26 Oct 10 How to keep Creative Ideas Flowing?
Who doesn’t want to be creative? But only a handful of us are creative. On contrary to this ratio, we all are creative within; creativity is there in all of us. But most of us don’t realize it, don’t cultivate it further. But, creativity is required everywhere – from education to business, from physics to psychology. Without creativity, life comes to a halt. Creativity gives vent to ones’ imagination, thinking, ideation power, and understanding of the surrounding. It’s the passion to create something new, which is the driving force behind all innovations in this world.
But how to keep the creative juice flowing? Here are tips below regarding where to get creative ideas from.
Choose an area of interest
Choose an area of work, which interests you. Don’t do what everyone is doing and is counted as trendy, or what brings money. Follow your heart and aptitude. You should do things which interest you, what you are passionate about. Then work will never seem like burden, it will be enjoyable. Within your passionate field further choose an area which you are good at. Like some artists are best in oil painting. So they excel if they go to the same field.
Draw inspiration from a source
You should be inspired by someone, to get going. It could be anyone – a mentor whose work inspire you or a famous person, a renowned global personality whose creations and success have always driven you crazy. Don’t imitate them blindly, get inspired by them.
Challenge yourself, do something new
Don’t end up doing what the rests have been doing. Challenge yourself constantly. Even if it seems impossible and full of hurdles in reality, if you think your idea is good and you can do it, go for it. It may take time and patience, but all great things come after long wait. Don’t be nailed down by failures. Failures will take you to success. If breaking rules help in procuring something good, let it happen.
Write down your ideas
Whenever something unique comes to your mind, pen it down and keep safely. It will keep you involved, focused, motivated and will help you to measure your progress.
Consult outer sources
Stay humble and open to new ideas. Don’t think you know it all. Tomorrow while talking to someone you come up with a better idea than before. So keep learning from others, books, films, articles – whatever is relevant for you. Even in an informal chat over coffee, great ideas may spring up.
Stay creative!
Tags: Aptitude, Breaking Rules, Business Psychology, Contrary, Creative Ideas, Creative Juice, Creativity, Driving Force, Famous Person, Handful, Hurdles, Imagination, Innovations, Inspiration, Long Wait, Mentor, Oil Painting, Personality, Time And Patience, Vent
03 Apr 10 Innovation or improvement?
What is the biggest nightmare that an entrepreneur has every night when he goes to sleep—fear of failure, fear of not having enough funds, fear of dying hungry, or what?
It is fear of getting the idea stolen. Yes, fear of idea theft is what keep entrepreneur awake at night. These days no one much care about the capital as much as one care about idea, because the latter is scarcer than the former. And our economy is based on nothing but breakthrough idea.
Do it better or do it different?
These are the two different aspects of a coin. “Doing it better” will fetch us incremental benefits, but “doing it different” will lead us to entirely new future.
“Doing it better” is what developing and undeveloped countries are after, and “doing it different” is the goal that entrepreneurs in a developed country chase. That is why major breakthroughs come from developed country.
You can say that “doing it better” will at best get incremental technology; for example, a more energy-efficient air conditioner, better soap, good shoe at less price, etc. But “doing it different” will get us disruptive technology—the technology that ends the previous ones while giving birth to entirely new industry. For example, instead of making better typewriters and calculators, computer was invented; instead of making faster and faster main frame computers, PC was invented.
All innovations are disruptive in nature, and it is the innovation that keeps the ball in the developed economy rolling.
Which one is better?
Both.
Both of them have different use in our lives, and both of them are important. There are times when we need a better product, and there are times when we need a new solution to the same problem.
Innovation is important, but so is improvement.
Tags: Breakthrough Idea, Calculators, Chase, Developed Country, Disruptive Technology, Economy, Energy Efficient Air Conditioner, Entrepreneur, Fear Of Failure, Frame Computers, Giving Birth, Innovation, Innovations, Main Frame, New Solution, Nightmare, Sleep, Soap, Typewriters, Undeveloped Countries
04 Jul 09 5 Tips To Motivate Your Team
Increasing productivity means keeping the people you manage motivated to stay positive and accomplish their goals in a timely fashion. The perfect employee team is a cohesive unit with a good morale about wanting to accomplish tasks quickly, and to the best of their abilities. Sometimes, especially during an economic recession like this, it’s hard to keep your people properly motivated, and that’s bad for them and for the work that needs to be done. A team with low morale is unlikely to meet deadlines on target, or is more likely to produce sub-par work. You’ll find motivating your team is a constant battle, but one that you need to win, and in doing so remember these tips:
- Communication
- Involvement
- Setting Goals
- Manage Poor Performances
- Celebrating Performances
Communication is an essential element to any employee team, as it’s the most important aspect of working together to complete a project. Keep communication channels open through team meetings, email, and conference calls. This way everyone’s voice is heard, and nobody will feel as though they can’t get through if something is frustrating them. Proper support will help that morale stay on the up.
Involve everyone as much as possible with every aspect of the project. Listen to your team, and let them communicate ideas and suggestions into the development of your projects. This way they stay motivated to always strive to be successful, as they know you’ll listen to their ideas for innovations.
Set lofty goals that your team can be proud to shoot for. Don’t set them ridiculously high obviously, but find a comfortable middle ground above the standard, but not impossible to achieve. This way you’re keeping your team motivated to be better and better, but not overworking them to the point they lose the faith.
Manage your poorer performers. Not everyone on your team can excel like you would want them to, and some people will turn in a substandard performance from time to time. But that’s where you take the time to personally manage them. Work with them to help resolve any issues reflected in their performance, this way you can get them going on producing the quality of work you want them too, and their attitude will get better as they receive the help they need to achieve the goals you set.
And finally, celebrating individual and team achievement is crucial. One of the oldest archetypes throughout nature, is doing work for a reward. Yes your team receives a paycheck for their effort, yes technically this is their reward for their hard work, but that’s no reason not to throw in a thank you here and there. Recognize your top performers, and make sure to congratulate your team when they work together the way you would like them to, as this will keep them upbeat, and motivated to keep your compliments true to their ability.
Tags: Cohesive Unit, Communication Channels, Economic Recession, Element, Email, Employee Team, Excel, Faith, Increasing Productivity, Innovations, Lofty Goals, Low Morale, Par, People, Poor Performances, Setting Goals, Substandard Performance, Target, Team Meetings, Timely Fashion
