Eclectic Change

Chance Favours the Connected Mind

What kind of environment fosters the development of good ideas? This video below looks at this question and provides and overview to the answer from Steven Johnson's new book “Where Good Ideas Come From” People often credit their ideas to individual "Eureka!" moments. But Steven Johnson shows how history tells a different story. We have all heard of the need for incubation but Johnson has observed that this process rarely occurs in isolation. We need to create environments of conversations a...

Are your a futurist?

I was very fortunate to be be able to attend the Lift10 Conference for the past three days.   Lift is a series of events built around a community of pioneers who get together in Europe and Asia to explore the social implications of new technologies. Each conference is a chance to turn innovation into opportunities by anticipating the major shifts ahead, and meet the people who drive them. It was extremely eclectic in topic choices and workshops.  What was exciting for me was not to listen...

Team Task Skills: Learning how to be the best at your game

Teams need specific skills as well as process skills.  (The latter will be discuss in a future post.) They need to be able to: set the priorities within their authority plan and manage projects develop problem solving tools determine appropriate ways to make decisions risk assessment and contingency planning track and measure results Probably the best resources that I have found for teams tools is: The Memory Jogger (Guide of Tools for Continuous Improvement and Effect...

Staying open – the danger of assumption; the possibility of creation

“There are only 3 colors, 10 digits, and 7 notes; its what we do with them that’s important.” (Jim Rohn) This is an unbelievably profound statement and each time I ponder it, I am amazed at all the beauty and art that is created as a result of these three simple facts.  Now it is true that we have splintered and sliced and diced colors, digits and notes but it leads me to truly accept that there is "nothing new under the sun".  I have never been "accused" of being particularly artistic but I do...

The Opposite of a Closed Mind – Video

Welcome to my very first Flip Cam Video.  I experimented a couple of years ago but the quality was pretty bad.  This is an unedited version that is under 2 minutes. Most of us wouldn't describe ourselves as having a closed mind but unfortunately every day we display the characteristics of one.  It is easier than we may care to admit how often we: Operate on habits without thinking (Often this is a good thing!) Not question the assumptions we have made about a situation or person See ...

5 Skills for Creative Meetings – Leadership Essencials

Gimmicks does not mean you are creative. Image via Wikipedia I was reading an article this week in the Wall Street Journal "Boring Meetings? Get Out the Water Guns: Small-Business Owners Find Creative Ways to Make the Most of Conference-Room Time as Downturn Demands Efficiency." The second paragraph reads: "The unconventional assignment—in which workers were asked to use the crayons and paper to brainstorm a customer-incentive program—was part of an effort to make staff meetings more ef...