Saturday, September 5, 2009

Getting New Things to Happen


Since the business launch, I have gotten a lot of questions...how is this different from what you did before? etc. My favorite response is, "That's top secret!" heh heh heh!
In fact, while I get the new website up, I have been doing some testing with my teams. Here's what we've been up to:

Rocket Launching - Having FUN
Did you know that you can shoot a rocket 1000 feet into the air with a bike pump? You have to check this out!

Email Launching - Making CONNECTIONS
Not to bore you, but I felt compelled to hand write each and every client and person on my email list. That was a tip from @chrisbrogan. Wow. Okay honestly I'm still on the "r"s, but guess what? Almost everyone wrote me back. (and only 2 wanted off my list ;-)

Idea Launching - Validating WHAT'S NEW
For months I have been devouring books on neuroscience in hopes that I could recommend that "one book" to you that would validate and encapsulate all I have been testing with creativity. To be honest, I haven't seen a lot of "new" ideas.
Frankly, the best concepts remain the same:

1. If you want to create change, tell a compelling story filled with images and metaphors with a clear way for your audience to grab hold and make the change happen.

2. What people believe determines the outcome. Remember the teachers who were told that their underachievers were "gifted" students? A year later, those same students she worked with, tested as truly "gifted".

3. What if we apply Bateson's testing to teams? Bateson ran tests with dolphins to "drive them crazy." First he gave them rewards when they performed a series of tricks, then he withheld the reward to see what they'd do in hopes they would "go crazy". Guess what? They did, but after a short period of going crazy, they created completely new tricks.

Hmmmm, this indicates to me that to possibly get new ideas, you have to challenge people by creating a little dissonance.

Here's a few tips I tried with one of my high tech teams:
  • Warn them what they are about to do is something they never have before - this scares them a little.
  • Put them into a creative environment that is outside their comfort zone. (I call this creative waterboarding)
  • Challenge them to solve a problem that (in their current roles) they have no control over.
  • Watch them implode, then explode. Result? Amazing new solutions and ideas.
  • Reward them with food.

Idea generation...not brain science? Or is it? Until next time...

Up Your Creative Genius!



No comments:

Post a Comment