Trudy

Insert your Creative Idea in this Box

by Trudy on May 11, 2012

Creativity and innovation is always a top of mind in PROVOKE’s world, and the world of many of our clients.

I was fascinated recently by an RFP that asked for “innovation”. I was intrigued and a bit excited by this invitation. The RFP then quickly added that the response needed to look exactly like this, in exactly this space, by exactly this date, in exactly this process, using this font size, no colour please, and so on. Ahh, there is the truth. Desire meets reality head on.

I believe that we all aspire to creativity and innovation in our work, yet so many have no idea how to do this, or more unfortunate, work hard to squash it like a bug. I am not being unkind; really, much killing of creativity is done quite ignorantly, through automated processes and habit. Let me explain.

We all have processes in at least some areas of our work that just makes it easier to manage the list of things to accomplish in a day. Most of us have too many tasks and not enough time to accomplish them. So we inadvertently structure things around us that work quite hard to beat creativity and innovation out of the norm of the day.

I cracked up at Jeremy Dean’s (PsyBlog) dark witty take on it in  “6 ways to kill creativity”. Mainly I laughed because it is so true. I encourage you to read it, but my favourite line was:

Remember that all these methods for killing creativity are best done with subtlety. You should say you provide support, freedom, resources and so on, but only do it halfheartedly. This will give you the appearance of a creative organization but you won’t produce the truly creative solutions which mark out the best.

If you have ever heard any of these things (or gasp, even heard them escape your own mouth), you may need to rethink your ability to invite innovation around you:

  • I want you to do something different, see what you can come up with that does not cost anything
  • You have capacity right now, I have been meaning to find some great ideas around X, this is a great opportunity for you (aka you have no experience), see what you can come up with
  • Within our current system (processes, rules, etc.), I want you to create something new
  • I know this or that is an issue, can you just find a way to work around them?
  • I want this to be extra great, can you have it to me tomorrow morning?
  • I don’t have a budget, but …….be creative

Oh my god, how would we ever make that happen?!

To all of us wannabe innovators, we need to keep a few things in mind:

  • Be clear about what you need/the specific goal, you will get a better answer
  • Give time, real time, not after hours time, to have the space to explore, ponder and ideate
  • Bring in varying voices – talk to as many people from all walks, perspectives, skills, this gives a wider perspective to work with
  • Remove as many obstacles as possible – old processes and rules provide old answers
  • And turn down nothing that comes to you without spending 24 hours to really consider it. Almost always there will be a germ of innovation that you can take away from any idea, no matter how outrageous it appears.

 

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Winning Candidates, Losing Society

by Trudy on April 27, 2012

It has been interesting watching the election process this go around on so many levels. For me the core issues that popped to the surface were truth, intent and integrity.

This all crystallized for me, when my child asked me on the way to vote earlier this week, how someone makes up their mind on who to vote for. He said, "It is really hard to make sense of what they are trying to say. There is so much arguing and back tracking and accusations, how does anyone know what to believe?”

I proceeded to spend a good 15 minutes explaining that the game of trying to be elected overtakes the nobility of public service during these times.

I explained that we need to be appreciative of the people who step up to serve all of us, and take on the very difficult, draining and often unappreciated task of governing society for the betterment of all.

I also had to explain that unfortunately sometimes people feel so strongly about their point of view that they will want to win at all costs, even if it is at the cost of damaging another person. In their effort to win, the best of them is often left behind. And unfortunately this kind of behavior has become so normalized, most adults do not even look at it as unacceptable, or at best unusual anymore.

He then said to me, “But mom, wasn’t this the time for us to truly see what they are about, who they are, the best of them, don’t we all want the same thing, a better world? It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

And there you have politicians and hopefuls of Alberta. You wonder why political and civil apathy is rampant in our society. This is why, you teach them young, and you reinforce it ongoing. When a child can observe the game playing, and the lack of genuineness and openness, it appears you do not take it seriously, so why then should they, ever?

There is an expression “you teach people how to treat you.”

You will reap the rewards of your behaviours for a very long time.

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The Power of Hope

by Trudy on April 13, 2012

My mind has been completely distracted by the concept of hope for several weeks now. In my typical fashion, I decided to quell this distraction by trying to make sense of it. It is a bit off my usual track, but worthy of a blog I hope.

This all started when I was determining how best to support a very dear, life-long friend who is dealing with cancer. I was beside myself, being at a great distance from her, I just did not know how I could be helpful to her.

Another good friend who is formerly an oncologist nurse planted this seed of hope in me. Now, that is a role I could take on, one of infusing, supporting, growing hope.

What has snowballed out of this is understanding how many people feel helpless around friends who become ill.  It is sad but true that most of us find ourselves in exactly this situation, wondering what role we can play in this becoming-all-too-common scenario. I have shared this role of the purveyor of hope with so many people, and it resonated. So this is why I am sharing this in a blog with you. I think it is applicable to all of us, if not today, then soon.

I learned that hope truly makes a difference:

  • Linked to lower measures of anxiety and depression, it increases resilience and creates more effective coping skills
  • It can promote quicker recovery following surgery (90% of oncologists rated hope as the most important psychological factor with increased survival rates among cancer patients)
  • Biologically hope may stimulate the release of internal painkiller molecules
  • Hope acts to boost immunity in a body
  • It is the antidote to fear
  • It allows us to plan for the future, take action, stay connected
  • It makes us feel more confident, ask more, be less passive

It is also important to not confuse hope with blind optimism. It is not about veiling, withholding, or denying the truth, rather the most productive form of hope is purposeful and intelligent. Purposeful hope believes in the possibility of a cure, enough to endure the treatment journey.

Hope changes over the course of the illness as the circumstances change, but there is always a role for it regardless of the stage.

And hope needs to be reinforced; it cannot live in a vacuum. Which brings us right back to being the purveyor of hope, truthfully, purposefully and consistently.

My hope for you is that you do not have to play this role often, but at least you know what you can do if it presents itself.

And please, send your hope to my dear friend Laura. She is handling it calmly, productively and with tremendous inner strength. I am filled with hope for her.

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Angela Hits it Home

March 23, 2012

I realize that I see the world through a hypercritical lens of organization to customer relationship. It is how I am built. I had more than a few instances this past week that stood out for me that underscore how every single action counts. It started on a return trip from Central America, that included [...]

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Speak? Believe? Behave? All Three Please.

March 16, 2012

We have a client who often says to us, “Yes, they are saying the words, but what do they mean to them? Because I am not seeing action coinciding with the language”. This is one insightful client. Many people would be thrilled after spending so much time speaking their messages, to hear it come back [...]

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