Get Creative

According to Edward de Bono, who is a founder of modern creative thinking techniques, making time to think creatively will get your business through this economic crisis. It is what gives you a competitive advantage. The opportunities open to you are only limited by your imagination.

How much time do you set aside to think? Are you so busy in the business that you cannot stop to work on the business? I spoke at the Ferndown Networking Event last night, and we had thirty two people there. We used random word thinking on a real issue. Despite only two people having used the technique before, in less than 10 minutes we had generated over 46 ideas on the issue of how to change negative perceptions of Ferndown to positive ones. Obviously, not all the ideas are workable, but it has given Ferndown Chamber of Commerce plenty to work on!

It made me realise how easily ideas can be lost. New ideas are like bubbles blown from a child’s toy – fragile and easily broken. If they are judged and criticised too early, they can ‘pop’, along with the likelihood of any further creativity. It is important, when having a creative session, to harvest and write down the ideas before going to judgement and decision making. If they cannot be used for this problem, they may help for a future one.

‘If the idea is not absurd at first, there is probably no hope for it’ Albert Einstein

Ideas should not be judged before they have been explored and developed. Some of the truly creative ideas come from those that seem the most absurd.

Open your mind and find the child within you, and get creative.