Idea Paint – for the ultimate home/office whiteboard
I've never been able to find a whiteboard big enough ... and now I don't have to. As soon as I find out how to order a tin or three…
I've never been able to find a whiteboard big enough ... and now I don't have to. As soon as I find out how to order a tin or three…
Explaining the decision making skills of a professional or experienced manager to newcomers to the role, is one of the most difficult challenges I face as a learning designing, and the most satisfying when it is done well. Long ago, I learned that people are frustrated when they hear “it depends” but that’s usually what experienced people offer as an answer. So even though it’s true – good decisions do depend on assessing a number of factors in the situation – the key is to simplify those factors, without creating simplistic formulae that don’t actually work.
A recent Fast Company article describes how Alberto Alessi, the Head of the Alessi design house, analysed over 300 of his “gut feel” decisions to create a mathematical model he called “The Formula”, which predicts the reaction (i.e. likely buying volumes) of customers. (more…)
We all know the supposed benefits of learning from our mistakes. However, movie producer Nora Ephron – producer of chick flicks such as Sleapless in Seattle and When Harry met Sally – questions whether we can learn any lessons from the duds. In an article by Gerald Wright in the SMH, Ephron’s argument is: if, after a movie she realises that an actor was miscast, she can’t say she’ll never miscast again, because at the time she thought she was casting well. Similarly, as a a writer she cannot learn not to write bad scripts in the future, because at the time she didn’t think she’d written a bad script.
Ephron’s quotes raises some important issues about evaluating the business outputs of the creative process and raises implications for managing performance when creative outputs are not delivering the desired outcomes.
Today's session with Dr Bruce Copley and his "heartner" Barbara, was a great reminder that it only takes a little bit more effort to create a learning experience rather than…
A fascinating little snippet from a Fast Company article Masters of Design by Bill Breen (June 2004): Behind every design there is a thought process... every design process confronts a…
Last night's MGSM research seminar by Peter Bryant PhD, provided an interesting insight into the minds of entrepreneurs. Bryant's research shows that when a great opportunity comes along, entrepreneurs use…
Thanks to my colleague Stephanie West Allen from the Appreciative Inquiry list for this link to an interview with Karen Stephenson about her book Quantum Theory of Trust. Lots of…
"The tool kit of every innovator typically includes three things: questions, experiments, and self-reliance." Scott Berkun. We have been delving into our innovator's toolkit in our business lately to ask…
(Note to audience today’s blog is a mind wander, not a coherent story – yet)
I had been having a bit of a struggle these last few weeks with a myriad of tasks that I’ve promised to clients and I noticed my internal conversation with these tasks was one of duty and necessity, which generated a heavy feeling in my body and heart. Then in two sparkling hours I had conversations with University colleagues and the world of possibilities opened up again. After these conversations I noticed a lightness and joy in my body and heart and the other tasks didn’t seem so hard anymore because they are only one part of my work life, not the whole of it. For me, possibility and new ideas are as essential as food and water (and chocolate).
Again this morning I had a different sort of conversation with CTSC colleague Linda Yaven about turning possibilities into some form of documented reality i.e an idea for a product or service. She even came up with an attractive metaphor for how to start – mapping out the landscape – yes, I can see the high peaks and murky valleys and twisty windy roads in my mind already.
Now I’m reading her latest article – Innovation as Community Conversation – which really resonates because it describes the effect on me of these different conversations – excitement that we are building new creative futures through the possibility conversations we are having together.
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I've been enjoying the creativity and innovation discussion on the Creative Skills Training Council list, so I was very intrigued to see a short piece in today's Sydney Morning Herald,…