Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper (9 December 1906 " 1 January 1992) was a U.S. Naval officer, and an early computer programmer. She was the developer of the first compiler for a computer programming language; at the end of her service she was the oldest serving officer in the United States Navy. She is probably best known for her "We've always done it this way" quote.
"Humans are allergic to change. They love to say, 'We've always done it this way.' I try to fight that. That's why I have a clock on my wall that runs counter-clockwise." - Grace Hopper.
As a Naval officer it's likely that Hopper's quote was motivated in part by the frustrations of working within a military bureaucracy resistant to any change. But as a programmer and Naval strategist she understood that information wasn't of use unless it was shared, turned into intelligence or knowledge, and then further developed from best practice into better practice.
Academics and historians have argued the interpretation of the 'counter-clockwise rotating clock' for as long as it's been shared. We like to think Hopper's remark was early tech-speak for 'Think Different'. If doing what you're doing doesn't achieve results, then it's time to do something else.
Brokers need to confront new ideas and methodologies, and shape their business ideology around what works *now* rather than battle with antiquated 40-year-old methods. The flood of industry 'coaches' need to build their programs around innovative concepts rather than trying to craft an experience around outdated systems, and aggregation groups need to introduce *real* solutions outside of core CRM tech requirements.
We don't do things like anybody else. In a sense, the inverted photograph is my backwards clock.
