Tag Archives: creativity

Can organizations be creative too?

Have you ever been at a corporate off-site or other workshop/offering where the result of the initiative fell flat? The intent was good; but there were no new meaningful insights. It was scheduled rather than organic. Our brains had time to predict the future, and the potential for novelty disappeared. Transplanting the same mix of people to a different location, even an exotic one, then dropping them into a “new” conference room usually doesn’t work. No, new insights usually only come from new people, new environments, and new incubations; any circumstance where the brain can’t predict what will happen next. In short, by creating paradigm shifts in our three centers of intelligence: our heads, hearts and guts.

It is possible for employees, supervisors and managers to “wire” creativity into their organizations by drawing upon the three centers of intelligence. But do organizations have heads, hearts and guts? Resoundingly– yes they do! Organizational cultures reflect back the top people driving them. You can learn more in my new book. I include diverse case studies such as, Apple Corp, Exxon/Mobil Corp, Saddleback Church and more.

Photo entries from the 2015 Sony World Photography Awards

Each year the Sony World Photography Awards opens up a competition for photographers worldwide (https://www.worldphoto.org/about-the-sony-world-photography-awards/sony-world-photography-awards-2015-exhibition). Every year the entries are breath taking and eye opening. I’ve posted below some 2015 competition entries… Here are 7 of the best photos from the open category, which is open to novice, youth, and professionals. Which of these are you most drawn to? What does your head, heart and gut (uniquely) say about your favorites?

The one I’m most drawn to is first. Orangutan In The Rain. I can feel the misty rain in my body center (and it feels warm and soothing), my heart center melts, loves this sweet little guy and my head center is drawn in by his ingenuity. These are three distinct messages from each of my intelligence centers regarding this photo.

Orangutan In The Rain Indonesia-based Photographer Andrew Suryono shares of his magical photo, “I saw this Orangutan took a banana leaf and put it on top on his head to protect himself from the rain!” What is your head, heart, and gut reaction(s) to this photo?sony-world-photography-awards-entries-2015-1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Times Are Hard For Dreamers by Malaysian-based photographer Ahmad Zikri Mohamad Zuki captured this photo of a woman suspended in a whirlwind of feathers. What is your head, heart, and gut reaction(s) to this photo?

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The Morning Ritual by Photographer Nick Ng from Malaysia took this photo in Kolkata, India where locals gather early in the morning to bathe in the Hooghly River. What is your head, heart, and gut reactions?

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The Trace Of An Ancient Glacier by Miquel Ángel Artús Illana took this photo of the one road that ribbons throughout Denali, a six million acre stretch of wild land. The photo was taken in Autumn to highlight the remarkable landscape and vast array of colors. What is your head, heart, and gut reaction(s) to this photo?

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“Hi… Who Are You?” by Georg May from Germany submitted his photo of a curious Blue Tit bird checking out its reflection in the water. What is your head, heart, and gut reaction(s) to this photo?

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Hamer Man by Diego Arroyo Mendez of Spain captured this photo of a Hamer man collecting wood in Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia. With the wood the man planned to build a defensive fence for cattle. What is your head, heart, and gut reaction(s) to this photo?

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Timeless Affection by Arief Siswandhono, the girl in the picture is her daughter, Fina. Fina was once terrified of cats, but after her parents adopted 2 kittens her life was changed. Fina now considers the cats her best friends. What is your head, heart, and gut reaction(s) to this photo?

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 Isn’t it interesting the different messages our three intelligence centers relay to us about each picture?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can we steal Carli Lloyd’s mental creativity trick?

symbolic-human-headWe were awed by Carli Lloyd scoring three goalsin just 16 minutes— this past summer, inspiring her team to win the World Cup against rival Japan. She was also the first woman to score a “hat trick” in a World Cup final. Did you see and feel her intense focus? What was her secret? According to Lloyd, it’s mental visualization.

She takes time for intense meditation before each game to visualize various positive scenarios. She even visualizes how many goals she will score. After Sunday’s game, Lloyd told The New York Times that she visualized scoring four goals in the World Cup Final (and she almost made that 4th one). She said that she was so in the mental zone at the start of the game that “I feel like I blacked out for the first 30 minutes or so.” After the game she said she was not physically exhausted, but mentally exhausted.

Besides curiosity, our head center intelligence is powerful in visual thinking, another fruit paramount to our creativity. Athletes, businesspersons, and artists use a futuristic creative visualization. The Oxford dictionary defines visualize as “to form a mental image of, imagine; Example, it is not easy to visualize the future.”

It may not be easy to visualize the future, but this practice has been sharpened and polished for decades. Creative visualization seeks to influence ultimate outcomes by disciplining one’s thoughts, rehearsals, and expectations. It is frequently used to enhance performance. We use our imagination to visualize specific behaviors or events occurring in our life before they actually occur. This means creating a detailed plan, a mental pattern, of what we specifically desire. Then we visualize it over and over again with all of our senses. What do you see? Hear? Touch? Taste? Smell?

Other famous people have endorsed the use of creative visualization and claim it was significant to their success. Arnold Schwarzenegger says, “When I was very young I visualized myself being and having what it was I wanted… Before I won my first Mr. Universe title, I walked around the tournament like I owned it. The title was already mine. I had won it so many times in my mind that there was no doubt I would win it.” In 1987 actor Jim Carrey wrote himself a check for ten million dollars. He dated it Thanksgiving 1995 and added the notation, “For acting services rendered.” He visualized it for eight years and in 1994 he received $10 million for his role in the movie Dumb and Dumber.

Thank you for reading my post. I am an organizational and business consultant living in the mountains of Santa Fe, New Mexico with my husband and dogs. I enjoy hiking and high desert gardening. My core message of everyone is creative resonates with people of all ages and walks of life. I invite all to become the best version of themselves and find true meaning by pursing long term creative quests.

Read more in my new book: The Three Sources of Creativity: Breakthroughs from Your Head, Heart and Gut

“Create fun and a little weirdness”

Zappos, the online merchant best known for shoes, is following a radical self-management system called Holacracy. The goal of Holacracy is to create a dynamic workplaceZAPPOS-JP3-blog427 where everyone has a voice and bureaucracy doesn’t stifle innovation. So, the traditional corporate hierarchy is gone. Managers no longer exist!  “The company’s 1,500 employees define their own jobs. Anyone can set the agenda for a meeting. To prevent anarchy, processes are strictly enforced” (NYT, 7-17-15).

Tony Hsieh, 41, runs Zappos and is insisting that the company adopt Holacracy. His youthful work force displays tattoos and a casual dress code. Stuffed animals and sound-emitting sculptures (designed by the Blue Man Group) line the walls. The corporate charter motto is “Create fun and a little weirdness.” Many companies have adopted “fun” work environments. But NO MANAGERS– this is more than “a little weird”– this is a super bold move!

Will it work?

These days, Mr. Hsieh has an even bigger job, to quell the doubters. Needless to say this paradigm-changing project has not proceeded smoothly. “Two years into Holacracy, Zappos is no workplace utopia.” In place of a traditional organizational chart Holocracy uses concentric circles of responsibility. “Employees get to choose which circles they belong to and what projects they work on… At meetings, “tensions” are resolved. People don’t have one job; they have multiple “roles.” “Lead links” are designated to communicate between circles. The lowest-paid workers have a voice. “A person who just takes phone calls can propose something for the entire company… It’s empowering everybody to have the same voice.”

However, others say the ever-expanding number of circles and the endless meetings are a drain on productivity. “Priorities are shifting, and no one, not even Mr. Hsieh, is sure how to pay people at a company with no job titles and fluid roles.” Still Mr Hsieh is adamant about trying this approach; he is antithetical. He works for just $36,000 a year and forgoes stock options “in exchange for the autonomy to run Zappos however he sees fit.” He gave his employees a radical choice, embrace Holacracy or accept a buyout.

What do you think about this organizational approach? Any hope for it working?

I say hooray for Mr. Hsieh creatively experimenting with a “manager-not” work force. Since when has business deemed it inappropriate to experiment with organizational structure? Why such fear? His company is still operating… likely this grand experiment will lead to some mighty profitable learning. My guess is the end result will be a fluid entrepreneurial “hybrid” organizational model. Yes, modification will be necessary. Isn’t that what learning is all about? May the “force” of the creative work force be with you– and Mr. Hsieh– always!

Thank you for reading my post. I am an organizational and business consultant living in the mountains of Santa Fe, New Mexico. My core message of everyone is creative resonates with people of all ages and walks of life. I invite all to become the best version of themselves and find true meaning by pursing long term creative quests.

Read more in my new book: The Three Sources of Creativity: Breakthroughs from Your Head, Heart and Gut

Meditation for creativity?

cleaningladies2When I admit to some people that I don’t meditate, they can be taken aback, like “are you kidding, how can you live like that?” NYT’s blogger Adam Grant recently admitted to this and that it does not work for him (Can We End the Meditation Madness? Oct. 2015). He said, “I have nothing against it. I just happen to find it dreadfully boring.” Three cheers for Adam– because I do too!

There are other ways to reduce anxiety, and stress and become more “mindful”– living in the present moment. We are creative and execute our creativity only in the present moment. People meditate to become more mindful and are more likely to focus their attention in the present after meditating. If it is not for you (or me), what are other techniques to get present, in order to get creative?

There is a universal growth process (UGP) embraced throughout the world in different traditions. The UGP I use interweaves five aspects or “5As” of awareness, acceptance, appreciation, action, and adherence. The 5As can be used to enhance your creativity. I learned this process during a master’s coaching certification process. I modify this UGP approach by framing it with the three centers of intelligence.

Mindfulness practices are sometimes belittled as navel-gazing and a waste of time. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is a proven tool. It de-stresses the mind and opens/prepares us to be more creative; we know this through brain imaging. It is practiced strategically in the business world. The US $131 billion internet company Google Inc. (2014) is very serious about mindfulness training for their employees. We’d be foolish to not leverage this technique. It’s not just for bald people in funny robes living in mountains, or small groups of New Age folks. We can ”practice awareness” for the goal of being confidently creative. We don’t hit a target that we don’t aim for!

By learning this process, you’ll be able to listen individually to each of your three centers of intelligence and gain their information. This helps us to consciously shift  to their higher fruit—all by using self-observation. Learn more about this Growth Process in my book.

 

 

Is Creativity Lodged in Only Half our Brain?

BCLOGOrevised3One thing science knows for sure is there is no such thing as pure left/right brain dichotomy. “Creativity does not involve a single brain region or single side of the brain.” The five-stage process (from preparation to verification) consists of many interacting brain processes (both conscious and unconscious) and emotions. Depending on the stage of the creative process, different brain regions are recruited to handle the task.

The emphasis on hemispheric dominance is a misapplied story. It shows how a grain of truth in science can get blown out of proportion into a pseudoscientific industry. You’ve heard this myth. It says the left hemisphere of the brain is strictly logical, deductive, mathematical, etc., while the right hemisphere is strictly artistic, visual, and imaginative. The idea stems at least partly from the classic studies of split-brain patients performed in the 1960s. It isn’t that simple. Google left brain/right brain and you’ll get 74 million results; an entire self-help industry grew out of applying a misconstrued understanding. It is another one of the many lingering myths about our brains.

So don’t get suckered into personality programs hawking “right brained” thinking to increase your creativity. A 2010 study published in Psychological Bulletin reviewed all the neuroscience research on creative thinking (included seventy-two experiments) and found no good evidence for the pop-culture idea of the right side of the brain being more involved in “creative thinking.” This was also true for the “divergent thinking” theory of creativity. Recent studies indicate that creativity results from the “dynamic interactions of distributed brain areas operating in large-scale networks.” This leads us back to the three centers of intelligence: doing, thinking, and feeling. Read more in my book.

 

Is Creativity Different from Innovation?

By my definition it is!

There is not a universally accepted definition of creativity. In fact, there are more than sixty different definitions in psychological literature. Is it really only problem-solving? Is it the same as innovation? Creativity is indeed mysterious. It is no wonder there is not one accepted definition. My definition is simply anything that is new and useful. By “useful” I mean a person’s creative act might only be useful to them at the time. It does not have to be useful from a commercial standpoint, which distinguishes it from innovation.

02 Genetic's FlowchartFor example, the scientist and monk Gregor J. Mendel studied peas in the 1800s. He tested about 29,000 pea plants, which led him to make two generalizations or “laws” about inheritance. It was new creative work, but nobody paid much attention to it at the time. It was only useful to Mendel. His discoveries immensely pleased himself.

The significance of Mendel’s work was not recognized until the turn of the 20th century. The independent rediscovery of his “pea laws” formed the foundation of the modern science of Genetics. Who would have guessed this quiet friar growing peas at a monastery would now be revered as “the father of modern Genetics”?1

The mysterious process of creativity is at the front-end of innovation. This is likely why the two get lumped together so often. However, one can be creative without it leading to innovative success. Here is how I distinguish between the two terms:

Creativity: the capacity within individuals to develop new ideas for the purpose of solving problems and exploring/exploiting opportunities.

Innovation: the application of creativity to give rise to a new product, service or process delivering something new and better to the world.

Please note by my definition—creativity is not a team sport. It is an individual pursuit. Innovation more often involves many people to make a creative idea useful to the world. What do you think about these definitions? Do you think the two are different?

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Own your creativity

Your creativity is a composite of your head, heart and gut centers acting as distinct sources. Many don’t believe they are creative, which is baloney! However, your creativity may be lying dormant within you and in need of waking up… Get in touch with your three centers and learn to trust them as sources. You can start with the free center assessment available on this website.

My new book is available now at:
amazonlogo      BN      ibooklogo

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