysis of which countries can be considered the most innovative (hint, think Singapore and Finland) and he talks about the need to innovate the very “process of innovation,” which I find extremely interesting.
  4. In a recent NY Times article about his “performance and talk” at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, they mentioned John’s use of Jazz music to demonstrate the tension in the innovation process between training/discipline and improvised creativity that always fuels new ideas and products.
  5. His unique perspective is likely a result of his very eclectic background that includes a degree in philosophy from Yale College, an MD in psychiatry from Yale University and a degree from Harvard Business School in management. He is also a Tony nominated film producer and a jazz pianist who studied under Frank Zappa.
  6. Oh, and did I mention he loves spas?

Doing things differently is what innovation is all about. Just as I was inspired by John, I hope that you will be motivated – by this email – to join the conversation on how this industry could benefit from true innovation and a healthy dose of imagination. Or sit back, relax with a cup of coffee (or herbal tea) and just be a sponge. After all it is the weekend. What better time to soak up something new?

Lessons from the Maldives Spa Saga

maldivesmassage2 300x229 Lessons from the Maldives Spa SagaSurprise, Shock, Confusion, Anger, Sadness, Relief, Perspective, Pride, Advocacy

This sums up the range of my emotions and thoughts from the moment I read the first report that spas in the Maldives were being forced to close because of Islamic extremists’ accusations that they are fronts for prostitution – to today when I see that the ban has been lifted.

My memory of the Maldives is, I believe, similar to the memories of many who have been lucky enough to visit this magnificent collection of islands (1,192 to be exact, of which approximately 200 are inhabited). The Maldives have always been seen as a magical place and the spas developed there offer awe-inspiring experiences. Imagine massage beds over glass floors where you can watch the fish swim while you are getting your treatment or the famous “underwater massage room.” And then there are the white sandy beaches, exotic villas on stilts, turquoise water, pink coral and the lovely and gracious Maldivian people. It is truly a vacation paradise.

While it took only about a week from the time the spa closings were announced until a (hopefully final) resolution was reached, the repercussions are likely to last much longer. The positive is for the spa industry which will benefit from its new position as a “must have” vacation amenity and a “don’t mess with us if you want to keep tourism going” status. Unfortunately, I am afraid it will be a negative for the Maldives’ tourism industry; political instability has been spotlighted in a place where before this incident most people never gave it a thought. I venture to guess that most people didn’t even know that the Maldives had a rising fundamentalist Islamic movement (me included).

Here is bit more detail on my reaction to this disturbing news. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic – and what it means for our industry.

First, surprise. The announcement seemed to come out of nowhere and because the news broke during the end-of-year holidays, it didn’t initially attract much attention. Surprise turned to shock as I read the next day’s report – the ban was really happening. And it didn’t just apply to a few brothels in Malé (the densely populated capital city).  After all, we have the occasional problem here in the U.S. when a few so-called “spas” are found to be fronts for prostitution, but it’s pretty much a non-issue the next day. The ban in the Maldives however applied to all spas – including the luxury resort spas across all the islands – including the places I had visited!

Digging in a bit further, I found it all quite confusing. There was a protest by opposition leaders; in response, the government (and the ministry of tourism) ordered the shut-down of all spas. That didn’t make a lot of sense to me especially since I know that Ministries of Tourism are – naturally – all about tourism and this move would surely stop it dead in its tracks. Spa experiences in the Maldives are not just “add-ons” to people’s vacations. For most they are the vacation! In fact, the word “Maldives” and “spa” are almost interchangeable.

Later, I received an email from a colleague in the U.K. asking me for my thoughts on the matter. Since I was in my “confusion” state, I decided that I needed to learn more before responding to her. I am not one who wants to contribute to the fanning of flames of hysteria so I decided to wait – hoping this would all go away quickly and quietly.  I also initially decided not to blog or comment about this issue so that I didn’t harm the Maldives’ resorts and spas by spreading the message.  Then I saw that USA Today carried the story. Bummer.

I suppose it was inevitable with today’s instant access to news that something like this would not be able to fly underneath the radar for long. Between the Internet, social media and now a major newspaper carrying the story – it was too late for it to become a “non-issue.” Additional information explained that the government ordered the shut down in retaliation for a protest from the opposition they point out as extremists.  Apparently the government knew this would be devastating and that this would then reflect poorly on the opposition.  In time, my confusion turned to anger. Now it was big news and the impact for the Maldives a definite; potential travelers began cancelling trips and travel agents were starting to suggest other locations. How sad for the Maldivians, for the resorts, for vacationers already there and for the hundreds who might need to change their plans and the thousands (or even millions) who might cross the Maldives off their “bucket list.”

Sadness turned to relief this morning, however, when I read that the ban had been lifted per government announcement from the president. It will mitigate some of the damage…unfortunately, not all of it.

I’ve had just a bit of time now to put some of this into perspective and think through the implications. I realized that one incredibly positive factor from all of this is the affirmation that the spa industry is very important to tourism globally. I especially liked this quote from The UK’s Daily Mail, “…removing the spa element from a Maldivian holiday is like removing the Eiffel Tower from Paris (or) the Colosseum from Rome.”  Indeed!

SpaFinder has tracked the development of the spa industry over the last 25 years and each of our annual “State of Spa Travel” survey shows huge increases in the importance of spa to a traveler’s decision-making.  Now much of the rest of the world knows that too. Other attempts at shutting down spas would likely have the same consequence: a huge negative reaction and a major plummet in tourism. That’s a significant economic impact that most countries will not want to risk.

So my relief turned to a sense of pride – pride that our industry has become a true contributor to people’s health and well-being and that spas are now a critically important part of the vacation experience. So much so that, not only do consumers want and demand spa services, leaders in government and businesses recognize their value as well.

Finally, I think about what our industry can and should do going forward to make sure this doesn’t happen again. My thoughts turn to advocacy and the importance in taking some positive pre-emptive steps.

1)        The first being to educate one another about scientific evidence supporting the health benefits of spa modalities. That’s why www.spaevidence.com is so important. Spas should link to it; spa professionals should become familiar with it and introduce it to their clients.

2)      We should encourage more clinical trials and research regarding spa therapies.

3)      We need to trumpet that spas are about more than just massage; spas are about exercise, good nutrition, reducing stress, and the value of therapeutic services and beauty treatments.

4)      And then there is the prostitution issue. Our industry needs to recognize this problem as a part of our history and not so distant past. We need to combat this by making sure we have good staff, excellent training programs, high standards and practices, certification and licensing and a commitment to zero tolerance.

5)      We need to have a process to help educate prospective future spa professionals (and their parents) about the honorable position of working in this industry. (I think using the term massage therapist rather than masseuse and masseur is another small – but important step.)

6)      Furthermore it helps to honor local traditions (such as the Maldivian sand massage or the Islamic hammam) to promote a global understanding of people’s customs for health, relaxation and healing.

And finally, let’s rally around our spa friends in the Maldives and spread the word that this little slice of heaven on earth has been nimble and quickly righted a wrong. Bravo for them. The Maldives is back on my travel schedule for another visit – hopefully soon!

http://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?news_id=1150910

Medical Tourism Will Force Health Care Change: Spas Benefit

medicaltourismcongress3 Medical Tourism Will Force Health Care Change: Spas BenefitI had a big “ah ha!” recently.  It came after reviewing my notes and reflecting on what I heard and learned at the World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress I attended in Chicago a few weeks ago.

It was the revelation that because of medical tourism – people traveling across borders eitherinternationally or domestically for medical care – we can eventually expect a dramatic improvement in the health care crisis in the U.S. and around the world!

That was a major wow – and it gives me great optimism not only for our country but also for the spa and wellness industries as a whole.

Bottom line, medical tourism is now creating competition – true competition – and that is spilling over causing health care all over the world to respond.  Add to that some of the changes in both the European and the U.S. health care systems and we are approaching a tipping point.  Prices will come down and quality of care will go up.   Here are some things I learned at the conference that bring me to that conclusion:

  • The quality of hospitals and doctor’s skills around the world is increasing so quickly that in many places it has not just caught up with the U.S., it is now surpassing it!  That is a game changer.
  • Patient care is more caring in many parts of the world.  Due to lower labor costs there are more people to care for each patient in places like the Philippines, Thailand, India, Barbados, etc. Patients get more time with their doctors, access to more thorough testing and are taken care of from the minute time they arrive in the foreign country until the time they leave.
  • The Internet is helping all of this along…the power is now shifting into the consumer’s hands and they are looking (and finding) places for cheaper, quicker, or better medical care.
  • 90 different countries attended this conference. That’s huge!  It means that 90 countries are interested in medical tourism which will fuel even more competition.
  • Insurance companies are beginning to embrace medical tourism by helping their policy holders find overseas solutions.  This is new.  (There were quite a few insurance companies at this conference.)  The lower costs are just as attractive to insurance companies as they are to individuals!
  • Businesses that are self insured are fostering relationships with specific countries for their health care needs.  Blue Lake Casino works with a medical facility in Costa Rica for all their orthopedics issues.  B & H Photo of NY has 1700 staff.  50% are Jewish so they decided to work with a hospital in Israel for their health care needs.
  • Many places offer quicker service.  Some countries (Canada, UK) have long waiting lists…going abroad can solve that.
  • Often lower costs can be found abroad.  For example, dental work (often not insured in the U.S.) is becoming as good as or better in Mexico than in the U.S.  at a fraction of the cost.
  • One can get access to new cutting edge medical options that may not be available in one’s home country.  Example:  stem cell medicine which is growing very fast.
  • Transparency is greater abroad. As one speaker explained – just try finding out the cost of a colonoscopy here in the U.S.  It’s almost impossible because of the various entities involved in that procedure.  You can easily get an all inclusive colonoscopy price quote in from many countries. 
  • Executive physicals are popular. One research report found that 45% of medical tourists are interested in Executive Physicals,  33% interested in Dental procedures, with lower percentages for oncology, orthopedics and cosmetic surgery.   The physicals are more comprehensive and cheaper.   There is more time to discuss results with a doctor and some tests aren’t available anywhere else.
  • Areas of specialties are arising both domestically and internationally.   Brazil is known for plastic surgery, Korea is known for living donor liver transplantation and robotic surgery,  and Oklahoma is positioning itself as the medical tourism destination for oncology care in the U.S.   Missouri’s Hospital Association found that domestic medical travel created over 3,000 jobs and generated $124 million in non-medical travel expenditures in 2009.
  • Hospitals are doing deals and getting creative. Lowe’s just struck a deal with Cleveland Clinic making it the first time a national company selected one specialist hospital. Mayo Clinic is planning to build a destination Medical Community as they  now realize that if they don’t get involved with people post stay at Mayo, it will affect future customers. A company in Boston that talked about sending their employees to Thailand for orthopedic procedures found that a hospital in Boston was willing to match the price.

The last session of the conference really hit home – it was called “Meet the Medical Tourist.”  There were several people who had taken trips abroad for medical care sharing their experiences.  The most memorable was the couple from London who had not been able to get pregnant despite 3 cycles of IVF.  They decided to try a well known fertility clinic in Barbados that had a very high success rate.  The baby on their lap gave away the result.

Of most interest to me was the mother’s summary.  In Barbados she had a more thorough evaluation, much greater interaction with the doctor and a more extensive preparation strategy.  They took time to improve odds by monitoring aspects of her physiology that the doctors in London didn’t seem to have time or interest in doing.

I think medical tourism is something the spa and wellness industry should wholeheartedly support.  Why?  We benefit directly because medical tourists often travel with a companion and sometimes an entourage.  Once someone has experienced a country – whether for a medical procedure or a spa vacation – it is reasonable to assume that they will feel more comfortable selecting it for the other. According to the GSS research, wellness tourism ($106B) is already twice the size of medical tourism ($50B).  Medical Tourism doesn’t have a lot of repeat business – wellness tourism does.  By supporting medical tourism, we will encourage people to think about their health when traveling.

Medical Tourism leads to Wellness Tourism.  And Wellness Tourism leads to Medical tourism.  And all of it will be a positive for the health care situation in the future.

I feel like kicking up my heels.

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