March 27, 2013
Infusing Your Workplace with Humanity

62% of all Americans are dissatisfied with their work. 85% of the general public don't trust business leaders to tell the truth when confronted with difficult issues. If YOUR organization wants to explore practical ways of raising the quality of the workplace experience and engaging employees in ways that are humane and sustainable, here's your starter kit. You may also be interested in our Humanizing the Workplace keynotes, town meetings, and workshops.

What our clients say about us

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March 26, 2013
The Woodstock Regeneration

If you want to "get away from it all" for a romantic getaway this Spring or Summer (or just want a weekend to chill out), consider the Blue Pearl in Woodstock, NY -- arguably the most beautiful vacation cottage in all of the Hudson Valley.

Just a two hour drive from New York City, the Blue Pearl is an 850 square foot cottage on a quiet, country lane, with mountain views -- just a 12-minute walk to the town of Woodstock.Click the link below for a Blue Pearl slide show and a sampling of guest testimonials

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Here's what guests are saying:

"Thank you for creating such a wonderful, comfortable, and welcoming place, We will come back again and again." -- Susan and John

"Your cottage is perfect -- the vibe is welcoming and warm. We immediately felt at home. Thank you for letting us borrow the brownie pan!. We had an amazing time!" -- Cathy and Carlos

"Thank you so much for a wonderful weekend! Your cottage is beautiful and offered us the perfect relaxing vibe we were looking for. This is a great place in a great town and we are lucky to have had the pleasure of staying here." -- Sarah and Joe

"We had a wonderful time at the Blue Pearl and enjoyed every single moment of our stay! The house decorations are absolutely amazing. Thank you for your amazing collection of books, too!" -- Tuliya and Stas

"The cottage makes for a fantastic romantic weekend! We went for a fun walk up to Meads Mountain and we enjoyed walking to town several times. We'd love to come back for a stay in the summer!" -- Adam and Lauren

"We loved it! We loved it! We will be back!" -- Cindy and Bob

"We had a wonderful time and felt so relaxed." -- Jill, Scott, and Jamie

"The Blue Pearl is a special, magical place. Words cannot describe how peaceful the energy is in this place. I asked the love of my life to marry me here!!!" -- Ricardo and Nancy

"We had an absolutely fabulous time in Woodstock, mostly due to how beautiful the Blue Pearl is. Thank you for being so accommodating. We will definitely be back." -- Patti and Robin

To make a reservation or call 845.389.5405

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:12 AM | Comments (0)

March 22, 2013
Looking for a Savvy Website Designer?

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If you are looking for a web savvy graphic designer you can trust to create your new website, I recommend Aliza Corrado, Founder of Studio Motif. Aliza is creative, dedicated, collaborative, honest, and delivers exactly what she promises -- and all for a fair price.

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 02:38 PM | Comments (0)

March 21, 2013
The Humanize the Workplace Poll

If you work for an organization that needs to become a more benevolent and humane workplace, I invite you to respond to Idea Champions' new Humanizing the Workplace poll.

Not only will it jump start your thinking about simple changes that can be made on the job, it will also provide us with the vital input we need to really tune into the issues.

You'll need about five minutes.

We'll be posting the results of the poll here in a few weeks, but if you'd like us to email the results to you directly, just note your email address in the comments box or send a message to info@ideachampions.com

You can read more about this topic in my latest Huffington Post article.

Idea Champions

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:15 AM | Comments (0)

March 20, 2013
How to Humanize the Workplace

A recent poll has revealed that 62% of Americans are dissatisified with their work.

While there are a lot of contributing factors, one BIG factor is that most workplace environments are not wired to bring out the best in people. Quite the contrary.

That's what my newly published article in the Huffington Post is all about.

It doesn't just name the problem, however. It also provides a simple "starter kit" for how each and everyone of us can begin to humanize our workplace environments.

Click here to weigh in on the topic by responding to my Humanizing the Workplace poll. If you want to register for my April 4th Telesummit on this topic, click here. It's free.

Idea Champions

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 12:32 PM | Comments (0)

March 19, 2013
When Kindness Goes Viral

Yes, innovation is important. Of course it is. (That's why you read this blog). But so is kindness. Very important. Indeed, if I was forced to pick between the two, I'd choose the second. In a heartbeat. What simple act of kindness can you perform today? For whom?

Idea Champions

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March 16, 2013
Why Videos Go Viral

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 01:37 AM | Comments (0)

Are Cell Phones Dangerous on Planes?

Airlines won't let you use your cell phone on a plane. The reason they give is completely bogus. This two-minute video debunks the myth.

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 01:13 AM | Comments (0)

March 13, 2013
An Invitation to the Humanizing the Workplace TeleSummit on April 4th

Mitch 1.JPGGood news!

On April 4th, 7:00 pm (EST), I will be interviewed, live, by one of the founders of the Positivity Project and YOU are invited to tune in.

My topic? Humanizing the Workplace.

All you need is a phone and/or web connection. You pay nothing except attention.

If you work for an organization where it seems as if human beings are being replaced by human doings, where people are cranky too often and not fully enjoying the experience of work/life -- my interview should prove to be an inspiring and useful 75 minutes for you.

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The Positivity Project is a very noble initiative.

Founders Kathy Poehnert and Alan Cohen are conducting weekly interviews with a variety of thought leaders in different fields to help nudge humanity away from a problem-centered existence towards a more positive mindset and lifestyle.

The end game? A global shift of consciousness, happening one person at a time. Yes!

I am thrilled to be one of the 20 people that Alan and Kathy have invited to participate in this exciting series.

If you've enjoyed my blog postings on Heart of Innovation and the Huffington Post, my interview should prove to be a very positive experience for you.

Click here to register (No charge. It's free).

And please feel free to invite your friends, relatives, co-workers, boss, and anyone else you can think of that might find value in taking 75 minutes to reflect on what they can do to humanize the workplace.

Positivity Project on Facebook

My Kindness-At-Work Manifesto
Idea Champions
What our clients say about us

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:47 AM | Comments (0)

March 07, 2013
The Seed of Innovation Moment

Let's cut to the chase: Innovation doesn't begin with processes, structures, and protocols. It begins with inspiration.

And where does inspiration come from?

It comes from inside the impassioned mind and heart of each person who works in your organization.

When people's mind/mindset is in the right place (i.e. open, curious, imaginative, communicative), your organization is home to thousands of daily, spontaneous opportunities for innovation to take root.

But all too often it doesn't.

And the reason it doesn't is because the people who work in your organization don't necessarily know how to maximize what I have come to call seed of innovation moments -- those naturally occurring interactions where inspired people share their new ideas with each other.

Idea seeds are being sown all the time, but all too often they are falling on hard ground.

The people you work with are originating -- and communicating -- their ideas more often than you realize. In meetings. In hallways. In elevators, parking lots, offices, bathrooms, cars, and lunch rooms. Many of these ideas are very intriguing -- or could be -- but they rarely take root.

Why not?

1. People are moving way too fast to recognize the "seed of innovation" moment.

2. People rarely think it's their job to listen and respond to the ideas of others.

3. People don't know how to give meaningful, innovation-sparking feedback on the fly.

The result?

Your organization is losing out on one of it's biggest natural resources -- the innate creativity and self-organizing brilliance of it's workforce.

Is there anything you and your organization can do about this? Yes, there is. Check back here next week for our proposed 10-point plan. I'd include it here now, but someone with a juicy idea is knocking on my door...

Why you don't get your best ideas at work
Illustration
Photo
Idea Champions

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:08 PM | Comments (5)

March 02, 2013
The Gift of an Ordinary Day

I dedicate today's blog post to all Heart of Innovation readers who have grown children... or teenagers... or small children... or have ever been a child. Feel free to cry.

Idea Champions

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 05:38 PM | Comments (0)

Who Are We?

Idea Champions is a consulting and training company dedicated to awakening and nurturing the spirit of innovation. We help individuals, teams and entire organizations tap into their innate ability to create, develop and implement ideas that make a difference.

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Click here for the simplest, most direct way, to learn more about Idea Champions' semi-fearless leader, Mitch Ditkoff. Info on his keynotes, workshops, conferences, and more.
Storytelling for the Revolution
Storytelling for the Revolution is Mitch Ditkoff's newly published book about the power of personal storytelling to elevate the conversation on planet Earth. Provocative. Evocative. And fun. YOU have stories to tell. This book will help you tell them.
Storytelling at Work
"The world is not made of atoms," wrote the poet, Muriel Rukeyser. "It's made of stories." Learn how to discover, honor, and unpack the stories of yours that show up "on the job" in Mitch Ditkoff's award-winning 2015 book, Storytelling at Work.
Top 5 Speaker
Mitch Ditkoff, the Co-Founder and President of Idea Champions, has recently been voted a top 5 speaker in the field of innovation and creativity by Speakers Platform, a leading speaker's bureau.
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Workshops & Trainings
Highly engaging learning experiences that increase each participant's ability to become a creative force for positive change
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High impact certification training that teaches committed change agents how to lead groundbreaking ideation sessions
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Your "best and brightest" are the future leaders of your company, but unless they know how to foster a culture of innovation, their impact will be limited. A one-day workshop with us is all they need to begin this journey.
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Our Heart of Innovation blog is a daily destination for movers and shakers everywhere — gleefully produced by our President, Mitch Ditkoff, voted "best innovation blogger in the world" two years running.
Team Innovation
Innovation is a team sport. Brilliant ideas go nowhere unless your people are aligned, collaborative, and team-oriented. That doesn't happen automatically, however. It takes intention, clarity, selflessness, and a new way of operating.
Awake at the Wheel, Book about big ideas If you're looking for a powerful way to jump start innovation and get your creative juices flowing, Awake at the Wheel is for you. Written by Mitch Ditkoff, Co-Founder and President of Idea Champions.
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