It is no surprise; there is more bad brainstorming than good. As someone who leads brainstorm sessions, you're going to face jaded audiences—folks with rock bottom expectations. In addition to the ideas and solutions generated during the meeting, the way you [...]
Your spouse asks you to stop by the grocery store and pick up a nice, ripe tomato for this evening's dinner. You make your way to the produce department, to the bin of tomatoes. To your disappointment, there's only one tomato [...]
Sometimes we confuse artistic ability with creativity. The thinking, if you can't paint or draw, you're not creative. But this isn't true. Artistic ability includes skills and talent to create works of art: painting, drawing, sculpting, musical composition, etc. Creativity ability is the [...]
When operating a company, to stay innovative requires constant observation of your industry, competition, and your own company. When you're a fighter pilot, to stay alive requires constant observation of what is happening around you as well as with your own [...]
When the German physiologist and physicist Hermann Helmholtz was seventy years old [in 1898], he was asked at his birthday party to analyze his thought processes. Later, Graham Wallas, in his [1926] book The Art of Thought, formulated Helmholtz's ideas into [...]
Instead of trying to sell you something with a QR code... I thought I'd use one to offer value. So, this QR offers tips for being more creative. We're seeing QR Codes everywhere. While I try to test new technology when [...]
Google has just published "Think Quarterly" and the Q3'11 is their Innovation Issue. As the cover welcome note states... ...We've curated big ideas from heads of industry, leading experts and our homegrown visionaries -- all to help guide your own thinking. [...]
At times, has your company or team ever felt lost at sea? I recently built an exercise for a company that was ready to grow... and while they had goals in mind - a destination - they weren't sure where they [...]
Leonard Stern, the inventor of the "World's Greatest Word Game" Mad Libs, passed away in June of 2011 at the age of 88. In his honor, I've created a "Better Brainstorming" Mad Lib. Mad Libs - as a creativity tool - [...]
You're nearly ready for next week's problem solving session... × Problem clearly defined and the objectives of the day outlined? Check. × Silly-Puddy, Play-Doh, and Slinkys? Check. × Flip charts, colored markers, Post-It notes? Check. But what about snacks, drinks, and [...]