A conclusion is where you got tired thinking - Martin Fischer

Ideas & Innovation – future proofing your business

What’s your organisation’s sustainable uniqueness?

Your business is only as good as your last idea. Continuous change, ideation and innovation are now part of everyones’ day job.

Is Innovation a separate department in your organisation?

How do you create innovation and bright ideas? Were those inspired 'light-bulb' moments just pure luck or did you deliberately generate them? Can you create more of them, anytime, whenever you want them?

Who does the thinking?

Innovation and creativity now need to belong in everyones’ job description. Why? Because there is no hierarchy in thinking. If you replace creativity-sucking meetings with inspiring thought-generating meetings and then you encourage everyone to ask the question “What if ...?” and then to ask it again, and again, and again, your whole organisation begins to think; everyone from the receptionist to the VPs. And what would happen if your entire organisation began to think 1%, 50%, 100%, 500% .... better?

And who does the listening?

But next comes the unique bit. We need to listen. And we need absolutely to not interrupt. And then we listen some more. Why? Because, it powers up each thinker’s unique creativity and imagination.  Without listening, those incredible minds tends to remain on 'standby'.  And if we're not listening to our staff, what’s the likelihood that we're listening to your customers?

Man is still the most extraordinary computer of all - JF Kennedy

Brain Power
– new respect for the elegance of the human mind

How well do you manage your biggest investment?

Your organisation’s biggest intangible asset walks out of your office at 6pm most evenings.  Brains.  It has been estimated that just a mere 15% of those brains are fully utilised at work. Just 15%??  The office photocopier probably produces a better return on investment. 

But, if we as an organisation, make it our business to hold endless uninspiring meetings fraught with anxiety, it’s little surprise that our massively underutilised investment has become a herd of doers, instead of a flock of thinkers and creators. With our intellectual capital we have a conscious choice.

Why don’t people think enough at work?

Either because we simply don’t ask them to. Or because we don’t ask them in the right way.

How do you wake up those minds?

It seems that when we ask the right questions in the right way and we behave in particular ways around each other whilst we’re thinking, our brains being to wake up and all sorts of unusually interesting ideas begin to be produced.  Teaching everyone how to be a Thinking Environment for themselves and each other means better ideas are generated, more of the time.

Whose brains are best?

Everyones! Regardless of education, qualifications and experience. What perfect idea might you have missed out on from that office junior, because you didn’t ask him/her? What incredible idea might you have missed out on from your management team, because your board meetings crush creativity.  The goal of today's leaders is to cultivate people and thoughts, not control them. True leaders watch their seeds grow.

Creativity is not like the weather – you can do something about it - John Kao, Jamming: The art & discipline of business creativity.

Motivation & Engagement – feeling that we matter

Is Engagement a job title in your organisation?

One of the wonderful by-products of the Thinking Environment is that it actually feels really good to be part of.  So not only does it tend to make you feel happy and engaged, but then surprisingly good ideas and thoughts come to mind, which in turn engages you even more. Don’t underestimate the power that having your ‘I’ve got it!’ moment during a meeting surrounded by your colleagues can have on your personal motivation. These techniques engage.

Still want competition between staff?

Competition between individuals and ‘being the best’ creates anxiety and adrenalin, both of which, according to neuroscience, switches off the creative thinking centres, as the brain cannot process anxiety and creativity at the same time.  So competition kills ideas. Whereas encouragement, attention, questioning and thinking space creates them.

Imagine if you created a learning, thinking organisation and all your meetings and work interactions were creative and intelligent?

And imagine if your clients noticed it too?

Remember happiness doesn’t depend upon who you are or what you have; it depends solely upon what you think - Dale Carnegie