The Info Treasure Trove

We experience creativity every time a fresh idea pops into our minds. We recognize creative imagination in everything from a pastel painting to a business plan. By trying these ten tips, you will discover some amazing creative abilities that may surprise you.

1. Substitute someone else’s perspective for yours. How would a teacher, lawyer, actor, artist, explorer, journalist, psychologist, engineer, homemaker, child, or accountant approach your idea or subject? Don’t know? Ask them!

2. Look at your idea through the eyes of a critic. For each idea, make a list of all criticisms that may arise. Try to develop as many solutions as possible for overcoming obstacles or repairing weaknesses in your idea.

3. Connect your idea to other worlds or fields. Look at the worlds of Politics, Art, Science & Medicine, Hollywood, The Ice Age, Astronomy, Astrology, Ballet, Animation, The Army, Asia, Teaching, Music, Europe, and the like. Can you make an analogy, and what ideas can you draw upon from these fields and worlds?

4. Magnify your idea. What can you do to enlarge, expedite, extend, strengthen, exaggerate, dramatize, or improve your idea?

5. Simplify your idea. Can you condense, trim down, compact, minimize, or narrow your idea?

6. Change your idea. Modify the name, color, sound, shape, form, function, smell, taste, and properties of your idea.

7. Make your idea meet the needs and wants of the masses. Does your idea meet the basic needs and wants of more comfort, money, food, shelter, time, space, convenience, attractiveness, health, and beauty? If not, alter your idea to meet one if not all of these needs and wants.

8. Add more value. What will add more value? Add extra features, durability, safety, thickness, accuracy, guarantees, uses, and freebies.

9. Examine what others have done. Emulate professionals and experts who have had great success with a similar idea or product. Are you facing a problem that has already been solved? Use the past as a tool for experimentation and learning.

10. Flip a coin. When you cannot make a decision, flip a coin. Once the coin falls, use your intuition and gut to make a decision. If you feel comfortable with the result, go with it. If you feel uncomfortable with the coin toss, make the opposite decision.

About The Author

Bea Fields, Southern Pines, NC, USA; bea@fivestarleader.com

http://www.fivestarleader.com

Bea Fields is an Executive Coach and a Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach. She is also a Consultant, Trainer, Public Speaker and author of the Five Star Leader e-course. Her area of expertise is that of Leadership Development and Marketing for Executives, Managers, Small Business Owners, and Political Leaders.

In short, my bank made bit of a mess of opening a new business account for me. And I waited for about 6 weeks before I eventually received a paying in book and cheque book.

They also told me that I wouldn’t be able to see this account along with my other accounts when I used their internet banking facility. This would have been very inconvenient when trying to see my balances or transferring funds between accounts.

My bank manager was clearly very embarrassed by these problems. He sent me several letters of apology and also a present of a very nice Cross roller-ball pen.

At one point, I was getting so frustrated with what was happening that I actually thought about changing banks. But on second thoughts decided that I ought to at least telephone him and explain my frustrations. By letting him know how I felt, he at least had a chance to put things right.

Finally, he did manage to solve all the problems. My cheque books did arrive. And he managed to get all my accounts set up on one internet account.

I was a happy customer once more. And I will be staying with this bank.

But what was it that saved the day. Was it the letters of apology? Was it the Cross pen?

No. What convinced me to stay with this bank was when my manager had some temporary cheques made up for me and then drove 10 miles to hand deliver them to me.

I actually only needed to use one of those temporary cheques. But it was the manager’s commitment to me as a customer that made the day.

Interestingly, the pen didn’t save the day. But it is a lovely reminder of my manager’s commitment and care.

How would you and your team demonstrate that you care?

Derek Williams is creator of The WOW! Awards and Chief Executive for the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals in Europe.

For more information about Derek Williams visit http://www.MrWow.co.uk.
For The WOW! Awards (including access to a FREE customer service newsletter) visit http://www.TheWowAwards.com