simple creativity idea

A few years ago Valerie Laws in Northumberland spray painted individual words on sheep. All the words together made up a poem.

She then observed the sheep and the different poetry that they came up with. Her mission was to demonstrate quantum mechanics through the medium of sheep.

http://www.valerielaws.co.uk/

It is a little deeper than simply using a random number generator with a set of words!

If you want to understand how the use of sheep can be applied to business problem solving - contact us and ask for Derek

University of Bath Workshops for Small businesses

Roger and Derek are offering a couple of open workshops this Spring for the University of Bath.

27 Jan 2010 - Building ideas into business opportunities
31 March 2010 - Using creativity techniques with business

Both will be at Carpenter House.

Here is the press release for the first one:

New Year, new start - turn your dream into reality

The University of Bath is offering people the chance to turn their dreams about starting their own business into reality.

The New Year brings new horizons for many, and the University’s Division for Lifelong Learning is offering people the chance to realise their ambitions with its new one day workshop, ‘Building Ideas into Business Opportunities’.

Rachael Selley, participation manager for the Division for Lifelong Learning, said: “A New Year often makes your mind turn towards new horizons and resolutions."

Maybe you’ve just been made redundant, thinking of a change in direction, or your children have just started school or moved out.

“This workshop will cover the key actions and stages to develop your business idea whilst minimising any business risks.”

The course includes how to:
• Carry out quick and dirty research to define your market space.• Develop an offering that customers want.
• Develop a business model that works for you and your customers.
• Build marketing and financial systems to make your business robust.

Everyone who attends will take away a free business plan guide and template to help them develop their business idea.

This workshop will be run by Roger Croft who has delivered University programmes on Enterprise and Leadership and Management since 2002. Roger has an MBA in Entrepreneurship and Business Venturing as well as certificates in Coaching and Mentoring and Action Learning. He also runs his own business PRD Partnership Ltd.

Former student, Paul Horan of Yapp Brother Ltd, said: “Roger is a gifted tutor. The content and style of the course was a revelation and I gained a considerable amount to take away with me. The course is very much recommended.”

The ‘Building ideas into Business Opportunities’ workshop takes place on 27 January at Carpenter House in Bath city centre and is being offered at the special rate of just £25 including a buffet lunch.

Subsequent workshops will cost £43. To take advantage of this special offer and register your interest, please contact Delia Slucutt on 01225 384414 or email.

Creativity At Work - Breaking Mindsets

Often we think of having to change the mindsets of others, but what about our own? Shouldn’t we be challenging our own ideas as well as the ways of having ideas? The following list applies to both solo and group working:

• Develop a wide range of experiences and interests. The richer the experience the wider the range of possibilities. Why not take a different route home or try a different bus?
• Become aware of your own blind spots i.e. things that you do not think about consciously or sub-consciously.
• Step into the shoes of all your stakeholders, even those with extreme views.
• Try different techniques, mix up your ways of holding meetings, generating ideas etc. Keep the same ones and you will build up systematic blind spots or gaps in your thinking.
• Try different modes of thinking. If you are naturally intuitive then try to be rational. If you are working in groups then change the balance of the group. If you are familiar with NLP representational systems then work with a different one.
• Challenge of all of the ‘givens’. Many organisations do things because they have always been done like that. There are not always as many regulatory constraints as there might at first appear!

Creativity and Humour

Consider the following (depending on which country you are from you may miss the point in one or two):

"If you see someone doing the impossible, don't interrupt them"
Amar Bose (Bose Corporation )

"Space is not remote, you can get there in an hour if you can make your car travel vertically"
Fred Hoyle (Astronomer)

"A sure cure for seasickness is to sit under a tree"
Spike Milligan (Comedian)

"I took a speed reading course and read War and Peace in twenty minutes. Its about Russia"
Woody Allen (Comedian)

"Those who say it can't be done are being passed by those who are doing it"
Anonymous

"I said 'nearest the bull starts'. He said 'baa', I said 'moo'. He said 'you start'"
Peter Kaye (Comedian)

"'Hallo Rabbit', he said, 'Is that you?'. 'Lets pretend it isn't' said Rabbit, 'and see what happens'"
Winnie-the-pooh (bear, philosopher and explorer)

Now you may chuckle at one or more of the above, but did you wonder why? It is the juxtaposition of (strange) ideas that does it. It is exactly this mode of thinking that we need in the business world to be able to see things from a new perspective, generate ideas and spot new opportunities.