Blog — Third Thought — For professionals who go beyond the obvious

Innovation is an Unnatural Act

26th of February ~

Look at any organization chart and you’ll see a familiar list of Departments. Look at your own organization charts and assess how many of those groups are involved in regulatory and risk management activities. Organizations need structure and controls. Lots of controls. The older the industry the more the controls. Each time an exception happens a new policy or risk management mechanism is put in place.

Bureaucracy seldom supports innovation.

Look at how you spend YOUR day. How much of your time is spent reacting to crises and putting out fires? When was the last time you and your colleagues convened a meeting to explore possibilities?

Reactivity is the enemy of Innovation.

My point is that innovation requires proactive work. And in most companies there’s no Department of Innovation. Research and Development is involved in new product or service development but that’s just one slice of your innovation opportunities.

Most of us don’t spend time looking for more work to put on our schedule. We’re busy enough managing what’s in front of us, thank you very much.

Innovation is not easy. It requires a degree of freedom and collaboration that is unusual in most cultures. So, how do you know how well your organization supports innovation?

The BEST tool I know is the SOQ. It assess your organization climate on nine dimensions.

It’s also an excellent referendum on your leadership quality, as leaders have the greatest influence on innovation climate.

Learn more here.

Intelligences and Creativity

23rd of February ~

Today I am exploring the work of Howard Gardner. His theory of Multiple Intelligences has been widely disseminated in the field of education but hasn’t been used as much in the business world.

Academicians argue over whether or not the intelligences are, truly, intelligences. I suggest we not get hung up on semantics and simply play with the theory a little.

Intelligence and Creativity

Do raw smarts increase creativity?

In fact, the smarter you are the more creative you tend to be–to a point. There’s research to suggest that IQ and creativity correlate to an IQ score of 120. But I’ve never felt that a Stanford-Binet IQ test represented enough breadth. That why I love the theory of Multiple Intelligences.

Howard Gardner posits at least eight kinds of intelligence:

Linguistic: words, language, verbal and written
Logical‐mathematical: numbers, logic, abstract reasoning
Musical: audial, music, rhythm
Spatial: visual, image manipulation
Bodily‐kinesthetic: body awareness and movement
Interpersonal: interaction with others
Intrapersonal: reflection and introspection
Naturalist: awareness and harmony with the natural world

You can take a simple online (and unofficial) quiz here to determine your Top Intelligences. Mine are:

Interpersonal
Verbal/Linguistic
Bodily/Kinesthetic

Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography

Surprise, surprise, these are the areas where I apply my greatest imagination and creativity. My relationships with others get my very best effort and I enjoy expressing myself within that area. Dancing brings me more joy than I can describe.

What about you? Do your Top Intelligences correspond with the most creative areas of your life?

Love at the Office

15th of February ~

I hope my HR readers aren’t worried by today’s topic. I’m not exploring the opportunities for office romance (never a good idea yet still we falter). No, I’m talking about love for our fellow men and women in general. Let’s call it positive intention.

Many years ago as a young Catholic I used to go to early morning mass at a Carmelite Convent. The Carmelites are a cloistered order. They do not interact with the public. Their focus is contemplative prayer. That’s right–all they do is pray.

And I remember thinking, at age 16, “What a waste! Surely they could do more.”

Well, I am older and more widely-read now and I believe in the power of prayer. I believe that holding positive intention for someone helps them. And there is fascinating research that suggests this is so. Come with me now into the world of quantum physics.

You’ve probably heard, “What you focus on becomes your reality.” It is the genius behind Appreciative Inquiry. Thoughts matter. Furthermore, thoughts ARE matter. They are waves (or particles–I forget). They are energy. So, can we imagine that the energy is real and perceived in ways we don’t yet understand? Can we imagine that positive thoughts help and negative thoughts hurt? I can imagine that. It’s still in the realm of ‘New Science’ and the science is catching up to the work of the Carmelite nuns. For some fascinating research I recommend the Intention Experiment where you can become a part of the unusual research.

So what about that ‘love at the office’, Maggie? Here’s my advice:
1) Hold your colleagues in positive regard. It cannot hurt and I believe they will know it on an unrecognized level. As one of my professors once told me, “I always find something to like about each student.” Find the thing to appreciate, send them positive energy and you both benefit.
2) Hold your arch-enemies in positive regard. The more you focus on the negative relationship, the more you may tether yourself to that unhealthy dynamic. “Release them to their higher good“, forgive them, do whatever you need to do to free yourself from the struggle.

Call it whatever you like but strive to have love in every action. I guarantee you will work more smoothly with your colleagues and you will be happier for it.

Nuns photo credit

Principles of Creativity

11th of February ~

Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way gave millions permission to honor their creativity. Here is a lovely video featuring her Ten Principles of Creativity.

Very nice for when you need a reminder to make room for your creative side.

Must I do Social Media?

7th of February ~

I just returned from an excellent conference–my first in two years. And I am exhausted. The theme of the conference was “Monetize Your Message” and I saw several speakers who are making millions, yes, MILLIONS repackaging their content in multiple formats. Good idea.

There was also talk about how to use social media. It won’t ‘monetize’ but it DOES help you build your brand. Right. Good idea.

So, now I have a whole new business to create. Kidding. I’m digesting it all and will do a few reasonable things that feel congruent with the way I do business. I’m not sure I’ll get to be a millionaire but I am OK with that.

Meanwhile, I found this handy chart to help me figure out Social Media:

Thanks to Douglas Wray for the chuckle.

Blog — Third Thought — For professionals who go beyond the obvious — Page 2 Third Thought