ESCONDIDO -- On the surface, it was a typical holiday meeting. But Wednesday's luncheon of the San Diego North Economic Development Council was actually a pitch for cooperation and understanding among the group's key members: business people, politicians and educators.

The pitchman: Arden Bercovitz, a Vista-based consultant and motivational speaker who appears in the persona and garb of Albert Einstein. His goal appeared to be to get the people in these different fields ready to address difficult and contentious issues relating to North County in a constructive way.

"We should all be in the problem-preventing business rather than the problem-solving business," Bercovitz/Einstein said.

The luncheon, held at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, included two award presentations to people for their work in helping North County's economy. They went to Karen Haynes, president of Cal State San Marcos, and Julie Wright, president of Wright On Communications. Both are active in the council.

Bercovitz challenged those holding political, business and education jobs to look outside their own thoughts and beliefs to find useful ideas in other viewpoints. He drew parallels between Einstein's work in formulating relativity theory and insights that can be applied in daily life to increase creativity and productivity. Bercovitz is assisting the council in setting up a business creativity center next year.

Relativity theory itself, Bercovitz pointed out, is based on the idea that reality depends on the frame of reference or point of view of the observer. Einstein's insight into differing views of the reality of nature also applies to people, he said.

"There may be other points of view just as true and just as valid," Bercovitz said. "A narrow point of view means you are blind to everything else. You are blind to the good that may come your way and new opportunities you never even thought of, and also problems."

Listening to other viewpoints doesn't mean abandoning your own, he added.

"Agreement is not necessary. It can even get in the way. Sometimes a disagreeable point of view may have a seed of thought that you can use to stimulate your thinking. … So your job is to broaden and be open. Agreement is not necessary, only awareness."

Even alone, Bercovitz said, one person can do much if he or she learns how to think properly about a problem. It helps to think graphically, in visual terms, and to frame issues in thought experiments, he said. Einstein used both methods to hit upon the principle of relativity, Bercovitz pointed out, urging business executives to apply the principle to their own problems.

"You do not need federal approval … you do not need OSHA, you do not need anything else to have a thought experiment," Bercovitz said.

Bercovitz also warned business owners against a common product of bureaucracy, called "schlimmbesserung." Loosely translated from German, the word means a supposed improvement that makes things worse. Reinforcing that warning, Bercovitz handed out "No Schlimmbe" buttons.

Bercovitz's company, Einstein Alive, can be reached online at www.einsteinalive.com.

Contact staff writer Bradley J. Fikes at (760) 739-6641 or bfikes@nctimes.com.