Innovation Inside the Box

“Think outside the box.” We've all heard this phrase, been told to follow its advice, and probably even instructed others to do so.  However, thinking outside the box is, in all actuality, a myth. It's one of those things that's been passed down throughout the years and repeated over and over again but that's really a misguided idea. In this episode, I'm going to explain why. Tune in to learn what's wrong with the phrase, “think outside the box” and what you can do instead to become a more creative person. In this episode you'll hear: How Dr. JP Guilford spearheaded the study of creativity. What the nine dots puzzle is. How using this puzzle in a study lead Dr. Guilford to coin the phrase, “think outside the box.” How Clark Burnham and Ken Davis replicated that study and the results they got. What it really means to think outside the box. Why thinking inside the box leads to more creative solutions. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

Without even realizing it, you've used the creativity technique of division before. In fact, you've probably used it many times. When it comes down to it, division is simply taking a big problem, chopping it up, and solving each little individual part of it. It's basically the application of the common phrase, “Let's cut our problems down to size.” In this episode, I want to get into some of the details of the division technique. I'll explain some of the deeper complexities of it that you won't find by just “cutting a problem down to size.” Afterward, you'll be able to use this technique more systematically and improve your creativity skills. In this episode you'll hear: How powerful the division technique is. What the division technique is and how to use it. What the preserving approach is. How you can rearrange something through time. Practical examples of the division technique in everyday life. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

How many times have you found yourself fumbling for the best way to describe something? Perhaps you've felt that no matter how clearly you've explained your subject, your description just doesn't match the emotions you felt when witnessing it.  I'm here to tell you that creative writing doesn't have to be your expertise in order to write compelling descriptions.  Today's episode will walk you through a tip I discovered when writing my most recent book. As I was writing, I found it challenging to find interesting, unique ways to describe the subject matter I was writing about.  Since creative writing is not my strongest skill, I realized I would have to try something a little different. The strategy I discovered involves creating lists of words grouped by specific domains and matching them together to create new ideas and associations. The best part is that this tip can be used in many different forms of writing and can be easily tailored to your specific writing needs. I will even show you how easily you could use this method to create powerful descriptors right off the cuff for a purpose completely different from my original idea. Simple, structured tips like this can set you on the path to writing—and thinking-–more creatively. In this episode you'll hear: How to create creative new descriptors through domain-specific word matching Why random word association isn't always the best way to generate creativity Suggestions on how to make this technique work for you Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

Have you ever wondered if certain creativity techniques are better to use in certain situations? If so, this episode is for you. As you know by now, creativity is a skill that anyone can learn. It is a structured process and involves using structured techniques. These techniques are patterns that mankind has used for thousands of years to create new solutions without consciously realizing it. They are embedded into the products and services we use and see around us every day. In this episode, I'll share some general guidelines on how to use each of these five techniques. I'll teach you some tips that I take into account every time I use one of them and how to apply them in real life. In this episode you'll hear: A quick rundown and example of each of the five techniques. General rules of thumb on when to use each technique. How the techniques work together. Which technique helps break structural fixedness the best. Examples of each technique in the real world.  Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

Let me ask you: which is more important, curiosity or creativity? Well, the truth is, that's a trick question. As I've spent years studying the world of creativity, I've learned over and over again that curiosity is really a precursor to the creative act. The two go hand in hand. Throughout today's show, I'm going to explain why this is. I'll share why I'm learning to appreciate curiosity more than ever before and how it's connected to creativity so intricately. Then, I'll give you some ideas on what you can do about this. In this episode you'll hear: Curiosity can be trained just like creativity. The three elements that lead to innovation. How a curious mindset leads to a creative act. Innovation is applied creativity. Techniques to help you start thinking more curiously. How to apply this. Resources from this episode: "The Driving Mindsets of Innovation: Curiosity, Creativity and Clarity" from The Journal of Business Strategy Global Curiosity Institute Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

What can doctors teach us about creativity? People in the medical field actually have a lot of knowledge and experience around innovation. Why? Because they deal with uncertainty daily.  Doctors often take risks and make decisions all in the face of uncertainty. To simply get their jobs done, they've got to get creative. In fact, uncertainty forces you to be creative. Today, I want to share some of my experiences from the medical device industry with you. I'll explain some things I witnessed doctors, nurses, and the like doing that demonstrated great creative ability.  In this episode you'll hear: The constraints in the medical field that lead to creative solutions. The many uncertainties doctors must deal with. A story that demonstrates how systematic creativity impacts the way we think about the world and address it creatively. What the task unification technique is and how we all use it naturally. How task unification has been used in the medical field to solve chronic conditions. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

Imagine taking an exam that tests you on your creative skills. Then imagine your final grade in a graduate course rides on how well you do on that exam. That's what my students at the University of Cincinnati have to go through every semester. I teach a course called “Innovation Tools” and teach my students a variety of methods for becoming more creative thinkers. I also teach them the same SIT method that I teach here on the podcast. Tune in to put yourself in my student's shoes, take on their pressure, and hear all about the final exam they must take. In this episode you'll hear: The surprise aspects of my students' final exam.  The part of the exam where my students apply each of the five SIT techniques to a product. The five criteria my students are graded on. Why I like grading these finals. A challenge for you to practice your creative skills this week. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

Are you as creative in the virtual world as you are in person? This is an important question to be asking right now. The virtual world is taking over. More and more companies are going remote. You may even be working fully remote! We need to know if our creative output can remain the same online. An article recently came out that says it can't. It asserts that your innovation abilities and creative skills decrease when you're virtual. Today, I want to discuss this article and its applications. What does it means for you as you lead your creative lifestyle online and offline? Let's dig in!  In this episode you'll hear: Why this topic of virtual communication is so important. A summary of the study recently done on this. My problem with the study. Why multitasking is so detrimental. Why brainstorming gets in the way of innovation. How good creativity techniques overcome the limitations of the virtual world. Why technique is more important than modality. Resources from this episode: "Collaborating Over Videoconference Makes You Both Less Creative” blog post Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

We know that creativity is, simply put, the sudden collision of two previously unrelated things. However, have you ever stopped to think about what would happen if you combined two related things?  It just so happens that that is a fun little tool called fusion. Fusion is used by marketers, designers, artists, and all other kinds of creative people around the world. When you combine two related things, it turns out that something remarkable can result.  Today, let's talk all about fusion and how it's useful. In this episode you'll hear: Where you can find fusion in the world. How fusion helps you be a more effective communicator. Products that utilized fusion to be creative. Different ways to do fusion. Why practicing fusion is important.  Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

As a professor, I've worked with people of various backgrounds and majors and given them career coaching. I've taught them what to think about as they leave college and enter their career.  Today, I want to do the same for all of you listeners. Whether you're graduating college, new to the workforce, or changing careers, creativity is your best friend. So, in this episode, I'm giving you three pieces of advice on how to think about creativity and innovation when at this particular transition in life. Tune in to get started! In this episode you'll hear: Why creativity is so important. How to develop a creative disposition in any job. Why you need to see creativity as a skill. Why brainstorming doesn't work. How creativity and resistance go hand in hand. How to change your mindset around resistance. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

Attribute dependency is one of the most challenging creativity techniques to master. For many of us, it can be confusing to figure out what it means let alone apply it. However, in my opinion, it's the most powerful creativity technique of all. We must get a good grasp on it so we're able to use it confidently. Well, today's your lucky day! There's a new web app out that allows you to perform attribute dependency. Tune in and I'll tell you all about it. In this episode you'll hear: A refresher on attribute dependency. Examples of innovations that utilize attribute dependency. How this new web app, Omni Vati, allows you to use attribute dependency. An example of how you could use the app for innovation. How Omni Vati helps you come up with ideas you never would've come up with on your own. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

I hate Post-it notes. No, that's not true. I love them as a product. I use them nearly every day. What I do hate is how they are used as an example of innovation and creativity. To me, they set a terrible example of creative thinking. Tune in to learn some of the history of Post-it notes and why I don't think they teach us any good lessons about creativity.  In this episode you'll hear: Who invented Post-it notes and why. Why serendipitous products aren't that creative. How the inventors of Post-it notes struggled to get buy-in. When the product started to take off. Why the launch of Post-it notes is a dreadful example of innovation. What we can learn from failures like this. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

Ever said, “I'll know it when I see it?” I said this recently to a salesperson in an art gallery. I wasn't looking for anything in particular but knew that if there was something I really liked and was interested in, it would jump out at me. I'm sure you've done the same. Well, sometimes our judgments aren't quite right. We may not be as good at assessing creative work as we think. In this episode, I discuss this and give some reflections on the matter that may surprise you. Join me! In this episode you'll hear: How we judge a creative idea is affected by how we perceive its inventor. A study on how the gender of an inventor and the uniqueness of his or her name affects one's perception of the invention itself.  Where we see bias in the world of innovation. Why I keep ideas anonymous in my creative work. A mental trick that can help you remove implicit bias. Resources from this episode: Research: Izabela Lebuda and Maciej Karwowski Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

It's graduation season! College seniors are getting ready to walk that stage, receive their diplomas, and enter the workforce. As a new graduate, working on your creative ability is important. Being an asset to your company by generating creative ideas will make you stand out and leave a great impression on your new employer. In every challenge you encounter in adult life, being able to think about and attack those situations creatively puts you a step ahead of everyone else. Today, I want to teach you how to start doing this. Tune in to learn five tips on how you can step into a new job and start making a creative impact right off the bat. In this episode you'll hear: Why you should identify the constraints of your new situation or job. What constraints do. How imagining that you're solving someone else's problem increases your problem-solving abilities and creative output. The importance of breaking your big problems down. Why brainstorming doesn't work. The golden rule of creativity and how to apply it at work. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

Success doesn't mean doing everything perfectly. It doesn't even depend on what you accomplish in life. Rather, success is based on how you overcome the challenges presented to you daily. In this episode, I want to teach you five ways to tackle the challenging problems you may be facing. This is called problem-solving.  Problem-solving is different from creativity. They are often intertwined but solutions don't always have to be creative. Tune in to learn ways to change your thinking around challenges and, ultimately, overcome them. In this episode you'll hear: How to chunk your problems down. How to simplify challenges. Why drawing your challenges can be helpful. How rearranging a problem makes it more manageable. The importance of challenging your assumptions. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

I always say “think inside the box.” However, this week, I want you to instead think inside the skyscraper! We're going to take a little trip to the world's tallest building and see what we can learn about creativity from it.  I recently had the opportunity to travel to Dubai and visit the world's tallest building. I even went to the very top floor. That caused me to reflect on all skyscrapers have to teach us regarding creativity and creative patterns. Today, I want to share some of the lessons I learned and apply them to your day-to-day life.  In this episode you'll hear: How skyscrapers make use of the multiplication technique of innovation. Where we find the division technique in skyscrapers. How the tallest building in the world uses the task unification technique. What pattern spotting is. How attribute dependency is in skyscrapers. The benefits of all of these innovative techniques. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

Do you want to be a more creative person? Of course you do! Otherwise, you wouldn't be listening to this podcast. There's one thing that will make you a much more creative person: pattern spotting. Pattern spotting is when you take the time to analyze things you find creative. Then, you try to understand the underlying structure of those things and figure out why they're creative. In this episode, we will talk all about pattern spotting while you travel. Airports are a neat venue where you will find loads of innovative ideas. When you're at the airport, you can practice pattern spotting by noticing creative things.  Let's dive into that now! In this episode you'll hear: Why airports are a great opportunity for pattern spotting. The innovative aspects of baggage claim. How to practice pattern spotting on advertisements. How pattern spotting makes you more creative. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

There is an old saying that necessity is the mother of invention. Well, is that really true? Does necessity cause us to want to be more creative? You will find it out on our episode today! What if your parking ticket isn't working because it's defective and you get stuck in the parking lot? What would you do in this situation? That actually happened to me when I was traveling recently and the QR code in my parking ticket got smudged.  How can we then apply the systematic inventive thinking method to a parking garage dilemma? Let me work through with you some thought processes and how you might use the patterns of innovation when you find yourself in similar situations.  In this episode you'll hear: A story from an airport parking garage Contradictions in life can lead us to creative thinking 5 SIT patterns applied to the parking garage dilemma How the story was resolved Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   Episode 075: Contradictions: A Pathway to Creative Thinking https://drewboyd.com/iib075/  *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at emeraldcitypro.com.

Water that follows the path of least resistance is the easiest route to arrive at its final destination. The same can be said about our minds, too, which tend to take the path of least resistance. In other words, we lean into taking avenues familiar to us.  However, most creative ideas come from following the path of most resistance, not the least resistance. The best innovators are those comfortable with recognizing and looking for the more difficult, tortuous path. This is why we need to push our brains a little bit further if we want to boost our creativity. In this episode, let's talk about what it means to take a little risk when you want to be more creative, and particularly, what it means to you in practice. We also discuss the two important principles from the world of consumer behavior research-based principles that account for why most of us tend to take the path of least resistance and how we can use the SIT method to ultimately lead to some powerful ideas you wouldn't have come up with otherwise. In this episode you'll hear: The path of most resistance is a principle of the SIT method The Principle of Cognitive Efficiency The Principle of Knowledge Accessibility Matching two unrelated things together to create the most resistance What it looks like to take the path of most resistance Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea SIT (Tel Aviv) *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. ____________________________________________________________________________

Do you think of yourself as a creative person? In this episode, you're going to find out! Now, I've read a blog about the creative stereotypes or what a “creative person” looks like where the author looked at gender, individuality, beliefs, and upbringing.  Forget about the stereotypes. It doesn't matter how you compare to these so-called creativity stereotypes. And if you look at those stereotypes of creativity as your benchmark, then forget about it because it's not relevant.  At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter how other people view you. What ultimately matters is whether you think you are creative and whether you're willing to break free from your own self-limiting belief that you can't be creative – because you can!  In this episode you'll hear: A creativity experiment What matters is the trying Overcoming fixedness to apply SIT Resources from this episode: Nick Skillicorn's blog post: “The Creative Stereotype: What does a “creative person” look like?” https://www.ideatovalue.com/crea/nickskillicorn/2022/03/the-creative-stereotype-what-does-a-creative-person-look-like/    *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. ____________________________________________________________________________

Do you think computers will be able to do creative thinking as humans do? The idea of artificial intelligence has been around for a very long time. And since then, it has been rising in popularity. But what are the limits to it? How far will technology go in taking over this important task?  You have probably been using technology to take over many things you're doing today. Think about robotics such as the robotic vacuum or a robotic lawnmower. Now, what would it take to have a machine or computer do systematic structured methods?  The point of this podcast is to make the case that you can be more creative thinking by structuring your brain, using it in a systematic way, and regulating your thinking. Will computers be able to do the same, and even better than you?  Today, let's try to examine this closely. In this episode you'll hear: The 3 steps of the SIT method: how can a computer fulfill each step? The 5 tools of SIT Why my bet is on humans when it comes to parts of creative thinking Let's focus on what humans can do to think in structured ways! Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

Welcome to Creativity Inside the Box, formerly Innovation Inside the Box. I started this podcast back in 2020 and I was talking about innovation broadly - how you get new products and services to market with a decidedly business-focus - but the podcast grew and evolved over the past two years.    This podcast really is all about you, though, and I want this to be like a one-on-one conversation where we get to talk about what I've learned in the 20+ years of working in the field of creativity and innovation and give you some tools and techniques and some ideas that will make you a better and better person in terms of your creative output.     So join me each week and let's chat about how we can each become a more creative person.    Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

Is there a room or a space in your home where you think you are your most creative? If not, how do you then create a space that allows you to be your most creative self?  You've probably seen rooms dedicated to brainstorming as well as some people taking all those different efforts to create creative spaces.  Now, let's explore it in your own experience! There's no worse metaphor for innovation and creativity than the famous brainstorming room where you walk in and you see beanbags and cool stuff hanging from the ceiling. Well, that doesn't necessarily make you more creative because no matter where you are, ​​ideation is independent of location.  Today, find out how you can bring out creativity no matter where you are! In this episode you'll hear: Considering different spaces in your home What are others saying online about spaces that boost creativity Structured methods you can use anywhere at anytime Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

Back in 2012, The New York Times released an article entitled “32 Innovations That Will Change Your Tomorrow.” It was basically a list of 32 different innovations which they predict will change the future. In today's episode, let's turn the clock back and see how well they did as we look ahead from 2012 to today. Now the people in 2012 couldn't possibly have predicted this pandemic. Interestingly, a lot of the innovations in the list actually resonate with the context of today's environment.  Sometimes, great ideas just need to percolate and bide their time until the right situation comes for them to be used. This probably has been the history of a lot of creative ideas. And so, when you get a creative idea, don't just throw it away. Store it away for that day when your super cool idea is going to find its time. In this episode you'll hear: The analytical undies The congestion killer The anti-slouch screen The speech jammer Mind-reading shopping cart CSI bathroom Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   The New York Times article: 32 Innovations That Will Change Your Tomorrow  https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/06/03/magazine/innovations-issue.html    *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

Can you really learn to be more creative? Well, of course you can, but what if you didn't want it to take the time to actually learn it?  What, instead, if you could just take a pill?  Imagine if you went to a meeting with your colleagues and you all got ready to just pop a pill in your mouth, a magic creativity, pill, and voila!  It turns out that certain drugs can do just that.  In this episode, you'll learn how different drugs can help (or impair) your creativity.  In this episode you'll hear: How certain drugs can actually help your creativity.  How different drugs affect divergent or convergent thinking.  Resources from this episode: Nick Skillicorn's blog: Idea to Value Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

Ever removed a cork from a wine bottle? If so, you also know how to remove a baby from its mother's birth canal! Just kidding. That is certainly not true.  What is true, however, is that a very important medical device has been invented because one man learned how to remove the wine cork that was stuck in his wine bottle. He did so by using something called analog transfer.  In this episode, I'm going to share the story of that medical invention with you. Then I'm going to explain how analog transfer was used in the story and how you can also use this method in your innovation efforts. In this episode you'll hear: How a car mechanic took methods for removing a stuck wine work and applied it to babies stuck in the birth canal. The device that was formed from his ideas. What analog transfer is. How to apply analog transfer in your life. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

Have you ever heard of divergent and convergent thinking? In the world of creativity, these two terms come up quite often. They are different thinking abilities that are utilized in innovation. The question is, which one is more important and effective when it comes to creative ability? In this episode, I answer that question. I also dive into a more thorough explanation of what both convergent and divergent thinking are. Tune in to learn all about it! In this episode you'll hear: A quick quiz that tests your ability to think outside the box. What divergent thinking is. Why brainstorming doesn't work. What convergent thinking is. Why you don't need divergent ability. Tools that will take care of divergent ideas for you. Why it's easier to find the benefit of a divergent idea than come up with the idea yourself. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

Do you want to become a more creative person? Well, of course you do. Otherwise, you wouldn't be tuning into this podcast! So, the question remains: how can you become a more creative person? The key is to be a consumer of creative products, not just a generator of creative ideas. In this episode, I want to bring to light this notion of your behaviors as a consumer of creative products and services. Research has shown that people who are drawn to creative things tend to be better at creativity themselves. On the flip side, those who shy away from creative products tend to be less creative. Let's dive into our spending habits and talk more about what all of this means. In this episode you'll hear: Why we should all do more product research before buying anything. Why brand knowledge is important. How to analyze your purchases through the lens of creativity. How to increase your consumption knowledge. How to be intentional about purchasing creative things. A recent example of a creative purchase I made. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

Life is full of contradictions, isn't it? We often have two ideas in our heads that are in opposition with one another. We want one thing but we also want something else. Unfortunately, we can't have both because they're directly opposed. So, what do we do? That's what I'm discussing in this episode. I'm going to help you navigate this very common situation. The next time you're facing a contradiction, you'll be equipped to handle it with confidence and even a boost in creativity. In this episode you'll hear: Some examples of contradictions we face every day. Two schools of thought on contradictions. The weak link in contradictions. Why all assumptions are false. How to identify your assumptions. Techniques I use to break contradictions. Examples of how to use these techniques. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

The Beatles are making a comeback. Well, sort of. They are making a comeback but in a different format than we're used to. They are appearing in a new documentary called Get Back which you can stream now on Disney Plus. The documentary is a distilled version of over 150 hours of footage of the Beatles from back in January of 1969. In it, they attempt to write and record 14 songs in just over two weeks. It is truly a spectacle to see how they produce music together. I thought it would be interesting to dive into the documentary and consider it through the lens of creativity. So, in this episode, I discuss some of the lessons of structured creativity we can learn from Get Back. In this episode you'll hear: All of the attention Get Back is getting in the media. Why the Beatles started with a partial solution and worked backward to create a full song. Why creativity requires hard work. Why constraints are a necessary condition for creativity to occur. How diversity magnifies our creative output. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

When does a creative idea get so old that people stop appreciating it and start just expecting it? I'm not sure I have the answer for that. However, I do know that there are many unappreciated things out there that are still highly creative. In this episode, I explore some of these things. Everything you see around you is a creative invention that has survived the test of time. It's important to take the time now and then to stop, appreciate these things, and be amazed by how creative they are. That's what we'll do today.  Tune in to hear my list of the top 10 most underappreciated creative inventions. In this episode you'll hear: #10: Elevators #9: Water towers #8: Calendars #7: Roads #6: Keys #5: Currency #4: The iPhone #3: Brakes #2: Hair color #1: Eyeglasses Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

Have you ever been invited to a party or other event but had something else you really wanted to do at the same time? Maybe in these instances, you've said to yourself, “Gee, I wish I could be in two places at once!” Obviously, that's impossible from a physical point of view. However, it brings up an important concept in the field of creativity: location.  Location has a very special place in our thinking about creativity. So, in this episode, I want to explore this notion of location. Tune in to learn how location can work for you and make you more creative. In this episode you'll hear: The importance of location in our lives. How to apply attribute dependency to location. An example of attribute dependency in GPS locational data programs. How the routes you take could be influenced by your insurance programs or health requests. How social status factors could be correlated to your location. Ways to innovate a coffee cup depending on your location. How using attribute dependency to make your products and services change as your location changes could improve the quality of your life.  Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

If you've been listening to this show for any length of time, you've more than likely come to realize that learning creativity takes time. However, it is time well spent. Becoming more creative will change every aspect of your life for the better. Today, I want to dig into this concept of time. In this episode, I discuss time as the dimension it is. I also explain how it's used in our creative thinking and creative output. I believe that time should be a regular part of your creative output. You should always keep the idea of time next to you while working on your creativity and fold it into all of your efforts. Tune in to learn how! In this episode you'll hear: What the principle of constraints is. How putting time constraints on a project can make you more creative. How to use the division technique to rearrange things through time. Examples of using the division technique with time. How to add the element of time to the multiplication technique. Where we see time represented in the attribute dependency technique. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

Brainstorming. We've talked about it here on the podcast before. Regular listeners will likely remember that I'm not a big fan. However, today I want to share insights on brainstorming from someone besides me. Mark McGuinness is a fellow author and podcaster. He recently put out an article called “Is Brainstorming A Waste of Time?” In this episode, I discuss this article and share the case for and against brainstorming. No matter where your opinion on this method lies, I encourage you to listen to the end to hear both sides of the argument. Mark's insights are very helpful as we explore what role brainstorming plays in innovation. In this episode you'll hear: Mark's balanced view on brainstorming. The benefits of brainstorming. How brainstorming gives everyone a voice and a chance to air out their thoughts. The four rules of brainstorming. The problems with brainstorming. The dangers of inhibition and groupthink. Why we should compare brainstorming with other techniques of innovation to decide which one to use. Resources from this episode: Productivity for Creative People: How to Get Creative Work Done in an “Always On” World by Mark McGuinness   The 21st Century Creative podcast   Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

We're getting ready to embark upon the holiday season here in the US. It all starts with one of my favorite holidays, Thanksgiving. I especially love this holiday because the food is so good: the traditional turkey and all of the incredible side dishes. Not to mention, it's an opportunity to spend quality time with family and friends. So, what does this have to do with creativity? Today, we're going to investigate that a bit. We're going to explore Thanksgiving and do some pattern spotting.  As I always say, anyone can learn the skill of creativity and a big part of that is noticing the patterns in the things we see around us. Tune in to apply this to Thanksgiving dinner and get some inspiration for pattern spotting in your everyday life. In this episode you'll hear: What pattern spotting is. Five kitchen gadgets that have the five patterns of the SIT in them. An example of the subtraction technique in a turkey probe. Where we can see multiplication in a triple timer. How gravy can display task unification. How the division technique has been used to make it easier to get the turkey out of the oven. How attribute dependency could apply to Thanksgiving dinner. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

If you live in the United States, you know that it is football season here. Regardless of whether you're into pro football, college football, or none of the above, you are more than likely aware that football season is going on and you are probably influenced by it in some way. Today, I want to get into some of the innovation aspects of football. I'm asking and answering the following: what's happening in the world of sports (and football, in particular) in regards to creativity? Tune in to hear some of the ways football has innovated over the years and how we can become more creative by studying this popular sport. In this episode you'll hear: Technology-driven innovations in the game of football. Why no-huddle offense is a good example of the SIT technique of subtraction. What's so creative about the wishbone offense strategy and how it demonstrates multiplication. Where we can see the division technique in zone defense. How to apply other SIT techniques to football. How to break fixedness around football, specifically regarding jerseys. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

As one thing changes, another thing changes. That may sound like a simple (and perhaps obvious) phrase, but if you can remember it, you will have added a very powerful tool to your creativity arsenal. It is the basis of the fifth tool in the SIT method of innovation. Indeed, it sums up attribute dependency. In this episode, I discuss this tool in depth. I've covered attribute dependency in previous episodes but today I want to go a bit of a different route. I'll explain some of the things I observe when my students learn this technique and teach you how to get this powerful tool up and ready to use for your own innovation. In this episode you'll hear: What attribute dependency is. What an attribute is. Why this technique can be the most challenging. Examples of attribute dependency all around us. The complex way to use attribute dependency. An easier way to practice using this technique. How companies use attribute dependency to make smart products.  Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

There's an old saying that goes like this: “Never look inside a woman's purse.” Boy, do I know that to be true! I do everything I can to not look inside my wife's purse because, when I do, it's horrifying. It's truly mass chaos in there. But, what does any of this have to do with creativity? That's what we are discussing in today's episode. We're going to look around a woman's purse and see what creative lessons we can take from it. Tune in to join me! In this episode you'll hear: How a woman's purse is like a bridge. What smartphones and purses have in common. How to apply the task unification technique to a woman's purse. What the “circle of preparedness” is. A personal story about innovating a purse. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

The title of this episode reveals the question on many of our minds: is it creative to copy someone else's idea? At first glance, that wouldn't seem very creative. If you were to take someone's idea and claim it as your own, few would label that “creativity.” However, there is some merit to the idea of copying. There's a very good and compelling reason for using a degree of copying as a way to boost your creative output.  That's what we're covering in this episode. In it, I explain why we should sometimes copy others' ideas to increase our own innovative abilities. In this episode you'll hear: How architects borrow other architects' designs and styles. How copying can be a way to master fundamental, foundational ideas. Why copying is really just transferring the style of one creative person to your own. How to transfer a creative idea into another genre. What analog transference is. The difference between innovation and discovery. Why every new idea has an old idea in it. Resources from this episode: Stewart Hicks' YouTube channel Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

If you've been tuning in to the podcast for a while, you probably remember the one thing I always say: creativity is a skill that anyone can learn. Just like any other skill, creativity can be taught and it can be learned. This may be hard to believe for those of you who don't think you are naturally creative. However, that's just the point. You can learn to be creative. In this episode, I'm sharing the evidence that proves this to be true. The evidence comes from a group of students that are undergraduates at the University of Cincinnati at the Linder College of Business. I teach a course called Marketing Innovation there and get the chance to hear cool, novel ideas that my students come up with.  Today I'm sharing a handful of those ideas with you to prove you, too, can learn creativity. In this episode you'll hear: An innovative idea my students came up with by applying the subtraction method to a kayak. Another innovative idea that came from the subtraction method being used on mascara. How the task unification technique can be used to innovate suitcases. How such cool ideas can come from standard, everyday objects. Innovations my students have come up with for golf. How I'm training my students to provide valuable ideas to their university. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

“Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam, where the deer and the antelope play!” You probably recognize that lyric from the very popular song, Home on the Range. That song is top of mind right now because my wife and I just returned from Yellowstone National Park. While there, we saw plenty of buffalo, deer, antelope, and elk. I also noticed something very interesting about the buffalo while at Yellowstone. There is something the park rangers can learn from watching these buffalo. As a result, they do something very creative.  In this episode, I'm diving into what that lesson from the buffalos (or bison) is and dive deep into the creative lessons we can learn from our national parks. In this episode you'll hear: What biomimicry is. What bison can teach us that leads to a creative act. How park rangers have followed the buffalo to know where to build safety boardwalks. What omission neglect is. Other ways we can apply this biomimicry lesson. What pareidolia is and how we do it all the time. How all of this related to the task unification technique in the SIT method.   Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

We all want to improve the quality of our ideas. If you didn't, you wouldn't be here. So let me give you one quick tip that will help you improve all of your ideas: forecast that idea's future. Taking an idea and thinking about how it will play out far into the future is a phenomenon in innovation. Today, I share some research that has been done on it. I'm also going to describe how to practically apply this idea so you can generate better quality ideas. In this episode you'll hear: What perspective innovation is. How to forecast the future of your ideas. Research done on this topic by the University of Oklahoma. Why you should stop and think about a new idea before moving on to the next one. An example of how I've seen someone use this phenomenon. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

Creativity is nothing more than the collision of two previously unrelated things. To be creative, you simply have to take two things that don't belong together, mash them up, and figure out what they make. However, the key here is that the end result must be useful.  Sure, you can take any two objects, smash them together, and come up with something creative. The problem is, it might have no use. If this is the case, you've gone too far. So, in this episode, I want to teach you how to make sure you err on the side of being useful. I explain the product that inspired me to think deeper into this idea and delve into the SIT method once again to show you how to be truly innovative. In this episode you'll hear: What “Mayochup” is. Why food flavor combination is nothing new. How cognitive fixedness is a barrier to true creativity. Why creativity doesn't always equal usefulness. Innovation=creativity+usefulness. How the SIT method empowers you to routinely create high-quality ideas. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

Do you remember being told as a kid that elephants are afraid of mice? Well, I hate to break it to you, but that's not true. Despite what we saw in the cartoons, scientists have said that elephants are not, in fact, afraid of mice. However, want to guess what elephants are afraid of? Bees. Today I talk about how this fact about elephants and bees relates to creativity. I explain the insights that it can give us into innovation. I also discuss what the codes and patterns of nature, in general, can teach us about creativity.  In this episode you'll hear: What inspired me to look at this issue. A creative solution some farmers came up with when elephants were destroying their crops. What a closed world solution is. What biomimicry is and how it relates to creativity. Lessons we can learn from nature. How to transfer nature's patterns into human society. Why innovation requires us to be able to pass on the information. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

Today, I've got some bad news and some good news. Good news first: you're probably more creative than you think you are!  So what's the bad news? We all tend to give up right at that point when we're starting to become really creative. Studies have shown that when we're facing a creative challenge and things start to feel difficult, we lower our expectations about what we're able to do. We underestimate our ability to generate more creative ideas. Today, I'm going to talk about what this means for all of us. I'm going to share more research that backs up this tendency and then I'll help you understand what you should do when you reach that point of wanting to give up. In this episode you'll hear: Experiments that have proved that people consistently underestimate the number of ideas they could generate while solving a creative challenge. What to do when you feel a creative task starting to get difficult. Why the best ideas come after you get stuck. The danger of stopping when you feel stuck. An example of a time I witnessed this happen and clever ideas were produced. The power of persistence. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

Fear of failure is one of the biggest barriers to creativity. However, if you struggle with fear, don't despair. There are strategies for dealing with it. In this episode, I'm sharing some of those strategies with you. The truth is, even though anyone can learn the skill of creativity, everyone also encounters impediments to this skill. There will always be situations where fear will kick in and prevent you from reaching your greatest creative output. I've seen this happen over and over again in my 30 years of dealing with innovation. Tune in to hear some of the things I've learned about overcoming your fear of creativity. In this episode you'll hear: Why we fear creativity. How systematic methods do the hard work for you. Why your fear is unfounded. How the fear of being judged inhibits brainstorming sessions. Three practical ways to overcome your fear of creativity. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

Today's topic is toilet paper. Yes, you read that right. We're talking about toilet paper on the podcast. I promise there's an explanation: I want to teach you how to apply structured creativity methods to this everyday product. I believe that if you can learn to create innovative ideas for something like toilet paper, you can apply innovation to just about anything.  To apply creativity to toilet paper, we're going to focus in on one of the five patterns in the SIT method. This is the technique that I would consider to be the most difficult. It's called attribute dependency.  Tune in and we'll dive into attribute dependency and toilet paper. In this episode you'll hear: The history of toilet paper. Different ways to innovate toilet paper. How attribute dependency works. What internal and external attributes are. How to apply attribute dependency to toilet paper. How this helps break structural fixedness. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

Today, instead of innovating inside the box, I want you to think inside the umbrella. Believe it or not, the umbrella is a great example of how patterns of innovation have progressed over time to form the basis of the SIT method. Patterns have been used by everyday innovators for thousands of years to create new inventions. Many times they were using those patterns without even realizing it. Now those patterns are embedded into the everyday things you see around you like umbrellas. These items can be leveraged and used to create and innovate new things. In this episode, we're going to look into this everyday object of the umbrella. It may seem like a simple and lowly household object. However, you'd be surprised to know that all five patterns of the SIT method can be found inside of it. Tune in to learn how. In this episode you'll hear: The history of the umbrella. Examples of innovations of the umbrella that used subtraction. How the task unification technique has been used on umbrellas. What the “unbrella” is and how it exemplifies the division technique. How transition umbrellas use the attribution dependency technique. How the multiplication technique could be used to innovate the umbrella. What a 3rd grader taught me about the multiplication technique. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

You may not realize it, but there is a very important part of our food chain that is under duress. One-third of the food we consume on a daily basis depends on animal pollination. Eighty percent of all flowering plants rely specifically on the pollination of bees. The problem is, these bees are in trouble. Both the honeybee and native bee populations are declining. Scientists know that if they were able to figure out where bees are doing well and where they're not, they would be able to address some strategies for helping them out. With millions of bees all over the country, though, they need to come up with a very creative solution for collecting all of that data. Well, one very clever and talented researcher has decided to use a creativity technique to do just that. Processor Gretchen Lebuhn used the task unification technique to start The Great Sunflower Project. In this episode, we're discussing this project in depth. I'm explaining how Professor Lebuhn's project works and where the SIT method plays into it. In this episode you'll hear: How The Great Sunflower project allows scientists to get an accurate picture of what's going on with bees. The creative part of this project. How the task unification technique works. What crowdsourcing is and how it plays into all of this. Resources from this episode: The Great Sunflower Project Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

Have you ever said the following? “I've got this great idea! If only I could explain it to you…” I'm willing to bet you have. A great idea has popped into your head but you just couldn't find the right words to express it. You were trying to understand it yourself and then had to go and try explaining it to others. You're not alone. In fact, this is a very common phenomenon.  So today, I'm going to talk through the sequence of events that are put into play when an idea comes into your mind. I'm going to take you from the core of the idea when it starts to the finishing point of the idea and through all the things that have to happen in between.  Tune in to get your ideas out into the open! In this episode you'll hear: What a pre-inventive form is. How to match your ambiguous ideas with objective facts. Why you need to put words around those facts. How to describe your idea in a way that creates value. How Googling your mind can play into all of this. Why you should demonstrate your idea by explaining it in a way that people can see it. An example of how this sequence of events might flow. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

A few episodes ago, I talked about what I considered the world's greatest invention. And in that episode, I made some disparaging comments about the wheel. I said that the wheel was not the world's greatest invention ever, how there were a lot of limitations to this idea, and I talked a little bit about its history of it. But I guess some people didn't like that. And so, in this episode, let me give some credit back to the lonely whale and talk about its evolution, and give you some of my ideas about if you were to continue to innovate this important invention and what it would look like. I love taking something that has been around for a long, long time and see if we can continue to innovate it. It always astounds me when you're able to take something as simple as a nail or something more complex like photography that has been around for a long time and you can still innovate.  In this episode you'll hear: The evolution of the wheel Examples of SIT applied to the wheel  Some fixedness associated with the wheel How do you apply SIT thinking to the wheel?  Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com