http://thinkinghow.com a journey into thinking, ideas, creativity and innovation Sun, 11 Mar 2012 10:55:37 +0000 en hourly 1 2006-2007 steve@thinkinghow.com (thinkinghow.com) steve@thinkinghow.com (thinkinghow.com) http://thinkinghow.com/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpghttp://thinkinghow.com 144 144 a journey into thinking, ideas, creativity and innovation thinkinghow.com thinkinghow.com steve@thinkinghow.com no no http://thinkinghow.com/embrace-ideas/ http://thinkinghow.com/embrace-ideas/#comments Sun, 18 Oct 2009 04:06:46 +0000 Steve Swann http://thinkinghow.com/?p=309 http://thinkinghow.com/embrace-ideas/feed/ 1 http://thinkinghow.com/11-creativity-bites/ http://thinkinghow.com/11-creativity-bites/#comments Wed, 23 Sep 2009 07:41:44 +0000 Steve Swann http://thinkinghow.com/?p=305 http://thinkinghow.com/11-creativity-bites/feed/ 0 http://thinkinghow.com/is-the-boss-always-the-problem/ http://thinkinghow.com/is-the-boss-always-the-problem/#comments Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:56:04 +0000 Steve Swann http://thinkinghow.com/?p=271 http://thinkinghow.com/is-the-boss-always-the-problem/feed/ 1 0:01:47 I’ve commented recently on the need to retain an innovative mindset to make the best of the current economic situation. In fact I’m certain that those who are creative at this time are building innovative businesses for the future. But w[...] I’ve commented recently on the need to retain an innovative mindset to make the best of the current economic situation. In fact I’m certain that those who are creative at this time are building innovative businesses for the future. But what about everyone else? I’m not really a TV watcher but One Reality TV genre has me facinated and is providing some insights. It’s the “business makeover” show. You know the type – Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares, Ruth Watson as The Hotel Inspector, and Tabatha Coffey’s Salon Makeovers. I’m sure there’s others. I know that these are highly produced and edited for dramatic effect – BUT – they all have a common thread. The Boss is always the problem. So this made me think. If these programs highlight bad operators, what are the characteristics of a good operator? Here’s a list that I’ve put together (in no particular order). What would you add or take off this list? Leave me a comment and let me know. Understand why customers choose you and make that experience better. Value every customer and put a value on every customer. Provides value to the customers (note: this does not mean cheap!) Builds good people and trusts them to deliver. Invests in quality infrastructure, systems and processes. Looks for ways to maximize revenue. Watches the pennies. Builds trusted relationships with experts and advisors. Doesn’t do things just because everyone else does. Doesn’t over complicate things (keeps it simple). All these characteristics create an environment where the objectives of the business are clear, risks are managed, and opportunities for creative thought are encouraged, welcomed, and actioned. So, if you’re the Boss get your head around this list. And you can’t don’t blame the troops, they’re doing the best they can in environment you’ve created for them. Go set the example and they will follow. Business, Doing, Inspiration, Solutions, Thinking steve@thinkinghow.com no no http://thinkinghow.com/two-words-to-boost-creativity/ http://thinkinghow.com/two-words-to-boost-creativity/#comments Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:40:30 +0000 Steve Swann http://thinkinghow.com/?p=235 http://thinkinghow.com/two-words-to-boost-creativity/feed/ 2 0:01:26 There are two words that can help us achieve more creative and innovative thinking. Those two words are “What if”. “What if” takes us from our current state directly to an imagined future state. It is an instant leap across a[...] There are two words that can help us achieve more creative and innovative thinking. Those two words are “What if”. “What if” takes us from our current state directly to an imagined future state. It is an instant leap across a creative chasm. The chasm could be narrow and shallow, wide and deep, or any combination in between. “What if” immediately suspends all and any constraints (real or imagined) and allows us to visualise the finished state. What  if … was bigger / smaller? What if … went this way instead of that way? What if … we do it / don’t do it on a Saturday? What if we added / left out …? What if… What if… The hard part of course is getting from the here and now to the imagined “What if”. It does need receptive and open minds ready to consider the imagined state. Every “What if” won’t be a winner, infact very few will have any “legs” at all. But, to get to that gem of an idea, that break-through thought, that innovative seed - start with “What if”. I’d love your feedback. Please leave a comment or contact me directly through the “Contact Me” button under my photo. Ideas, Innovation, Solutions steve@thinkinghow.com no no http://thinkinghow.com/beware-the-intelligence-trap/ http://thinkinghow.com/beware-the-intelligence-trap/#comments Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:04:35 +0000 Steve Swann http://thinkinghow.com/?p=87 http://thinkinghow.com/beware-the-intelligence-trap/feed/ 1 0:01:57 I’ve been reading two books recently and picked up a theme from both that’s worth mentioning. In Chip and Dan Heath’s book “Made to Stick” they talk about the Curse of Knowledge. In short this is the assumption that ot[...] I’ve been reading two books recently and picked up a theme from both that’s worth mentioning. In Chip and Dan Heath’s book “Made to Stick” they talk about the Curse of Knowledge. In short this is the assumption that other people know what you know, or the inability to see things as other people might. In Edward De Bono’s “Thinking Course” he talks about the Intelligence Trap and two ways that it manifests it’s self. The first is that intelligent people take a position and use their intelligence to defend that point of view. Equally, the speed in which an intelligent person can dispose of another’s argument simply reinforces the original position. And there’s the trap! Does this imply that creativity and innovations come from those who are less intelligent? Not really. What it does say is that you need to look out for embedded attitudes that might be inhibiting your creativity. Have you ever listened to or read an interview of a successful person where they’ve said “If I’d known then what I know now I probably wouldn’t have done it.” What got them through the hard time and past the failures? Was it simply naivety, was it just guts and determination, or was it a grand vision. It was probably all of those things and more. They certainly broke out of the Intelligence Trap and shattered the Curse of Knowledge. How did they break the trap and shatter the curse? I think it was Openness. They were able to look for and consider alternate view points. They did it by challenging assumptions about the current state. They did it with passion, not for their current position but for finding something new, something not yet discovered. Doing, Ideas, Innovation, Thinking steve@thinkinghow.com no no http://thinkinghow.com/where-do-innovations-come-from/ http://thinkinghow.com/where-do-innovations-come-from/#comments Sun, 10 Aug 2008 12:10:45 +0000 Steve Swann http://thinkinghow.com/?p=42 http://thinkinghow.com/where-do-innovations-come-from/feed/ 1 http://thinkinghow.com/think-fast-and-get-more-ideas/ http://thinkinghow.com/think-fast-and-get-more-ideas/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:14:55 +0000 Steve Swann http://thinkinghow.com/?p=8 http://thinkinghow.com/think-fast-and-get-more-ideas/feed/ 5 http://thinkinghow.com/hello-world/ http://thinkinghow.com/hello-world/#comments Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:23:34 +0000 Steve Swann http://thinkinghow.com/?p=1 http://thinkinghow.com/hello-world/feed/ 0 0:00:42 thinking how is a journey, though the destination is not quite clear yet. It is a journey to look at how ideas become ideas, and what do we do with them. It is a journey that will ask - Is creativity and innovation learnable? How do we leap from t[...] thinking how is a journey, though the destination is not quite clear yet. It is a journey to look at how ideas become ideas, and what do we do with them. It is a journey that will ask - Is creativity and innovation learnable? How do we leap from thinking to doing? Can thinkers “do”, and can doers “think”? Are ideas, creativity and innovation spontaneous or are they a process. I suspect that the answers will lie somewhere in between the extremes. I’m sure too that the questions will evolve as the journey progresses. Come join me. Doing, Ideas, Innovation, Thinking steve@thinkinghow.com no no