This month, we’re talking about overcoming impossible thinking or the power of magical thinking. I have a very real example. I am not overstating it when I say it would not have become a reality if Clearfield’s R&D group had bowed to the “That’s Impossible” mentality to which so many naysayers subscribe.

At the end of January, Clearfield unveiled a product that is by my definition, magic.  It is a below-grade OSP cabinet that is based on our standard FieldSmart FSC Cabinet. The difference is that now it can be deployed underground. That means out-of-sight. It literally “disappears” – as if magic.

Affectionately dubbed “The Submersible”, this product speaks to Clearfield’s philosophy of embracing the impossible. In this case, our product team was challenged to “design to the risks.” That’s a process that involves melding a real world challenges with the magical thinking of overcoming them.

This below-grade cabinet has to perform while withstanding extreme conditions like water runoff and flooding. The team set the impossibility of the situation aside and created a product that responds to the needs of the telecom engineer, as well as the environmentalists who are looking to reduce the clutter in our neighborhoods.

I cannot fully describe to you how empowering it is to invest your belief into something magical (or at least to not be deterred by what’s dismissed as impossible). It just goes to show that an open mind can be your greatest asset when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Brilliant R&D people don’t hurt either!