January 2019

Think Differently – Repositioning   Keep your pad at hand.   Take the company you work for and describe their product as if it were a:   Movie              _________________________ Vehicle            _________________________ Love Letter     _________________________   If you don’t have a company or product use the iPhone. How would you describe an iPhone as it were […]

No Sleep   Time for another activity.  Grab your trusty pad and pen.   What are three ways the world would be different if people didn’t needed to sleep?   What would you do with the extra time?   Write down at least three ideas for each.   Write down three industries that might be

Edison Talking Doll   Did you know Thomas Edison, the inventor of the lightbulb and the first to illuminate Wall Street also invented the first talking doll? The doll said the poem  “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”.  The little girl’s voice was recorded in the fall of 1888 on a metal cylinder that played back at

Microwaved Candy Bars   An engineer Percy Spencer was working with magnetrons electronic devices in 1945.  Magnetrons were developed to send microwave radio signals. As Percy Spencer stood next to a functioning magnetron, he felt the chocolate bar in his shirt pocket suddenly soften to a gooey consistency. He deduced that the microwaves emanating from

Embrace Absurdity   Absurdity is the inspiration of some of the most creative ideas of the 19th 20th centuries.  Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll used absurdity in storytelling.  Can you name the books?  From the Marx Brothers to Monty Python, comedians have counted on absurdity as a source of comedy for hundreds of years.  Frank

Transform Problems Into Positive Action Statements   Turn your statements into positive statements.  Always use double positives in a sentence whenever possible. As an example, I really dislike it when someone says “Don’t hesitate to call!”  Let’s look at this statement.  Read the word aloud and you tell me your first feeling about that word.

Popular Mechanics Paper Airplane If you really get into designing, building and flying paper airplanes, here’s what Popular Mechanics considers one of the best designs ever! http://bit.ly/2zo7Mev Lon Safko Serial Innovator, Keynote Speaker, Trainer, Innovative Thinking Tags: innovative thinking, creative, creative thinking, Innovation, critical thinking definition, innovation definition, critical thinking skills, creative process Innovative Thinking

SPOILER ALERT!   If you don’t want to know how the book ends,  skip thus blog. The story describes the frustration of a young boy participating in a school wide competition for the furthest flying paper airplane. and how he was being partnered with a classmate who has autism. The boy continually pushed his partner

The Paper Airplane Challenge   The Paper Airplane Challenge is great to do with a group, but might not be as much fun if you are sitting quietly somewhere by yourself holding your Kindle.   Many of the activities above can be and are designed to be group activities and I have modified them so

Build An Innovative Network   Innovative by association.  If you want to be more innovative and originate unusual ideas, then surround yourself with people who are innovative as well.  Get creative and inspiring people into your social circle and interact with them on a regular basis. I had a partner for 17 years who when