Creativity...Motivation...Innovation

Where is this landmark?  First correct response:  Surprise!
Photo Credit: Richard Chicoine iCopyright 2011

Creativity....Innovation.... What's the Difference?

I'm not going to answer that question for you. 

In fact, we'll be spending some thinking time together on March 10, delving into the many aspects of Creativity and Innovation, for you as leaders,

and for Thunder Bay - in a community perspective.

It's going to be interesting!

To get you started, here's an e-book that links creativity and motivation. 

HEY! How's that goal setting coming along? 

This will help... (yes, 60 pages...easy read)

Enjoy!

http://media.lateralaction.com/motivatecreate.pdf

We Are Naturally Off the Wall

Photo Credit: Richard Chicoine iCopyright 2009

Welcome Home!

You might have noticed that the lights were on, but no-one was home all summer. Yes, we took a break from the Blog and Twitter and Linkedin... but that's not to say we weren't productive!

The "we" isn't the proverbial royal "we"... my sidekick Richard - or am I his? - and I team up on a number of projects. That wasn't the plan when we were married 2 years ago. Rick retired as a most loved English and Math teacher, and basketball coach and then discovered photography. Funny thing, since I grew up in a photographer's family and spent most of my childhood Saturdays posing for my dad or hand-colouring portraits of brides. That too was a family affair.

So Rick takes great pride in displaying his latest shots, while I use my specialty - creativity - to fit a story to the picture he sends me each week for this blog as well as the Leadership Blog at www.xowhat.blogspot.com.

For the next few months, our focus will be on "how to do and be innovation". My background is in strategic systems thinking, where innovation and leadership reign. We're calling it "IdeA-Z".

We hope that these tips and examples will inspire and amuse you but most of all, help you to get unstuck or un-bogged or feeling like you can solve the problem another way.

Our self-portrait in this issue is an example of just being "off the wall" and doing something which most people wouldn't notice. If you look closely at the photo, you might notice a variety of "systems" at play.

If you can tell us where we posed for this photo (not the exact location, but what kind of structure), I'll not only stand and applaud you, but send a fave surprise by snail mail. Use the comment link below.

See you Tuesdays, and thanks for being "home" with us!

- Maggie

100 Day Plan for Leaders: Duck

Photo Credit: Richard Chicoine iCopyright 2009

100 Day Plan for Leaders: Duck!

Background: How The 100 Day Plan Evolved*

Let me take a round-about, concept based journey to the real point of this week’s column. First, I’d like to share the inside track of how my blog themes emerge. If you’re interested in how innovative thinking happens - especially for leaders - then this background portion may be extremely useful for you.

How the Process of Writing Blog Articles Begins

My side-kick photographer notices "the usual" but snaps the unusual photo. He sends an unsolicited image to stir up the imagination of the creative writer (me). The end result? The innovative intersection of ideas which results in the weekly MagOhZine column.

My husband Richard is the photographer who fires up my writing.

I never know which picture he's going to send as this week's theme.

My challenge is to allow the story to unfold from the image.

As a speaker specializing in "Strategies to Think Ahead", I need to keep my mind sharp and my brain flexible. Coherent. Concise. My clients expect me to guide them to the place where "they get it". Most of the leaders I work with, aren't familiar with the intimate details of how their brains get locked into familiar patterns and expectations. They need to experience as well as learn the theory of creativity, innovation and influencing change in their organizations.

My weekly musings and writings based on pictures, are just one example of how creative thought works in real life. I simulate and stimulate my own thinking style on a regular basis. Creativity isn’t a one shot activity. How could I expect others to do the same, if I don't take the lead?

The Process

So here’s the process (in short form) of how we build the theme and the content for each article. Notice how the photo is the initial inspiration - the metaphor that serves as the foundation for the final outcome.


a. This week’s image: "Duck enjoying shower on a hot day"
b. Research (What do I know about ducks?)
c. Reflection (What do ducks and leaders have in common?)
d. Intersection of multiple ideas (What is the key question: what else happens in 100 days?)
e. Hatch: (Intersection of ideas: 100 Day Plan Duck! for Leaders?)
f. Experiment: Write draft 1 or 2 or 3...
g. Laugh! (If it's not amusing or titillating, start again.)
h. Action Plan: (Write, edit, write, edit more.)
i. Remarks - comments - thanks!

The Process at the Intersection Phase

And that's how we get to the inner workings of how I write this column. Let’s take this a few steps further.

Final Steps...

Title: The 100 Day Plan for Leaders: Duck!

Subtitle: The intersection of Duck Maturity and Leadership Thinking

The research says:

Ducks incubate for up to 30 days. Hatch.
Ducks mature - reach that independent stage - in another 70 days or so.
Total? 100 Days...

In 100 days, the egg incubates, hatches, and learns to be independent.

And so...

If LEADERS could strategically

incubate a concept and a few ideas,

reflect for 30 days, and

move to right action for another 70:

in 100 days, real change could begin, and could also be measured.

My best leadership advice?

Always think in 100 day blocks of time.

The "How To" of the 100 Day Plan: Duck!

(a) Take the time to reflect. Incubate. Don't rush. Then hatch the central core of the plan. (Let the duckling of an idea emerge slowly from its shell. Savor the first glimpse of surroundings, new environment.)

(b) Work on the action plan - who else, what else, how? Research. Connect the intersections of unlikely ideas. Write it all down.

(c) Set up the standards and measurements, loosely at first

(d) Be aware of the "red flag" moments - do not discard what is niggling...find the texture and context of the part that doesn't seem to fit. Source the danger - get out of the nest. This could be the best part!

(e) Look ahead to the 100 day deadline (duck line) and back to measure your growth as you go. Daily. Take notes.

(f) Start the next 100 days.

Ready to Start Your 100 Days?

If Canada Day (July 1) marks Day 1, then Canadian Thanksgiving could be the 100 Day closure point.

What could you and your team accomplish during this 100 point continuum of thinking and actions?

If ducks can fly in 100 days, what innovations could you move toward if you follow the “flight plan”?

Let me know!

* P.S. BONUS TIP: If you think that this version is a repeat of yesterday's Feedblitz...think again! I purposely sent out the first draft yesterday in rough format.

Always leave time to review and refine the plan.

Don't leave your best thinking to Day 99...

Give yourself time to perfect the flight plan.

##
Maggie Chicoine is a professional speaker, master coach and writer specializing in “Strategies to Think Ahead”. She collaborates with her husband photographer, Richard, to develop innovative themes for her clients. Reach Maggie at maggiechicoine@gmail.com or 1 800 587 1767 (North America). Maggie’s column, The Tuesday File, appears weekly in www.lakesuperiornews.com.

Photo Credit: Richard Chicoine iCopyright 2009

1 800 587 1767 maggiechicoine@gmail.com

Sandcastles (Not) In the Air

Photo Credit: Richard Chicoine iCopyright 2009

Leaders: Sand Castle Sculpting Lessons

As much as I believe that psychological assessments of skills and behaviors are valuable, I'd like to propose an additional leverage point for leaders interested in honing their innovation skills. Take a pail and shovel to the nearest beach. You'll learn about function, design, skill sets - including your challenges - and the right tools for innovation. Sculpting that sand castle can be great for your leadership health.

The ancient Egyptians designed scale models of pyramids using sand and water. From grains of sand, gigantic marvels were born. These miniature architectural experiments would contribute to the scale, efficiency and effectivness of their final blueprints. Metaphorically speaking, taking the "sand castles in the air" and in their minds to an actual, physical representation allowed the Egyptian pyramid builders/leaders to "do the right things, in the right way, for the right reasons, at the right time, with the right people". Let me add: "using the right skills and the right tools" to the list. This "right action" is also the bottom line for any leadership role.

Paul Saffo, a futurist based at Standford University has developed 4 rules to fuel tomorrow's innovation. As you read these rules, imagine applying them to sculpting in sand and allowing your skills to expand with your imagination. Think about the strategic tools which would increase your abilities and lead to an outstanding structure.

Rule #1: Uncertainty is possibility. Uncertainty is opportunity. And you don't want to get surprised by missing an important opportunity.

Rule #2: Some of the greatest dangers for an innovator who is able to identify future trends is to mistake a clear view for a short distance, to be too early, and to think that things are going to arrive more quickly than they actually are.

Rule #3: Don't let your hope about what will happen interfere with your judgment of what you think could happen.

Rule #4: The essence of executive wisdom is the ability to make the right decision based on incomplete information. The sooner you can be comfortable that you have the right decision with less information, the faster you can move over your competition.

Source: Paul Saffo, BigThink

Your Leverage Point

I could easily draw some quick comparisons to waves destroying your structures, just as the economy has washed away resources globally. Perhaps "getting down to business" should be "getting away from business" to start with a new pile of sand, a bucket of salt water, some old spoons and a carving knife.

Shouldn't "play" be part of your business strategy? You might learn more than you expected...history (aka ancient Egypt) has proven that point.

Maggie Chicoine, The Idea Sculptor, specializes in "Strategies to Think Ahead". Her column, "The Tuesday File" appears in www.lakesuperior.com weekly. Maggie is a respected leadership professional, keynote speaker, writer and Master Coach. Reach her at 1 800 587 1767. Twitter @ideasculptor.

Who Is In Shanghai?

Photo Credit: Richard Chicoine iCopyright 2009

Excellence...Innovation...People...Leadership

"It is the foremost task - and responsibility - of our generation to

re-imagine

our enterprises and institutions, public and private." - Tom Peters

Innovation expert, Tom Peters is in Shanghai this week. LTB can participate...his 4 slide shows are on line, and I think you'll enjoy clicking through them. Short on time? Choose the Innovation Slides, in keeping with our next month's theme.

"Whoever tries the most stuff, and screws the most stuff up and most rapidly launches the next try, wins. Failures are not to be tolerated. They are to be celebrated!"

http://www.tompeters.com/

• Excellence
• Innovation
• People
• Leadership

Enjoy "thinking weird"... it can lead to your tipping point goal!

Stuck? Check out I-deAZ

Photo Credit: Richard Chicoine iCopyright 2009

Need a better idea?

You may not even realize that you are stuck. Most people don't until there's a crisis, or a tough decision to be made.

As a Master Coach, I've discovered that with a gentle kickstart along with some guidance and guidelines, you can find the solutions you're looking for. The answers might be right there, but because you're not in sync with the 'how to' - you might miss an opportunity or opening.

Take this week's picture, for example. We were enjoying a slow stroll along the boardwalk in Canal Park, Duluth MN. Most of our focus was on the icy horizon of Lake Superior. That was the obvious scene we were looking to photograph. With a creative "I" in the "ready state", we noticed a refuse container. An ordinary, functional object, n'est pas? By bending down, and shooting through the space, we found another way to view the world. Interesting!

So, how do you tune in to the creative "I"?

In the next 26 weeks, I'll be posting "I-deA-Z" - ideas from A to Z to hone your thinking and problem solving skills. Hope you enjoy this crzy new series!

This week's "I DO": look for an ordinary object and see it from a different perspective.

Giant Cans

It's about finding the bones: the funny bone and the wish bone.

We're back...and it's been a long story over the summer. My brain has been blocked up since my mother's passing in August, and the creative words have not bubbled up at all. Until now.

This past weekend, the Leadership Thunder Bay Class of 2008- 2009 held their opening retreat - advance - at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. As the lead facilitator, I encouraged our emerging leaders to look for the unusual, reflect, scrutinize natural systems and ask for resources to dismantle ceilings of assumptions which can hold us back.

As a tribute to their journey for innovation as Leaders in our community, I'm posting this unusual picture of the Sleeping Giant. Our photo of "Giant Cans", was taken on one of our photojournalism walks while I was in "recovery mode" last month. Fresh air soothes the soul and puts life back into a zany perspective. Photocredit as always to Richard Chicoine.

"Giant Cans" was a spur of the moment thought, inspired by a large bosom passing us by on the breakwall. Laughter is truly the glue of all relationships! I could feel my funny bone getting back in line.

A day trip to the Sleeping Giant also inspired the column about Wish Bones, which has been published in the "Country Register" in a number of states, and in the original Ontario edition (September 2008).

Two artistic and entrepreneurial buddies asked me to tag along in the back seat for a drive to the Sibley peninsula. After a fabulous lunch at Karen's Kitchen (worth the drive) and pie at the Silver Islet Tea Room (the best!) we got to talking about presents we've received over the years. My friend mentioned her gift of a wishbone, and I promised to write the story - with some artistic licence!

For your reading pleasure, let me present:


Beware the Wishbone

“It’s the thought that counts, isn’t it?”

My best friend Martha is no contortionist, but she’s pretty good at lying flat on the floor with her legs slung up on the couch. When she gets this comfy after dinner, I know her well enough to expect a confessional. She didn’t let me down.

“Hey”, she said. “Did you ever get a really dud gift for your birthday?”.

With that casual little question, Martha had just opened Pandora’s Box. That’s all I needed to spill the beans, to finally let the disappointments escape from my inner sanctuary. Lousy presents? I had a list a mile long. The tears were long gone, but the memories lingered.

“Promise you won’t laugh? Here goes… should we start with the worst of the worst?”, I asked. She gave me the thumbs up and wiggled her toes.

My top three pathetic presents:

Number 1: A brown paper lunch bag with a 6 inch jar of lard-like face cream, presented by my father as if he had just given me a string of real pearls. At 12, I am woman. Hear me roar. Obviously, this was the present to commemorate a right of passage.

Number 2: A Readers’ Digest Classical Music Collection, a Christmas gift. All I really wanted was the Hit Parade’s “Connie Francis’ Where the Boys Are.” I was 13. A romantic teen, ready to be swept off my feet, not lulled into sleep by the Blue Danube Waltz.

Number 3: Matching sets of vacuum cleaner bags. Yes, wrapped individually. You are laughing! This was the perfect gift for a newly married couple. Obviously, my parents never outgrew their practical side. We were both speechless. Maybe that’s why I still hate vacuuming.

Martha’s turn to bare all. She said:

Number 1: A mashed potato scented candle, from a considerate friend to help me overcome my cravings for carbs while on a high protein diet. I would have preferred a beef scented tealight, thanks much!

Number 2: A jug of Evening in Paris perfume, which could have asphyxiated a family of skunks in the shed. Even though I dumped the contents, I kept the rich indigo blue bottle for years. My aunt really believed that her gift for my graduation was perfect.

Number 3: A turkey wishbone. I AM STILL TICKED at my sister for this one! How could anyone think that a tag on the bone that said, “Happy Birthday! Make Your Own Wish” could make this tacky present into something meaningful. Give me a break! My sister wrapped it in gold foil with a gorgeous ribbon and I thought for sure she had invested in those little gold earrings I had been talking about for months!”

So ended the lists. But not the chatter.

We talked about how emotional we’d been; how a good intention had been misinterpreted, and how long the grudges could last. I admitted to Martha, that I would have loved to receive that wishbone instead of the vacuum cleaner bags. She thought that the tub of lard was a wonderful intention, even though she agreed that my dad didn’t have a lot of class. I countered defensively, telling her that dad only ever went shopping once in his life without my mom, and that day was “the day”. In that light, dad’s gesture took on a special glow.

We laughed. We chewed over the details. This whole conversation meandered into a magical gift in and of its own.

The Wonder of Gifting

We realized, that when you wrap something – anything – in a haven of caring, appreciation and love – and surrender it to another person without expectation, it becomes a precious gift. Whether or not the choice suits our tastes – like the canary yellow golf shirt and matching socks that my husband received on his 13th birthday – is irrelevant in the long run.

We were reminded that day to revive gracious appreciation in our lives. We also realized that letting go of our own treasured secrets helped to strengthen our relationship. When there’s nothing to hide, nothing to guess or gossip about, trust can only grow.

As Martha whispered on her way out the door, “Having you as a friend is like carrying a wishbone around in my heart all the time. Thanks!”


- 30 –

Maggie Chicoine is a professional speaker, Master Coach and writer. Her first love is the stage, her passion is the page and both are infused with a twist of ingenuity. Maggie can he reached at http://www.theideasculptor.com/ or 1 800 587 1767.

Know How to Bop Your Brain

Inside Tips to Bop Your Brain


You know the old saying, “less is more”? Less thinking = more flexibility. Your overloaded synapses – the little bridges in your mind that transport ideas from one quadrant to another – need to settle down in a parking lot.

This week’s blog is about the letter B – or BE, as in Sinatra’s old tune, Do BE do BE do! “Be” is your bargaining chip, the leverage point!

As your Coach on call, here’s what I recommend for idea generation and problem solving. Let your mind wander for a while… anything that shuts down the outside clammer and busy-ness. Not new… but a great technique…

1. As you wind down into sleep, pay attention to what you’re thinking about. Flip your language into solution mode.
2. Awake at 4 am? Turn the grrrrrrrr into a whrrrrrrrr of asking for more information from your intuitive side. You’ll fall into a deeper sleep.
3. Listen to your thoughts as you are waking up. The clues will be there, IF you are focused.

Experiment with your thinking in the bathtub...... or when you’re scrubbing up in the shower.

Your theta zone is triggered when you are “Be-Laxed” (not a typo!).

Keep a list, and then let the best of the best surface. Generate new combinations, and then take a bite of the best. Chew on it for a while.

Borrow chunks from other sources, recombine, play! Become the concept for a few minutes each day. BE it, just for the heck of it, allow yourself to get uncomfortable!

By the way, a certified Coach knows how to get you into BE mode. Call me when you need help!

Be-u-tifully yours,
Maggie

Join us for Leverage Tuesdays

More about 7 Ways to Slap Your Forehead

See the list on your right!

The Ohhhhh!!!!!! Moment can be elusive; when you need a trigger to get your innovation going again, this is the place to be!

This first set of 7 ways to leverage your ideas… aka slap your head!… all start with the letter A. What’s with that? I’ve categorized this blog alphabetically and numerically as well as using the calendar week, starting with a Tuesday. Analyzers and organizers with strong left-brain tendencies will appreciate the logic, won’t you? The blog postings will be rambling notes and stories, specifically for the emotional touches and the abstract why the heck not right brainers. Ask me about the HBDI if you’d like to learn more about all of this.

Let’s take a look at these 7 points on this 1st list.

Speaking out is a common stuck point... One of yours?
When I teach communication skills, such as how to design presentations, how to get your point across at a meeting, how to negotiate with your boss or your mother, I encourage you to use a mind map. The central focus point of the map houses your key concept. State this concept in 7 words or less, and don’t just stick with the first phrase that comes to mind. You have to work at fine-tuning the concept, because all of the remainder of your content springs from these few key words. This method is called, “Say It In 7™”. Think about cartoon strips: a few words say it all!

“Say It In 7™” needs a strong metaphor attached to it. Use a powerful verb that implies action. The phrase is more than an advertising slogan or a headline. It’s the core of your message.

Try at least 10 different versions! When I birthed the “Say It In 7™” technique, I started with the idea of
§ “just use a few words to say it”
§ “start with a key idea”
§ “stay with a key word”
§ “central message key to central map”
§ “seven words are the max”
§ “In focus with 7 words or less”
§ “Start with a key concept”
§ “Just say it”
§ “Say It In 7™”

Analyze and recombine a variety of elements. Reading over my list above, you’ll notice that all of the versions contributed to the final product. I find it helpful to write ideas on stickies, re-cluster to analyze. Can you make the phrase even shorter and snappier? Abbreviate it. Switch the words around. Make it into a question. Change the verb... there's power in strong actions. And ask a bunch of others for their comments, such as kids and older people. Intergenerational input points out the best features, and suggests options for your weaker ingredients. Listen for the negatives...there are clues about what you haven't totally considered yet!

You might have the best idea on the planet, but it’s all in the timing! Chew over the potential impact of launching your product, confronting your manager or presenting a new recipe to your family on the wrong day or at a strange hour of the day. Think about the BEST timing, for you and for anyone else involved in your venture. Just because you’re so excited and can’t hold back, doesn’t mean they will be!

Which brings us to Ahhhhhhh time! Let the concept rest for a time. Like roast beef fresh from the oven, it’s important to let the juices sit where they belong, just for a while. Slicing too quickly makes your dinner, and your concept – tough and dry. The flash of creative thinking is only the beginning of the process. Don’t rush…hush….

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We'll drop by on Leverage Tuesdays! Got a question? Just ask! Or email!


Oooooh!ly yours,
Maggie