Unlock Your Creativity
When you simply can’t come up with a solution for a nagging problem, remember these rules about creativity:
• Accept that creativity is a struggle. Often the solutions you find aren’t the ones you expected. Don’t automatically reject spontaneous solutions. Be receptive to off-the-wall ideas, even if it means discarding approaches you’re comfortable with.
• Set reasonable goals. Don’t expect the first idea you come up with to be the best one. Formulate reasonable goals, but do set them.
• Don’t panic. The creative process has a natural rhythm. Sometimes ideas gush, and sometimes they barely trickle. When the panic associated with creative block strikes, realize that it’s temporary and the creative process will begin to flow again.
Source: Les Stevens, Lodging Management Software, Harwich, MA.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
What is Empathy and how do you put it into action?
Empathy is identifying with someone on the basis of feelings, thoughts, or attitudes. You don't give empathy to get something. However, when you empathize with someone else, you do connect with them and a connected team achieves desired action and change better than disconnected teams.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
How do you get your ideas accepted?
You’ve come up with a great idea. Unfortunately, it’s not within your power to implement. So you decide to take it to the people who can make it happen. But before you do this, make sure you propose the idea properly.
Many a bright idea has been doomed because it was poorly presented. Follow these tips to get your ideas accepted:
• Put the purpose up front. Don’t wait until you’re 15 minutes or five pages into your message to let your bosses know what you’re after. The gist of your proposal should be the first item you cover.
• Be specific. Don’t cloud the issue with vague words and unnecessary background data.
• Compare, don’t knock. Remember, your audience may have a vested interest in the old method and may take negative comments personally.
• Stress the benefits. Your proposal is a marketing vehicle for selling your idea, not an opinion paper. Make your case using facts and figures that demonstrate savings or improved performance. • Acknowledge limitations. Every idea is going to have some drawbacks. If you can state those shortcomings up front and provide ways to work around them, you won’t give opponents ammunition.
Source: Robert Vels, Cellular Rent-A-Phone, New York.
Many a bright idea has been doomed because it was poorly presented. Follow these tips to get your ideas accepted:
• Put the purpose up front. Don’t wait until you’re 15 minutes or five pages into your message to let your bosses know what you’re after. The gist of your proposal should be the first item you cover.
• Be specific. Don’t cloud the issue with vague words and unnecessary background data.
• Compare, don’t knock. Remember, your audience may have a vested interest in the old method and may take negative comments personally.
• Stress the benefits. Your proposal is a marketing vehicle for selling your idea, not an opinion paper. Make your case using facts and figures that demonstrate savings or improved performance. • Acknowledge limitations. Every idea is going to have some drawbacks. If you can state those shortcomings up front and provide ways to work around them, you won’t give opponents ammunition.
Source: Robert Vels, Cellular Rent-A-Phone, New York.