A couple of Sundays ago, I took my son to the London Natural History Museum to see a photographic exhibition. Over two hundred ‘perfect’ photos had been taken of moments in nature by photographers from all nationalities and of all ages. Underneath each stunning photo was a brief description of the subject matter as well [...]
This is an apocryphal story. Source unknown. Once upon a time, there was an Innovation Director at a major company who was holding an Away-Day with his team to brainstorm new opportunities for the company for the following year. He invited an external facilitator to run the day. She arrived first thing, the team assembled and they got [...]
I watched a detective drama series last night on TV and it struck me how creative detectives need to be! This is what happened… There had been a brutal murder. The chief inspector assembled his team at HQ and briefed them on what needed to be done. Everyone then scattered to different corners of the [...]
In my career as a facilitator, I have trained lots of big companies (like Unilever, Lloyds, O2 etc) in innovation and creativity. The common cry from participants has always been this: “Great! We love these techniques, they really work, but we simply don’t have the time for them back at the ranch! Nice course though, [...]
It’s Sunday 23rd May. It’s 8 o’clock in the evening. That addictive programme “Britain’s Got Talent” is in full swing. A 14-year-old opera singer has just finished his awe-inspiring performance and Simon Cowell is about to deliver his verdict. Everyone waits with baited breath. But Simon doesn’t talk about the power of the boy’s voice. [...]
My father-in-law used to work for Mercantile Credit, a division of Barclays Bank that was responsible for the whole area of credit finance – hire purchase, leasing, loans and all that. Generally big ticket items involving millions of pounds. The process of assessing and selecting companies with whom to do business was a complex and [...]
Stimulating thinking can take you and your creative mind into territories where the competition doesn’t play! I am at home, waiting to go to the London Heathrow. Instead of having to fret about the prospect of the M25, queuing traffic and angry drivers, I am going to be picked up by a polite suited chauffer, [...]