Before & After : Creative thinking in business

In an interview with Kid Rock he was asked if he had ever dreamed he would make it as big as he has. His answer? “Every bleeping day.”

In the same program it showed the dingy underground recording space, Whiterooms Studios, where he worked as a janitor in trade for session time and a place to crash. Where he dreamed “every bleeping day.”

This was after he had struggled mightily, releasing records from his own basement studio, after he had suffered a number of career disappointments and all out setbacks, like being dropped by major label Jive Records. The times when he could only dream of making it big, “every bleeping day.”

Kid Rock’s undefined-genre of rap, country and rock simply didn’t make sense to the mainstream music community, and many in the so-called open-minded indie world.

But “every bleeping day” he dreamed. “Every bleeping day.”

What more do you need to know about succeeding? Vision. Sacrifice. Hard work.

A guarantee? No. But probably as simple and as focused a formula as there is; whether in business, science, medicine or in a yet-to-exist music category where success was ultimately achieved by an I’ll-wash-toilets-if-I-have-to kid who dreamed “every bleeping day.” Kid Rock.

One of the biggest mistakes people make in group think has to do with the number of participants. Too often I see brainstorming teams simply involve too many people. With the intention of putting a lot of mind power against a challenge or opportunity business people often assemble groups of 7, 8, 9, heck, I’ve seen groups of 20 people bumping into one another in the spirit of more is more.

Well, I have to tell you, at a point in gathering together brains to storm, more is less sooner than most people think.

I believe the ideal number for group ideation is 2 or 3, maybe 4. After that the benefits, if there are any, are far out weighed by the drawbacks. (more…)

Have you checked out the Method product line? Products for laundry, dishes, body, all purpose cleaners and more. I believe their distribution is fairly new to my area, and, wow! am I impressed. This particular item competes with Ajax, Clorox, Fantastik, Lysol, Formula 409, Comet,…you know the usual suspects.

Have consumers been so bombarded and lambasted by shouting packaging and even more dangerous chemicals inside that maybe marketers can now be successful speaking to them as intelligent beings and giving them effective products that don’t piss off Al Gore?

Yes, besides looking like they weren’t designed by a carnival barker, the products Method markets are also environment and human friendly. So, like when you soak in a tub after cleaning it your pores don’t absorb toxic junk.

And Method doesn’t engage in the animal testing many of these other companies use so freely. (My dog can sleep better.)

Is this marketer going to do for packaged goods what Target has done for retailers? Have you noticed how other discounters aren’t insulting us or attacking our senses quite as much in recent years?

Creatively, if this isn’t one of the greatest zigs in a completely over zagged category, what is?

When I see companies like Method succeeding I’m encouraged by the power of creative thinking in business, even the most creatively barren areas, and I actually have a little hope for this planet.

What constitutes a creative environment anyway? Is it the environment environment? The paint color? The furniture? The carpeting?

Is it the conditions that encourage fresh ideas and discourage all the negative stuff that stifles free thinking?

From my observations as a creative thinking coach, having been within the walls of more than 300 companies, over 100 ad agencies, many of which are truly trying to develop a “creative environment,” most groups are looking in the wrong place for a solution. (more…)

Mark Wilson won the Honda Classic golf tournament yesterday.

Frankly, I had never heard of Mark Wilson before. Or, if I had, I’d forgotten, which may be worse. But yesterday this guy won a PGA tour event, his first win in 111 tries since 1997. And he did it in a tense 3-hole, 4-way playoff, in front of thousands of people, with the whole golf world watching. Talk about pressure

So, when creative ideas aren’t coming at quite the pace you’d like,… When you’re feeling like you’re on a bad roll,… When you’re thinking about maybe taking up another line of work,…

…think of Mark Wilson. And give it one more shot. It could be the biggest win of your life.

On January 9th I asked blog readers “What do you see?” when you look at this simple shape? (That is, “What do you see, beyond a guitar case?”)

Well, not only have I received dozens of executions from different corners of the globe, this post has become the single most popular page at my fledgling blog.

If you haven’t been there lately, let me suggest that you check out the “What do you see?” page to be inspired by the many ways different people approached this simple creative exercise, as well as the many wonderful images that resulted; from the 3D treatment here, by Ester, to the most recent concepts contributed last week by Edmar and Richard Valbuena, both of the Philippines.

Thanks to all who have joined in as participants and spectators. When I posted this exercise I had no idea how it would be received in a blog about creative thinking in business. Beyond the variety of executions that have shown amazing use of imagination, the curiosity of readers may be the most encouraging sign of open mindedness.