June was kind of “my” month. My travel slowed from every week to just a couple of trips, allowing me to work on some internal projects as well as get ready for the insanity of July and August.
It seems that companies were still in “turtle mode” during the first quarter of ’09 – not quite sure if they should stick their neck out and see what’s going on. The second quarter found many peeking out thinking, “hey, I survived.” As we head into the third quarter many are making real plans for 2010 for: aggressive, strategic, and growth.
During the last week of June four new projects hit my desk, all based around 2010 initiatives.
A few things going on:
- I finally have put together my web site team and will be making a complete revision to the Creative Ventures web site. This is a long overdue project.
- I updated a number of my core programs adding new data, cutting edge ideas and stunning visuals. The Repeatable Successful Acts platform, Presentation Skills and Creativity Skills education programs, and the NEW fear based decision making – all received new material.
With all of that on the table I still had the honor of launching a new team-building initiative with a starting point of understanding the impact of emotion on the building of consensus. - I taught the first of a two part Presentation Skills class with the second session scheduled in July.
- With my video team, we started the design of a rich media program that will replace a huge, traditional print media campaign for a client. The switch to rich media will save over 60% off of their original print budget and allow them to REALLY tell their story.
Thanks to all my clients who continue to take risks, think different, and play the BIG game!
“Behavior is the mirror in which everyone shows their image” - Goethe
My strategic platform of Repeatable Successful Acts (RSA) was spotlighted in the Wells Fargo Essentials of Excellence podcast - http://tinyurl.com/llefcn. I spoke on the idea that understanding and mapping both successful and not so successful behaviors of top performers can become a primary tool for success.
Think about this; do you ever wonder how you arrived at your current place in life? I can tell you. It’s more than likely that it was the accumulation of the things you DID, in particular those things you did that were successful and your ability to do those things over and over again, consciously or unconsciously. These are the patterns of your behaviors and the RSA platform is designed to identify those behaviors and leverage the good to push you and your team towards a defined and greatly expanded potential of performance.
To do this, I use platforms called the Narrative Arc and Directive Storytelling. Behaviors are usually not contained in numeric scales of 1 - 10, but instead are found in the way a person talks about what they do. The challenge is to create a series of questions that are focused enough to achieve a pattern, but flexible enough to allow a participant to truly tell their story.
- The primary tool is a questionnaire developed through a team approach between myself and the client.
- The questions lead to Directive Storytelling and each has the essence of a Narrative Arc: a beginning, middle, and an end.
- The same questions are used with each participant.
- Significant Patterns in narrative response occur.
- A screening process discovers behaviors being repeated throughout the organization.
- Leverage is created by the application of those behaviors in the training and practical practice by the organizations key people.
Why is this strategy so significant? It mitigates risk. You are not looking at a new and unproven idea, instead you are leveraging EXISTING successful behaviors, behaviors already IN PLAY.
Try this, simply map out your work day, by activity for a week. You will rapidly see the patterns of your behaviors, Now define those patterns that you can connect to a success. This is a Repeatable Successful Act.
Repeatable Successful Acts is about eliminating risk in understanding what to do. These are behaviors are ALREADY in play, they are being done NOW and have proven to be successful. Their leverage and application simply takes existing success and leverages it into the future!
Sharpies & the WWW: Hard to believe the marker company could find leverage on the World Wide Web, but through www.sharpieuncapped.com they are showcasing the incredible energy color can bring to the creative process. With a 97% brand awareness rating, Sharpie has the power to take the brand new places. By thinking beyond the paper restrictions of drawing they can build a movement of self expression. A wonderfully playful campaign designed to push a connected design community towards a shared creative experience.
Those Darn Cables: Under my desk resembles the cable structure for the Starship Enterprise. As I occasionally peek under there I often wonder, “hmm, I wonder how many of those cables actually don’t connect to anything?” Well from the humble beginnings of Valerie Holsteins trying to baby proof her home and deal with all the cables at kid level came www.cableorganizer.com. Her home remedy of Velcro strips and cable ties worked and she and her husband began to think her cable organizers might be a business. Well she was right. Develop a solution to a problem, do some research, add some good old fashion elbow grease energy, mix in some vision and the results can develop into a +$15 million company. I love their products.
What Makes Us Look UP? : With another mega-hit on their hands with the animated film UP, Pixar continues a staggering record of success. I thought it warranted another look at some of their principles:
- It’s never a solo act: There are a large number of different disciplines working to reach a vision and simultaneously solve problems.
- 10,000 Ideas: Leaders are challenged to sort through a mass of ideas to find ones that fit into the whole. They make mistakes and LEARN.
- Great Risk: Customers want new experiences every time. The only way to accomplish this is to willingly put yourself at risk.
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: Interested in these ideas?
You can contact Steve at steve@creativeventures.com or give him a call at 972-490-7717.
