The Single Sock Theory
Dear Movers and Shakers:
We now interrupt this blog with an official announcement of the first annual WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SINGLE SOCKS? contest.
While we all have our differences, there is one thing we all have in common and that is the SINGLE SOCKS experience -- as in "Where the hell is my other sock?"
Let the theories begin!
Simply submit your favorite theories here and, who knows, you might end up the GRAND PRIZE WINNER: An Idea Champions Silver Innovation Kit (retails for $199) + five of my unmatched socks (which some sock conspiracists tell me are likely to match yours.) Sock it to me!
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 06:58 PM | Comments (5)
June 30, 2009Mozart on Genius
"Neither
a lofty
degree
of intelligence,
nor
imagination,
nor both together,
go to the
making of
genius.
Love, Love, Love.
That
is the
soul of
genius."
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 09:22 PM | Comments (0)
June 29, 2009I'm Giving Away the Farm
Tired of
big fat
business books
that cost $26.95
and take
way too long
to say
what you already know?
Well then,
here's a much
simpler,
less expensive way
to spark innovation,
creativity,
and fire in the belly.
Online it is,
free and clear,
fun to read,
low fat,
and just a click away.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 12:35 AM | Comments (0)
June 28, 2009100 Simple, Low-Cost, Soulful Ways to Be More Creative on the Job
Have you ever noticed America's strange fascination with lists? Cruise any supermarket magazine rack and you will invariably notice some version of the following:
"5 Ways to Find Your Soul Mate"
"10 Ways to Profit from the Recession"
"50 Ways to Retire Before 40"
"The 100 Best Companies to Work For"
For years I ignored this phenomenon. Then I mocked it. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Perfect sense.
Lists simplify.
Lists cut to the chase.
Lists help people make sense of the world.
And so, in honor of America's love of lists, here is my time-tested, easy-to-read, highly compelling, list of 100 Ways to Be More Creative on the Job.
Continue reading "100 Simple, Low-Cost, Soulful Ways to Be More Creative on the Job"
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 01:16 AM | Comments (4)
June 23, 2009Greetings from Idea Champions' Chief Fire Starter
Greetings! My name is Og, Idea Champions' CFS (Chief Fire Starter). I'm in charge of helping our clients ignite new possibilities.
I just wanted to take this opportunity to let you know that the economic downturn has not, in any way, affected our business. We are absolutely fine. (The desk furniture we're burning for heat makes our office quite toasty).
We realize, of course, that YOUR business may be struggling -- with the market being as volatile as it is and consumer confidence way down. If so, feel free to call me at 845-755-IDEA. (Now that I have use of both my opposable thumbs, answering the phone has become quite a positive experience). At that time, I'll be happy to explain how we can help your organization raise the bar for innovation.
Or, if you want to get started today, buy our Founder's new book (which is the only book I've seen that gives me the credit I so richly deserve as the inventor of the wheel.)
Oh, I almost forgot to mention, I'm available for keynotes.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 02:46 AM | Comments (0)
June 18, 2009What Might You Be Falsely Assuming?
If you or your company wants to innovate, the first thing you'll need to do is check your assumptions -- those arbitrary lines you've drawn in the sand.
The "box" people say they want to get out of? Nothing more than their collective assumptions -- and there have been many throughout history.
Some real whoppers.
Assumptions are your blind spot -- what you don't know you don't know -- what you don't see when you look in the mirror just before crashing into the car about to pass you.
Here are six (of many) ways to go beyond them...
Continue reading "What Might You Be Falsely Assuming?"
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 06:56 AM | Comments (0)
June 17, 2009Go Beyond the Usual Suspects!
Most organizations brainstorm. The brainstormers, however, tend to be the same old "usual suspects" -- the self-declared creatives, content experts, decision makers, stakeholders, and senior officers.
Bad idea.
Brilliance can come from anywhere in an organization. That is, IF you create opportunities for unusual suspects to participate in your ideation process -- and that includes interns, new hires, front-line workers, geeks, freaks, customers, kids, and the guy who delivers lunch to your brainstorming sessions.
Explained Zen Master, Shunryu Suzuki: "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few."
Joel Rubinson, writing for Fast Company's blog, has some insightful things to say about this.
Get better ideas!
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:00 PM | Comments (0)
June 15, 2009The Perfect Woodstock Getaway
This just in! You work too hard, sleep too little, and fantasize about taking time off to chill. You're looking for a cool B&B someplace interesting like, say, Woodstock. You google this, you google that, but can't seem to make up your mind.
If you don't decide soon, it's looking like one more not-so-cozy weekend with your Blackberry. Ouch!
Enough! By the power invested in me by my wife (who designed and runs the place), I hereby invite you to make a reservation at the Blue Pearl Woodstock, the perfect getaway for anyone seeking peace, beauty, and soul -- just two hours north of New York City.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 10:11 PM | Comments (0)
Awake at the Wheel Lives!
"I don't usually post reviews of my book on this blog (seems too self-serving), but I couldn't resist with this one. It was just posted on Amazon by Paul Roth and captures a big piece of the book's DNA.
Here's the review:
"This book has allowed me to forgive myself for my obsession with all of the crazy ideas I have and have had over the years. Many of my crazy ideas got produced by someone other than me. Since reading this book about a year ago, I have given myself full permission to enjoy my ideas and fully stand by them.
Now they are becoming the reality that always seemed to elude me. This book has been a gift that has unlocked a door within me that I will never close again."
For more, join my Facebook Group.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 06:17 PM | Comments (0)
June 14, 200926 Reasons Why Most Brainstorming Sessions Fail (and what to do about it)
Whenever I ask Idea Champions clients to tell me about the quality of brainstorming sessions in their company, they usually roll their eyes and grumble. Bottom line, most brainstorming sessions don't work. Not because brainstorming, as a process, doesn't work -- but because it's usually done poorly.
What follows are the 26 most common reasons why -- and after that, a list of what you can do differently to turn things around:
1. Poor facilitation
2. Wrong (or poorly articulated) topic
3. Unmotivated participants
4. Insufficient diversity of participants
5. Inadequate orientation
6. No transition from "business as usual"
7. Lack of clear ground rules
8. Sterile meeting space
9. Hidden (or competing) agendas
10. Lack of robust participation
11. Insufficient listening
12. Habitual idea killing behavior
13. Attachment to old ("pet") ideas
14. Discomfort with ambiguity
15. Hyper-seriousness (not enough fun)
16. Endless interruptions
17. PDA addiction (Crackberries)
18. Impatience (premature adoption of the first "right idea")
19. Group think
20. Hierarchy and/or competing sub-groups
21. Imbalance of divergent and convergent thinking
22. No tools and techniques to spark the imagination
23. Inelegant ways of capturing new ideas
24. No time for personal reflection
25. Pre-mature evaluation
26. No follow-up plan
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO TURN THINGS AROUND?
Continue reading "26 Reasons Why Most Brainstorming Sessions Fail (and what to do about it)"
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 07:45 AM | Comments (0)
June 07, 2009Here's to the Crazy Ones!
Find the "crazy ones" in your organization. Start listening to them. Give them room to think and act. They are the future.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 09:02 AM | Comments (2)
June 05, 2009The Top 10 Reasons Why Your CEO Sabotages Innovation
There's a huge gap between CEOs saying they want their companies to innovate and actually acting in a way consistent with what they say.
This lack of congruence drives internal change agents crazy, catatonic, or out the door.
At the very least, it makes them cranky and unwilling to "go the extra yard" required to turn their inspired ideas into reality.
And so, as a public service to all of you out there whose CEOs are not walking the talk, here's our TOP TEN reasons why not.
After nodding your head and chuckling to yourself, choose one or two, align with some fellow change agents, and kick start the process of doing something about it.
"If not you, who? If not now, when?"
Continue reading "The Top 10 Reasons Why Your CEO Sabotages Innovation"
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:47 PM | Comments (2)
May 30, 2009Stand By Me
Some people say that laughter is the universal language. Others say love. Still others say stock options. The producers of the video below say music. Whatever language you speak, one thing is clear: at the core of who we are, beyond our differences, titles, and strategic plans, we all speak the same language.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 04:36 AM | Comments (1)
May 26, 2009Blue Sky Thinking for Fun and Profit
In 1989, Gary Kasparov, the Soviet Union Grand Chess Master, played a two game match against "Deep Blue," the reigning supercomputer of the time. Kasparov won easily.
When asked by the media what his competitive advantage was, he cited two things: intuition and the ability to fantasize.
(And this from a master strategist!)
Few of us, in the workplace, are ever encouraged to fantasize -- a behavior most commonly associated with children, slackers, and flakes.
And yet, fantasizing is exactly how many breakthrough ideas get their start -- the act of some off-the-grid maverick entertaining the seemingly impossible...
Continue reading "Blue Sky Thinking for Fun and Profit"
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:43 PM | Comments (0)
May 23, 2009You're Right!
There is a scene from Fiddler on the Roof that has taught me more about life than most holy books I've read.
In it, two men are heatedly arguing over the age of a horse. When they see Tevye, the town milkman/sage, walking by, they begin passionately pleading their case.
"Tevye!" blurts the first, "I've been cheated! Last month a bought a horse from this sorry excuse for a man. He told me the horse was six, but it was 12!"
Tevye listens carefully, strokes his beard, nods his head, and smiles. "You're right!" he says.
"What!" screams the second. "No way! Not true! The horse I sold him was six years old and I have the papers to prove it!"
Continue reading "You're Right!"
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 02:44 AM | Comments (2)
May 20, 2009The Art of Seeing the Invisible
See that FedEx logo to your left? What do you notice? Letters? Colors? Height? Width? Probably. But if that's all you see, you are missing something -- something essential.
Take another look. Do you see an arrow? No? Look again. More specifically, look at the space between the "E" and the "x". The white space. See it? Cool, huh?
Such is life... and the creative process.
There's so much IN it, staring us right in the face, but we often miss it. We look, but don't see. We listen, but don't hear. We touch, but don't feel.
For creative people, the "white arrow" is often a moment that shows up quite unexpectedly. It's not "on the radar." It's hidden from view. It's not immediately apparent. And often that is where the BREAKTHROUGHS reside.
Continue reading "The Art of Seeing the Invisible"
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 10:06 AM | Comments (0)
May 16, 2009TED VIDEO: Seth Godin on Tribes
Lucid, entertaining, informative 17-minute video on the power of tribes -- the most ancient and organic way to get a message out to the world. Want to make a difference? Got something to say? Looking for a simple way to connect with those who want to go beyond the status quo? Listen to the bald-headed wonder, Seth Godin, introduce you to what's already happening...
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 04:47 AM | Comments (0)
May 13, 200956 Reasons Why Most Corporate Innovation Initiatives Fail
Innovation is in these days. The word is on the lips of just about every CEO, CFO, CIO, and anyone else with a three-letter acronym after their name. As a result, many companies are launching all kinds of "innovation initiatives" -- hoping to stir the soup. This is understandable. But it is also, far too often, very disappointing...
Continue reading "56 Reasons Why Most Corporate Innovation Initiatives Fail"
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 12:17 PM | Comments (2)
May 09, 2009STICKY IDEA: Post-It Entertainment
If you can spell "innovation," you've probably heard the story about the origins of the post-it note -- how it was an accident in one of 3M's labs and how Art Frye and others saw a market for something that didn't quite stick all that well.
Relax. I'm not going to tell that story again.
What I AM going to do is call your attention to the next creative use of the omnipresent post-it -- a use you are unlikely to have considered yet: the post-it as pure entertainment.
When you're done viewing the 3:19 video, take a few minutes to conjure up some non-traditional uses of your company's best (or worst) selling product. If you don't work for a company, think of some new uses for whatever product or service you are offering the world these days.
As one wise pundit put it, "Discovery is seeing what everybody else has seen, and thinking what nobody else has thought."
(Thanks to my very creative, 14-year old son, Jesse, for turning me on to this video).
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:26 AM | Comments (0)
May 08, 2009Smoke Signals in Cyberspace
Hey innovation-seeking humanoids!
Back in my day, whenever we wanted to get the word out, it was dirt simple. Smoke signals was the name of the game. Or maybe a primal scream or two.
We didn't have no email, no YouTube, no Twitter, no FaceBook, no MySpace... or the ten thousand other things you modern day Technoids use in your endless effort to make sense of things.
And we certainly didn't have no PR Web Press Releases either, like the one Digital Diva Nettie Hartsock just forwarded to Mr. Finally-Got-Use-of-His-Opposable-Thumbs-Axiom-Award-Winner What's-His-Name today.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 07:58 AM | Comments (0)
May 06, 2009Are You an Idea Addict?
There are lots of things in this world that people get addicted to: alcohol, nicotine, heroin, sex, and Blackberries just to name a few.
But perhaps the biggest addiction, one that often flies in under the radar, is the addiction to OUR OWN IDEAS.
Here's how it works:
We think something up. We feel a buzz. We embrace the idea. We think about it some more. We tweak it, we name it, we pitch it, and POOF, the addiction begins.
At first, like most habits, it's subtle, harmless, a seemingly casual pursuit with a thousand positive side effects: increased energy, renewed focus, a feeling of well-being, a heightened sense of awareness.
Like wow, man.
But then...
Continue reading "Are You an Idea Addict?"
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:20 PM | Comments (1)
May 05, 2009Seeing Through the Eyes of a Child
Tonight, I came home from a meeting, and the image above was waiting for me in my inbox. Somehow, when I was gone, my 14-year old son figured out how to do this. (That's him). I will ask the wizard in the morning and let you know how he did it.
"The greatest invention in the world is the mind of a child." - Thomas Edison
"Adults are always asking little kids what they want to be when they grow up because they're looking for ideas." - Paula Poundstone
"All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." - Pablo Picasso
EXERCISE: Today, present your biggest problem to a child and ask him/her for three possible solutions.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 12:37 AM | Comments (0)
May 04, 2009YOU ARE WHAT YOU DRINK: 101 CreativiTeas for Aspiring Innovators
Some people say you are what you eat. Others, more cerebrally inclined, say you are what you think. I would like to propose yet another possibility -- you are what you drink.
And so, in this slightly tongue-in-cheek spirit, I offer you a selection of 101 exotic teas from around the world.
Each one has been formulated to stimulate the specific, inner quality you need more of in order to be a more effective innovator on-the-job.
Your task? To choose three teas, from the list below, whose qualities you most need to imbibe -- then brainstorm ways in which you can bring more of these qualities into your life.
Continue reading "YOU ARE WHAT YOU DRINK: 101 CreativiTeas for Aspiring Innovators"
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 12:52 AM | Comments (0)
May 03, 2009Reboot yourself with this one
Think you're underpaid? Complaining about your boss, the economy, or the price of avocados? Read this juicy quote aloud, then see how you feel.
"This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy."
- George Bernard Shaw
Continue reading "Reboot yourself with this one"
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 03:06 AM | Comments (0)
May 01, 2009"Not everything that counts can be counted; and not everything that can be counted, counts." (Einstein)
Some things we can measure. Some things we can't. And just because we can measure something doesn't make it more real or significant.
Einstein knew this. There was always the "X factor" for him -- mystery, the unknown, and the impossible to quantify.
That's why he used to conduct "thought experiments" in his lab -- times when he turned away from the blackboard with all those exotic formulas and simply daydreamed -- letting the intuitive side of him take over for a change.
Hmmm... what might YOU be attempting to quantify or measure that would best be left alone?
What might you be needing to TRUST that abides outside the boundaries of the rational, logical, analytical, scientific mind?
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:41 PM | Comments (0)
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