Even the best people have greater success when they use better tools.
The best golfers use the most advanced clubs. Sure, anyone can still play golf with a 40-year old club, but you won’t find many serious players doing it.
The best carpenters use the most high tech drills and stud finders and table saws. When time is money quick setup tools that help you do it right the first time make the work better and the job more profitable.
My dentist scans the inside of my mouth with leading edge imaging technology, builds a computer model and then carves out a new tooth cap with an automated shaper in the back room of his office, all this before I can finish the cover article in Men’s Health. Remember when you used to wait two weeks as they sent this type of work out to some lab?
Before & After is in the creative training business. Sometimes even I think that sounds strange - “creative training? Oh, really?” But, hey, all we’re really doing is helping people improve their creative tools. And we do it with some pretty savvy companies; industry leaders in many fields, companies with some very bright, extremely creative people. The creatively rich working to get richer. Could this explain some of the success of the clients we serve?
So, what are the creative thinking tools we teach?
The tools we feature in our workshops (or methods as the case may be) are 100MPH Thinking™, Intergalactic Thinking™, 180° Thinking™, Ask the Question Early (which I discuss in detail below) and others.
At the end of one of our sessions a few years ago someone asked “aren’t these creative ‘tools’ a little contrived?” (If I remember correctly the guy even made those “ “ marks with his fingers when he said “tools.”)
“No,” I said. “They’re not a little contrived. They’re a lot contrived.” Just like the best golf clubs are designed, tested, redesigned, crafted - talk about contrived! And serious golfers who want the very best chance at winning expected them to be that way.
How serious are you about doing your job? How driven are you to achieve big things in your field? Could you benefit from having better ideas; and getting them quicker, in greater numbers, with less angst? (If you say anything but “yes” how determined can you really be about career success?) Then you could benefit from having better creative thinking tools.
I’m not saying this just to sell you some creative training (unless you’re buying, that is). But you’re probably at this site because you want to find better ways to get fresher ideas. Well, read on, because this site is filled with advice and tips, even tools, to help you think better. But whether it’s with Before & After’s methods or some other training company or book or whatever, I encourage you to work on your tools.
Now, a word of caution: while all of the tools we use in Before & After programs work, and work quite well for hundreds of thousands of people, they don’t all work perfectly all the time. Just like Tiger Woods’ 9 iron some days doesn’t work as well as others. That’s why he carries lots of clubs in his bag. And that’s why we recommend many different kinds of thinking tools. Tools aren’t perfect, but they can make a big difference.
This year the quarterback of my favorite pro football team, Tom Brady, is being called one of the best, if not the greatest player at his position in the history of the game. He already had an impressive list of career accomplishments - three Super Bowl rings and two Super Bowl MVP trophies among them. But this season Brady has better receivers to catch his passes - better tools, if you will - and his performance is now mega levels above past years.
By the way, Tom Brady also has amazing desire and works his butt off both in the game, and more importantly on the practice field. Of course, he brought great desire and arduous work to the party in past years, too. But this year he simply has better tools. And he is appreciably better.
Tools. Even the best people use them.
Now you’ll have to excuse me. I have to go work on my game.
