Summer has officially left our seasonal timeframe — though you would find it hard to believe, as temperatures are still in the 90’s in Dallas.
The road has been my home for almost the entire month of September and continues to where I will hang my hat in October.
Though airports, taxis and hotels have been my home, it is the JAZZ generated by interacting with clients around new products, methods of leverage and fresh perspectives that really drive my ideas! These are a few of the recent and upcoming months projects:
Goal Setting- Repeatable Successful Acts
- Sales Process Development
- Presentation Skills Training
- Sales Training
- Planning Development
My client schedule requires me to have levels of expertise in everything from rural telecommunications to wheat, from the every confusing economic crisis to the catastrophic impact of wind and water on property. It means, I am constantly studying, looking for ways to move ideas forward.
Thanks for the ton of email about my Creative Ventures Laws! There are about 20 of my personal laws that form the foundation for all my strategy. I have really enjoyed sharing a couple of them in the newsletter and sending the rest to those who requested them!
One of the most common questions I get is: “where do you get your ideas?” At its core the question asks, where do ideas come from, how does imagination and practicality combine to make an idea worth pursuing? Greg Berns, in his new book ICONOCLASTS, provides a tour of the brain that confirmed what my basic premise has always been: the brain follows the path of least resistance, a road of familiarity. And to tap into your imagination, you need to take a thinking detour.
We are creatures of habit. We drive the same way to work, we order the same thing at restaurants, we watch the same TV shows, our lives follow familiar directions. In fact, it only takes about 6 repetitive actions for the brain to set up a neat little subset of neurons. Fewer neurons get used making the brain more efficient at doing the same thing.
To think creatively you need to develop new neural pathways developed by new experiences.
Ever wonder why your off site meetings tend to reinforce existing practices instead of producing new ideas? By shifting people to a beautiful location then sticking them in a conference room, you let the brain act lazy, it thinks its back at a familiar workplace following an often walked path. You need to spice things up; trying new and simple ideas to generate some buzz.
Here is a recipe for new ideas:
The Power of the Many: The more minds that attack a problem the more likely you are to tap into a combination of new and old thinking. This mix leads to new ways of viewing things. Invite people from completely outside the project. Their neural pathways will be expanded by their unfamiliarity with the issue and can be a great catalysts to new perspectives.
It’s as Simple as Going Outside: Environment is critical to new thinking. Simply change the venue and you will be shocked at the new way of thinking that results. Socrates, Plato and Aristotle all moved their classes around to generate new ideas.
The Reconnect: Stop ending your processes. A process connects, it circles back, it reinforces. Create a specific follow up system that reconnects everyone back to the original experience you designed. Most organizations don’t see the value of capturing momentum when in fact it is the energy of ideas!
To get started, try driving a new direction to work!
Thanks: Professor Sonja Lyubomirsky of the University of California at Riverside has scientifically proven strategies that make you happy. Yep, SCIENTIFICALLY! The first, “express gratitude”. Just saying thank you seems to automatically make you happy. A thanks for a job well done that comes from a customer is golden! Think about creating a painless, simple path that customers can express their thanks for a job well done. It has two impacts; it makes the giver happy and creates a halo effect for the employee.
Tough Time Cutbacks: You may have noticed, things are a little tough on Wall Street. When the economy shrinks, companies immediately look to cut back, reduce expenses, pull the head inside the shell and hunker down. They cut back on training, customer service and other line items deemed non essential. A study at the WP Carey School of business showed that companies who did not abandon the line items related to customer loyalty and better service were more likely to hold their own and then be the first to recover. Remember, your customers decide your fate, not the economy.
New Google Browser: Are you ready for the browser wars? Google’s two year, top secret project, CHROME is their foray into browser territory. Google knows that browsers matter. In fact, the need for navigation, concise and precise navigation is more important than ever. In a cascade of innovation, including multi-process architecture, CHROME promises speed, navigation, reliability, and privacy at a previously unheard of level. Feeling adventurous? Check it out:
http://www.google.com/chrome.
: Interested in these ideas?
You can contact Steve at steve@creativeventures.com or give him a call at 972-490-7717.
