18 May

Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act, the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything.George Lois, Damn Good Advice
When Leon Battista Alberti declared, “A man can do all things if he will,” he condensed the ideals of the Renaissance into the figure of the Renaissance Man—a person with knowledge of a wide range of subjects. Since then, knowledge has become very specialized and having the breadth of knowledge in the wide range of subjects embraced by Renaissance Men is impossible. The Renaissance man still walks among us, but we now call him groups. A group can have a collective knowledge that far exceeds the knowledge of any individual. Brainstorming, invented by advertising executive Alex Osborn, was designed to maximize effective and creative group problem-solving. Research on brainstorming initially failed to show an increase in the number and quality of ideas when compared to individuals working alone; but in the last two decades, research has revealed that brainstorming can be productive if the procedures guard against impediments that naturally occur like conversation being controlled by a limited number of individuals and shared data being disproportionately represented. When small groups of individuals attempt to collectively arrive at a solution through discussion, great solutions can be uncovered.
08:30 / Creativity / Inspiration / Leadership / Personal Development
11 May

Ten-Tips-to-Make-You-and-Your-Team-More-Creative Being creative is essential to business: it provides the edge to beat the competition. In an increasingly competitive market, creative thinking is no longer solely the function of departments like advertising and product development; it is now necessary for everyone in the organization. By following these ten tips derived from our creativity workshop, you will increase your creativity and help your company get ahead.
09:15 / Creativity / Leadership / Personal Development
04 May

Bright background THE BIG IDEA: Creativity doesn’t happen in a flash of insight; it’s the result of a lifetime of learning.

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Most businesses isolate creativity to specific parts of the organization; they treat it as if only a chosen few can tap into the mystical force of creativity. Part of this stems from a belief that only some departments can benefit from creative thinking. But, great businesses know that creative solutions can come from anywhere within the organization. The other part is the result of the way we believe creativity happens: in a flash of insight that only happens to a chosen few.
09:30 / Creativity / Inspiration / Personal Development
27 Apr

Breaking down silos can spark innovation in unexpected ways. Gillian Tett, The Silo Effect You’ve seen it before: team members thinking about themselves more than the team; Every man and woman for themselves; a business composed of silos rather than being a cohesive organization. Silos create inefficiency, waste...

10:49 / Inspiration / Leadership
20 Apr

In today’s cluttered and over-assorted market, the conversation in organizations often focuses on the importance of brand differentiation. The need to create or identify a position or particular area of emphasis that is different than what competitors currently offer customers. At face value, the idea...

10:22 / Inspiration / Marketing
13 Apr

Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer. Ranier Maria Rilke, Letters To A Young Poet
Too often people jump to the answer before fully understanding the question. I see this happen with companies often, especially in “brainstorming” meetings and customer interviews. Most “brainstorming” meetings I attend look something like this: somebody presents a loosely defined goal, a few solutions are presented, the majority of the group jumps at one of the solutions early on, and then explores that solution. Not only isn’t this true brainstorming—brainstorming involves clearly defined problems and getting as many ideas out as possible without evaluation—it can never hope to produce a great solution: ill-defined problems lead to weak solutions.
10:58 / Creativity / Inspiration / Marketing
06 Apr

I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I'm going to learn, I must do it by listening. Larry King Do you listen or do you just wait for your turn to talk? When you listen, you have to be...

11:15 / Inspiration / Leadership
30 Mar

“Every generation seeks the Holy Grail of instantaneous influence—in the information age we seek the sound bite that moves the masses—but it doesn't exist. Human behavior is influenced over time, within a context, and by focusing primarily on how people feel.” Anette Simmons, The Story Factor Good...

17:25 / Inspiration / Marketing
23 Mar

Recently, I was consulting a CEO on strategic presentation skills, they tended to keep talking without stopping and needed some work to better connect with the people in the room. We talked about the importance of pausing during the presentation and asking a question to...

12:10 / Inspiration / Leadership
16 Mar

Too many Chief Marketing Officers are trapped in “brand conversations” behind their desks, in conference rooms, or around the boardroom table, and it’s hurting their organization’s connection to the customer, the understanding of what’s happening with their brands, and the ideas necessary to drive growth. I’ve...

11:44 / Marketing