I am east coast connected (President, Class of '90, MSVU) and East Coast Connected and I would like to take this opportunity to voice my support for Chris Crowell's nomination in Halifax.
The only time that I have met Chris was while he was networking at a Rotman event, working the same circles as David Peterson and an auspicious collection of Canadians who care about our country's future. He mentioned East Coast Connected.
A while back I launched a blog designed to help connect the over 700 Mount Saint Vincent University graduates in the Toronto area and I have written my share about social media, so ECC immediately interested me. I looked it up, joined and the success of this initiative continually impresses me. Score two for Chris ...
At the time, Chris was about to start as the Director of Investments at Social Capital Partners. In my view (and I am not alone), social capital is key to a new economic model that is emerging and Chris' commitment to this kind of economy can not be questioned. Score two more Chris ...
Above all, I think Chris is part of the solution. I think he is committed to an innovation led economy. A lack of innovation and productivity is not a East Coast problem, it is a Canadian problem that in my view requires a cultural shift.
I am not a personal or business connection of Chris'. I hope this post is received with the conviction that it written.
Sincerely,
Michael Cayley
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Showing posts with label Innovation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Innovation. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Monday, August 11, 2008
The Sound of Innovation
Ahhh... Summer music - a sweet blend of memories that can take me back five, 10 or (gulp) 25 years, in an instant. I can remember doing the butterfly at the roller rink to Funkytown, singing back up to Summer Lovin', cruising the downtown strip to You Shook Me All Night Long and sneaking in after a few pops with Living on a Prayer. There's no doubt Kid Rock's song, All Summer Long, will be remembered as the 2008 anthem. This hit is a fusion of two songs from the 70s: Warren Zevon's 'Werewolves of London' and Lynyrd Skynard's 'Sweet Home Alabama'. Do you think Kid Rock put two of his favorites together, knowing he would land with a smash hit?
I've been thinking a lot about where the inspiration for "successes" like these come from because I've been working on a project with innovation expert, Rick Boersma, of Floworks. When the energy in a meeting begins to lag, he is wired to "change the stimulants". Not the kind that could have helped Kid Rock along, but the everyday kind that inspire ideas and innovation breakthroughs. We change rooms, play a game, look at random magazines, eat (my favorite), or simply take a walk. Rick says stimuli can come from literally anywhere. Words and images, smells and sounds, indoors and outdoors, something that catches your attention, opening a newspaper, dictionary, catalogue, book of pictures, throwing a dice, a film clip, a piece of music, a physical object... It just so happens the Kid was playing in the background as I was struggling to write this post.
Typically, when faced with a challenge, we tend to resort to the same old stimuli to solve our problems. As Rick puts it, "We can use stimuli to escape our mental box to help us look at situations from a new perspective and generate novel ideas." Stimuli can be related to the subject matter, or completely random. Change the stimuli, change the outcome and results.
Have a bit of writer's block? Go to a card store and check out how many ways you can say, "Happy Birthday ". Can't seem to get a strategy from your head, onto paper? Get tactile and play with some lego, playdoh or nuts and bolts from a tool box. Need ideas to flow from your team? Take them for ice cream and a round of mini golf.
Of course, the summer weather may be calling and your ability to focus and solve problems may be out the window with the birds. If that happens - and I know this from experience - cranking Blackwater by the Doobies and enjoying an ice cold beer helps. Enjoy the rest of your summer.
If you are interested in being a contributing author to this blog, please leave a comment and we will be in touch!
I've been thinking a lot about where the inspiration for "successes" like these come from because I've been working on a project with innovation expert, Rick Boersma, of Floworks. When the energy in a meeting begins to lag, he is wired to "change the stimulants". Not the kind that could have helped Kid Rock along, but the everyday kind that inspire ideas and innovation breakthroughs. We change rooms, play a game, look at random magazines, eat (my favorite), or simply take a walk. Rick says stimuli can come from literally anywhere. Words and images, smells and sounds, indoors and outdoors, something that catches your attention, opening a newspaper, dictionary, catalogue, book of pictures, throwing a dice, a film clip, a piece of music, a physical object... It just so happens the Kid was playing in the background as I was struggling to write this post.
Typically, when faced with a challenge, we tend to resort to the same old stimuli to solve our problems. As Rick puts it, "We can use stimuli to escape our mental box to help us look at situations from a new perspective and generate novel ideas." Stimuli can be related to the subject matter, or completely random. Change the stimuli, change the outcome and results.
Have a bit of writer's block? Go to a card store and check out how many ways you can say, "Happy Birthday ". Can't seem to get a strategy from your head, onto paper? Get tactile and play with some lego, playdoh or nuts and bolts from a tool box. Need ideas to flow from your team? Take them for ice cream and a round of mini golf.
Of course, the summer weather may be calling and your ability to focus and solve problems may be out the window with the birds. If that happens - and I know this from experience - cranking Blackwater by the Doobies and enjoying an ice cold beer helps. Enjoy the rest of your summer.
If you are interested in being a contributing author to this blog, please leave a comment and we will be in touch!
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