Casual Fridays

In her book The Creative Habit, Twyla Tharp gives several creative exercises.

Creative Exercise #16 is Pick a Fight

Tharp states that “Creativity is an act of defiance.”

What are you defying?  Are you willing to defy your usual route to the office and see what the new scenery inspires?

Would you defy your typical lunch selection in order to experience a totally new set of taste sensations?

Dare you to defy your evening routine and pick up a book, rather than watching TV tonight… what ideas may come from that?

“Every act of creation is also an act of destruction or abandonment. Something has to be cast aside to make way for the new” says Tharp.

If you never destroy/abandon/change, then where is the vacuum creativity can fill in your life?

Here’s a quick brainstorming tip.

Next time you’re stuck on predictible, unoriginal ideas, try this:
Think 180°.

1. Ask yourself, “What is the LAST thing I would do in this situation?” or “What is an idea opposite of these?”
2. Make a list of the ideas that come to mind.
3. Read over the list and evaluate WHY each idea wouldn’t work.

Now, you may not use any of the ideas you’ve listed, but you’ve stimulated new thoughts. After you explore the opposites, you may go back to one of your original ideas with a twist. “What if we create this product, but market it to women in business instead of men?”  “What if we do the seminar on these topics, but the seminar is free, we charge for lunch and sell snacks during breaks?”

Sometimes thinking outside the box is most helpful when you eventually bring the ideas back inside the box.

If you’d like to read some of the top blog posts from Casual Fridays, here they are:

7 Reasons No One Likes Your Ideas
Why don’t people listen or use your ideas?  Here are a few clues.

Pull! 10 Signs You’re Shooting Down Good Ideas
Are you as open to new ideas as you think?

One Idea Forward, Two Opinions Back
What’s the difference between an idea and an opinion? Why does it matter?

Ponder This: Q&Q
A new take on Q&As

Byproducts of Busy Bees
A dedication to those who make a difference. 

A Free Exchange of Ideas
How do trust and risk affect the sharing of ideas?

Brian Clark at Lateral Action put together a great list of Tyler Durden’s 8 Rules of Innovation.

The list is based on statements by Brad Pitt’s character in Fight Club. Below is my favorite:

Tyler’s Eighth Rule of Innovation:

“This is your life, and it’s ending one minute at a time.”
Brian does a great job of expounding on this statement and seven others.  It is well worth the two minute hiatus to check it out.

Alex requested I expand on the effects of collaborative communication vs. conspiratorial communication

Collaboration creates teams of teams.

Organizations that encourage collaboration will see greater interdepartmental and interorganizational teamwork. A sense of interdependence creates a desire to involve others in on the work at hand.

Conspiracy creates lines and sides.

Information is held in silos. The grain is harvested, then stored where it simply rots.

Teams do not grow from shared experiences. They fight to steal from each other’s silos of information, recognition and reward.

Conspiracy divides individuals, centering them around lower goals and agendas.

Myopia causes conspirators to focus on self-centered goals which don’t benefit the larger organization(s). Consequentially, they do not rally followers around them because their vision is narrow, short-sighted and low on impact.

Collaboration unifies individuals around a common, higher goal.

By collaborating, individuals and teams discover common goals held across the divide. By broadening horizons, collaborators broaden their vision and hold onto the higher goals that impact the BIGGER picture. Consequentially, collaborators attract followers who desire belonging to something bigger than themselves.

Collaboration stimulates growth.

Individuals must be empowered in collaborative environments. Collaboration encourages delegation as the vision and input of direction is bigger than one person.

Conspiracy stunts growth.

Long-term, conspiracy mindsets eventually stifle growth. Conspiracies may have early growth spurts, but are midgets as adults when compared to their potential through collaboration.

Thanks for throwing down the gauntlet Alex! I hope you and others find this stimulating, and perhaps generate your own beliefs on the effects of collaboration vs. conspiracy.

Sometimes it’s harder to blog once a week than everyday. So, I’m going to start blogging as much as possible to get out of the funk I’ve been in. Should make things a bit more organic and not so planned.

Just read a Tom Peters “Cool Friends” interview from a few weeks ago with Stephanie Palmer, author of Good in a Room: How to Sell Yourself (and Your Ideas) and Win Over Any Audience.

  

Here are a few of my favorite nuggets from the interview:

tompeters.com asks …

Stephanie, what’s the big idea here?

SP: “Good in a room” describes anyone who presents themselves and their ideas effectively. The phrase originated in Hollywood and it’s used by agents and producers to describe people who pitch ideas well. I teach people to use, in their own industry, the tactics that work in Hollywood.

……….

Tom Peters has espoused the elevator pitch as one of the supporting columns of Wow Projects. The goal of the elevator pitch being, if you get into an elevator on the first floor with your boss and you’re trying to sell an idea, you want to sell it by the time you get to the 35th floor. You say the elevator pitch is a myth. Why is that?

SP: I think the term “elevator pitch” incorrectly implies that it’s appropriate to pitch in an elevator. Communicating quickly and concisely is important, but you should never pitch when you don’t have time to continue the conversation. A moment’s access with someone who doesn’t know you is not an opportunity. Your first interaction with someone sets the stage for the relationship to come. You shouldn’t start pitching your idea to someone before they know who you are enough to care about what you’re saying in the first place.

High-level buyers are pitched all the time. They know when they are hearing something that’s been repeated to dozens of other people. If you haven’t taken the time to build rapport and customize your pitch to that person’s specific needs, it’s a sign that you’re an amateur. Every buyer is unique, and your pitch should reflect that.

……….

You also say that networking is a waste of time. Why?

SP: I think most people who think they’re successful as a result of using traditional networking techniques succeed in spite of those techniques, not because of them. Traditional networking is generally a quantity-based approach. The idea is that if you meet enough people, accumulate enough names, you will eventually find people who are a good fit. On the surface this makes sense; you’d need a large pipeline of people because statistically only a few of them would be a right fit for your business. It’s a bulk mail strategy, sending out a lot of letters and seeing what comes back. But bulk mail is expandable, whereas we are not. The bulk mail approach doesn’t work so well in establishing genuine relationships because we only have so much time.

Therefore, instead of spending small amounts of time with lots of people, I suggest spending more time with fewer, carefully chosen people. Use a quality based approach. Upgrade from bulk mail to a handwritten letter with a first class stamp.

……….

But in as much as you don’t believe in the standard group theory of networking, you do still have a network. You categorize people a little differently than most people’s A, B, and C lists. Could you describe your system?

SP: I don’t like using the terminology of A, B, and C groups, simply because I know that I don’t want to be on anyone’s C list, and I don’t think that anyone else does, either. I start with Good People to Know, which is anybody who I think for any reason might be someone I would like to know in the future. It may be someone whom I’ve met at a conference or a barbecue. If I think that person is really interesting for whatever reason, business or personal, I’m going to include them in my Good People to Know.

If I meet someone, and I know that I have no interest in them, I’m not going to include them in my rolodex or keep tabs on them. Doing so is like being a relationship pack rat. I’m not looking to have the world’s largest network so that I can brag, “Oh, I have 10,000 people in my list.” I want to be more focused.

My next group I call the VIPs. Those are people whom I would like to have a business relationship with, but maybe I don’t know them. They’re my target list. Twenty people is the maximum that you should have on your VIP list.

My last group, and most important, is the Inner Circle. Those are the people that are closest to you, who support you professionally and personally. Those are the relationships that I spend the most time nurturing. Their support has been the most valuable for me, personally and professionally.

……….

It looks like a worthwhile book, so I’m buying a copy. Might write my own review when I finish it.

You can see more about “Good In A Room” on Stephanie Palmer’s website.

I recently read a fascinating article on unleashing creativity from Scientific America.

Executive editor Mariette DiChristina conducted a roundtable discussion involving three experts on creativity:

John Houtz is a psychologist and professor at Fordham University. His most recent book is The Educational Psychology of Creativity (Hamptom Press, 2002).

Julia Cameron is an award-winning poet, playwright and filmmaker. Her book The Artist’s Way (Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, 2002) has sold more than three million copies worldwide. Her latest book is The Writing Diet.

Robert Epstein is a visiting scholar at the University of California, San Diego. Contributing editor for Scientific American Mind and former editor in chief of Psychology Today, Epstein has written several books on creativity, including The Big Book of Creativity Games (McGraw-Hill, 2000).

Below are a few quotes I found interesting.

Read the rest of the article and see what you cull from it.  Perhaps it will inspire you to unleash more of your creative potential.

I got some correspondence on The Idea Orphanage that encouraged me to share advise on reclaiming your idea orphans. I guess it would be rather cruel to raise awareness of the lost and abandoned without giving a way for you to help. So, here are a few ways to get the adoption process started:

1. Write them a letter.
Let them know you haven’t forgotten them. If you don’t write the idea down, you probably will forget it again. Then we’re right back where we started. While you’re putting the idea to paper, also write down the reason you abandoned it. This may help you create solutions to the original hurdle(s).

2. Adopt as a couple.
Share your idea with someone else who might help you “parent” the concept. This also creates some accountability to the idea. Someone else may push you to meet timeframes or make greater commitments.

3. Prepare a room.
If you’re going to bring a little one into your life, you have to create a good home environment. You’ll need to make space in your life, so create that margin now. Do you have the time and overall capacity to add something else to your plate? We don’t want to have a case of neglect on our hands.

4. Consider Their Age
You should treat the idea differently based on age. A younger idea may need more feeding and development. An older idea may need more acclamation to your environment. A lot may have changed over the years, take that into consideration.

5. Know Your Parental Rights
Before you finalize the “adoption,” make sure you know your rights. Should the idea be patented, under copyright or trademark? Make sure no one else already has these rights while you’re at it.

I was plugging away on my computer when I heard the cry from upstairs.  “Oh no!”  I asked my wife what was wrong.  “You’re going to hate me.”  She said.

I climbed up the stairs and found her in the laundry room.  She began to pull out pieces of paper and show them to me.  “My Moleskine?”

My wife hesitantly responded, “Yeah.”

I had left the notebook in a pair of jeans. Inside the notebook were months of notes.  Ideas, reminders, details and contacts.  Now it looked like scraps from an office wastebasket.

Amazingly, the notes were still intact.  The pages had all become loose leaf, but they didn’t shred (as business cards do, much to my wife’s chagrin).  The ink was slightly smeared in places, but everything is still readable.

So, in this case, rumors of my Moleskine’s demise were greatly exaggerated.

I doubt most notebooks would have escaped the laundry as anything more than pulp in the lint screen.

Sidenote:  This is the second Moleskine tragedy for me in as many weeks.  The previous week, I left my other Moleskine at a school auditorium in Oklahoma City.  Still haven’t tracked it down.  So, if you’re in the OKC area, be on the lookout for a small pocket notebook.  It is black and 3.5″ x 5.5″ in size.  It has slightly curly corners and a rough complexion.  It is full of great ideas and responds by the name of Ledger.

“There are no such things as bad ideas.”

Whoever invented that statement has never watched an infomercial.

There are plenty of bad ideas. The essence of this statement is that bad ideas can lead to good ones. Unfortunately, we either disregard someone’s bad idea altogether or we embrace it, because we’re stupid and don’t realize how bad it is.

Caterpillars can be wrapped in cocoons and made into butterflies. Here are 5 tips for responding to bad ideas:

1. Look past the book cover.
Ask for clarification of the idea. You may discover the idea is better than you thought. Most ideas are initially presented quickly, leaving out much information. The initial pitch is like a book cover. It’s a quick title and subtitle attempting to persuade you to open the book and see what’s inside. As we know, you can’t always judge a book by it’s cover.

2. Try a horse of a different color.
Don’t pitch out the idea completely. Maybe you still use a horse, just change the color. Ask if there’s a way to tweak the idea to overcome objections you may have. Example: “This seems cost prohibitive. Is there a way to do this without incurring so many expenses?”

3. Store nuts for winter.
Maybe I should say, “Store nutty ideas.” Preserve the ideas, even temporarily. If you’re in a meeting, write it on a white board. If the idea was emailed to you, save the email for later. Get away from it for a bit, then come back to it. You may see it in a whole new light.

4. Ask for more bullets.
If you criticize someone’s initial idea(s), you’re taking the gun out of their hands with bullets left in the chamber. Even if their first idea is idiotic, don’t respond hastily. State something like this: “That’s an interesting idea and I want to talk about it more. Before we do that, did you have any other ideas to discuss?” This can’t always be your response or it will be a formula easily recognized as, “That’s pretty lame, but let me patronize you before I tell you so.”

5. Identify Bad Guys vs. Daredevils
Maybe you don’t like the idea because it’s risky. Perhaps the idea is truly good, but carries risk that’s uncomfortable for you. If so, then ask yourself if the idea should be made “safe”… or if you should embrace the risk. You may be surprised by the answer.

There are plenty of bad ideas out there, but these five tips may help you find the beautiful monarch lying dormant inside the worm.

I don’t know how many there are.

Millions? Billions?

I do know they’re alone and wandering. They have been abandoned and forgotten.

How did they get here?

Fear.

Not their fear. Ours.

They are idea orphans. Former hopes, dreams and aspirations who have no guardians.

They were once filled with energy and hope. Now they have no purpose, no passion, no life.

What ideas did you give up on? What dream did you abandon?

Perhaps they’re still here, at the orphanage. You know they’re yours. They stare back with your eyes. They call out with your voice. You both long to be reunited.

What is keeping you apart? Is it fear?

Will you let that fear come between you again?

or

Will you boldly reclaim your ideas – your dreams… today?

I got feedback that my Reasons No One Likes Your Ideas was missing one important reason: your ideas are bad.

I intentionally left that off the list, because it opens a whole new can of worms. I’m ready to open that can now.

You’ve heard the saying, “There’s no such thing as a bad idea.”

Not true. There are plenty of bad ideas out there. Some are short-sighted, others are just plain stupid. We know bad ideas exist. We’ve seen them, heard them and thought of them ourselves. This phrase is helpful in brainstorming sessions because you don’t want a brilliant idea to be kept a secret for fear of criticism. It’s not a claim that all ideas are worthwhile.

So, how can you tell if your idea is dead in the water?

1) It puts you in the wrong batter’s box.
In baseball, unless you’re a switch hitter, batting from the other side of the plate greatly reduces your effectiveness. If your idea doesn’t line up with strengths, consider whether there’s a better solution on the right side of the plate. You’ll hit more homeruns by focusing on your strengths.

2) It’s pie in the sky.
Is your idea disconnected from reality? Does it actually solve a problem, or is it just cool? Form follows function. This doesn’t mean your idea can’t be cool. Great design is a must today, but if isn’t purposeful then it’s useless. Be careful. This is very subjective. What you think is ‘pie in the sky’ may be a great idea that simply has to be reconnected to reality.

3) You’re trading flies for frogs.
Is an army of frogs your solution to a plague of flies? Congratulations! You just traded one problem for another (possibly bigger problem). Does your idea create a bigger issue than it solves? Then it’s probably not a solution. It’s just another problem.

4) Imitation is the greatest form of flattening.
I’m not talking about flat hierarchy or “The World Is Flat” thinking. I’m talking about flat as in no peaks or valleys. As in a flatline on an EKG. Flat without anything to grip or hold onto. Want a flat company? Copy your competitor’s ideas. You’ll lose anything that makes you different from the competition. Your products become flat. Your marketing will be flat. And so will your sales.

5) You never wake up from the dream.
I love to dream BIG. But if you never wake up from the dream and make it a reality, what good is the idea? There is a difference between creativity and imagination. Execution. CREATIVITY = IMAGINATION + EXECUTION (C = I + E). In order to be creative, you have to CREATE something. Dreaming big only gets you halfway there. Don’t be afraid to go the rest of the way. Your idea might be great, but no one will know if it’s never created.

This is not an exhaustive list, nor is it always applicable. These five signs help create a rule of thumb. Another reason I didn’t write about this before is I believe bad ideas can lead to good ideas. Give yourself, and others, the grace to throw a bad idea into the hopper. You never know what epiphanies may follow.

… the originator of ideas is undervalued.

My family has had a business of somekind in my hometown since 1914. That might be where I get my entrepreneurial spirit. While I was growing up, we had a local grocery store named Staiger’s Grocery. Original, isn’t it? I worked there for nearly five years. Primarily, I stocked the shelves and loaded people’s cars with their purchases.

One day, I was maneuvering a large stack of cattle feed (it was Kellyville, Oklahoma – we had to carry groceries for the livestock as well). The stack shifted and began to fall. I tried to keep it from falling and almost got smashed in the process. My father was the store manager. He saw what happened and warned me, “We can replace the feed, but we can’t replace you. Next time, let it go.” I don’t think he said that just because I’m his son. Dad valued the people who worked for him. Actually, he values people… period.

Ask a manager/boss/business owner about the ideas which have made their company successful and they’ll get excited. Usually, these are the stories they love to tell.

Ask about the people they work with or employ and you’ll hear the horror stories. Oddly enough, some love to tell these stories as well.
Problem is – you can replace the ideas, but you can’t replace the people.

Do you devalue the people you work with? Don’t just look at what you say to them. See what your actions say about their value as well. How and when do you reward? How and when do you correct?

How do you let them know they’re irreplaceable? Do you even believe they are?

This was on my cup of Starbucks coffee today:

The Way I See It #290

On the battlefield of ideas, winning requires moving toward the sound of the guns.

– Newt Gingrich

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives

I’m not big on battle metaphors. Too often they lead to a zero-sum philosophy of “I win, you lose.” or “You win, I lose.” In other words, WE never win. I think that is shortsighted.

Still, I love the perception that courage is required with ideas. That is absolutely true.

Ideas are like love. You only get out of them what you’re willing to risk yourself.

Don’t be afraid of running toward the sound of the guns today.

Many ideas are borne out of solitude. The shower is a classic example of quiet alone-time creating a vacuum for new thoughts. Still, we usually have to bring these thoughts back to a team for development. We also have moments where we need to generate ideas in a team environment.

Having the proper team chemistry is critical for this creative work. It helps to have individuals fulfill certain roles to guide, inspire and cultivate ideas. Some of these roles played aren’t just beneficial, they’re critical.

Below are nine film characters who best epitomize these roles:

Indiana Jones – The Explorer

Creative teams need someone who will take them into uncharted territory. If you have an “Indie,” his sense of adventure coupled with his appreciation for different cultures will unearth treasures of ideas.

Sister Maria – The Creativity Facilitator

Creative teams need creative environments. This is no problem for Maria. She knows when something special is needed – the sound of music, the aroma of candles, the inspiration of poetry or the invigoration of a team exercise. Her creativity sets the stage for others to generate ideas. That’s a special gift.

Q from James Bond – Mr. R & D

If you need tools and resources for your project, this is your man. Q may not make all the gadgets himself, but he knows what can be done and what is at your disposal. This can range from administrative needs to IT equipment.

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Dorothy Gale – The Visionary

Tired of Kansas? So is Dorothy. She has a dream of a better place. She wants better things for herself, but she also will align with the needs of others. She’s sensitive to those around her. She wants to make sure others get their courage, heart and brains. By helping them get what they want, she gets her own reward.

Danny Ocean – The Team Builder

Part of planning is defining roles. Ocean is a pro at foreseeing the skills and personalities necessary in pulling off a job. He also knows how to delegate responsibility. He’s not a one-man team, though he is extremely capable on his own. He realizes the value of a team.

Jason Bourne – The Improv Innovator

When you need ideas on-the-spot, look to Bourne. It seems as though whatever’s on hand becomes an instant resource in the fight for ideas. Anything seems to inspire him – the topic of conversation, a painting on the wall, an article he read this morning… he uses them for the moment at hand.

Erin Brockovich – The Go-Getter

You can’t stay in brainstorming mode forever. Erin will move the team off dead-center. She pushes everyone into action and isn’t intimidated by hurdles. Though she may be a little brash, most people still have a healthy respect for her because she is hard working and brutally honest.

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Morpheus - The Reality Check

Welcome to the real world. Morpheus sees things as they are, but also as they can be. He doesn’t want to pretend everything is OK. He wants to be active in making things better. He will face up to a dismal financial picture, but challenge everyone to rally together and beat the odds.

Clarice Starling – The Collaborator

If you have a room full of strong personalities, like the characters in this list, the potential for conflict is elevated. Clarice is superb at bringing out the best in team members. She can work well with authority, but also with the unsavory type. She never loses sight of the goal and pulls the necessary information out of individuals to keep the team moving forward.

A combination of these roles can create a potent, creative team. For more in-depth information on team roles in creativity and innovation, I recommend Tom Kelley’s book The Ten Faces of Innovation.