Melt Them Down - M - Chapter 1
M - Chapter One
S.P.R.E.A.D.ng Creative Thinking Throughout teams, groups, departments, plants, offices, divisions, entire corporations.
I began creating a workable system, a machine, a process for helping individuals thru to entire corporations to S.P.R.E.A.D. creative thinking throughout from their front and rear doors to their CEOs offices, shortly after I attended and presented at my first CPSI.
From the many presenters (LEADERS) at CPSI I was learning what was being done or tried to be done at their corporations or their clients' corporations to make creative thinking a primary focus.
The first consultant I spoke with was Bob Theobold who had spent a couple years creating, planning and developing a Creative Thinking program for IBM in the 70s. I found him in Colorado and called him using the ancient AT&T long distance phone call system. We spoke, actually I listened, for about 90 minutes. That one call cost me over $120 and took me months to pay it off through my monthly AT&T bill payments. It was only the beginning of my adventures into CREATIVITY PROGRAMS in AMERICA's WORKPLACES.
Summary of my listening:
He was angry, frustrated, filled with hate because he had spent so much time creating the program at great expense to the company and it was NEVER implemented because one manager saw no value in it.
He didn't have a CREATIVITY CHAMPION. One of the first variables I learned that is needed to internalize creative thinking as a cultural factor. I would learn about the need of CREATIVITY CHAMPIONS many times over the next few decades.
Through extensive reading of articles in various types of publications from business journals to association journals to educational journals to popular mainstream magazines and through doing workshops or speeches for Fortune or Forbes top 500 companies I began to learn what were some of the actions, activities or programs companies were doing in the 70s and 80s to expand creative thinking use inside their organizations, corporations or companies
Here is the general list I discovered from 1978 to 1990
some of these were my clients all the rest I read about or learned about from other consultants during CPSI or ACA or IN or ICINC conferences.
Here are some of the things they did or were doing.
I discovered that some companies like Ford used SUGGESTION SYSTEMS and had been since the 1940s plus they rewarded successfully ideas through a small percentage of profits from the implementation of the employees' ideas.
I came across the famous 3M 15% Rule that was created by CEO, Terry McNight in the 1940s that almost every speaker, consultant or author from the 60s onward included in their articles, books, speeches, workshops or training programs. I would learn from a mix of 3M employees that it was mostly a MYTH.
Yes I came across a mix of internal creativity clubs such as the unofficial G.R.I.T. group at 3M made up of retired and current 3M employees in 2005 and I believe still exists. I was a guest at two of the lunch meetings in 2005 & 2006 and they used my earlier book: BROKEN CRAYONS as their book for discussion one month. Another was the famous OZ GROUP at duPont. I met a few of its engineer and scientist members through a mix of conferences.
From 1978 onward I have collected many books that organizations or corporations have published internally or for public consumption about their efforts at S.P.R.E.A.D.ng creative thinking throughout.
Occasionally I have learned about how CONTESTS were used to spark increase amounts of creative thinking.
Often I came across internal newsletters distributed among employees.
The concept of IDEA MEETINGS, formally created and facilitated by trained facilitators instead of the usual sit around and "brainstorm" meetings that were never planned is another activity I discovered.
To learn more about my thoughts of the Bastardization of Alex Osborn's "BRAINSTORMING" creative thinking tool and the horrible cliche "BRAINSTORMING" go to:
http://www.cre8ng.com/areas-of-knowledge/happy-new-year-2011/about-me/brainstorming-or-brainstorming
A few even developed their own IDEA SYSTEMS during the Quality Circles and Quality Teams era of the mid 80s.
As I traveled around the country from 1984 onward I discovered many "In-House Training" programs focused on creative thinking.
I was allowed to attend a few Innovation Fairs as a speaker or guest in the US and Scandinavia from 2000 to 2005.
Thanks to many CPSI and ACA colleagues I learned about their companies or clients having Creativity or Creative Thinking Libraries. Some of my creative thinking colleagues were the ones who set them up in the 80s to 2005.
Management Support of creative thinking activities or programs I also found from 1978 onward to today.
Unfortunately except in a few isolated cases most of these did not last more than 12 to 18 months.
When the CREATIVITY CHAMPIONS retired or were moved to other divisions of companies or simply left the companies the greatest percentage of the CREATIVE THINKING PROGRAMS simply
DIED a slow and sometimes PAINFUL DEATH
never to be restarted.
Lots of newspaper articles and magazine articles and some research studies did brag about these programs yet they still
DIED.
this is where I would like to place the cover image
from Time Magazines story
Are You Creative?
from September 1985
But due to copyright laws I can not
Also
I would like to place the July 19, 2010 Newsweek cover that announced the
CREATIVITY CRISIS in America
for now I will temporarily.
to read more about my thinking about the cover article and one other in this issue go to:
http://www.cre8ng.com/my-products/writing/articles-2/creativity-crisis-in-america-my-comments
on my website.
Key verbs is a sub-theme or structure I am using throughout this book using the key letter from MELT THEM DOWN.
For this chapter I am using 4 verbs
machine (verb)
mail (verb)
maintain (verb)
make (verb)
The key problem I have discovered through reading, interviewing and my own first-hand experiences with clients, many of them included among the Forbes and Fortune top 500 companies can be summed up in one word
MAINTAIN
Seldom have any programs been maintain the US or other countries I have traveled, worked in or studied over the past 41 years.
MACHINE
Too often companies to corporations become MACHINEs and they tend to MACHINE everything they do.
MAKE
They make things. They make systems and too often they never truly become integrated into their daily cultures. They become just another short-lived BUZZWORD or FAD until another one comes along.
MAIL
Too often things are MAILed but never truly integrated into daily work life.
I will return to the explanation and actual use of my S.P.R.E.A.D.ng system and how you and your organization can produce your own that will turn you into a Cre8NG Community or Organization that consists of many interconnected and overlapping collaborating Cre8NG! Communities.
M - Chapter One
S.P.R.E.A.D.ng Creative Thinking Throughout teams, groups, departments, plants, offices, divisions, entire corporations.
I began creating a workable system, a machine, a process for helping individuals thru to entire corporations to S.P.R.E.A.D. creative thinking throughout from their front and rear doors to their CEOs offices, shortly after I attended and presented at my first CPSI.
From the many presenters (LEADERS) at CPSI I was learning what was being done or tried to be done at their corporations or their clients' corporations to make creative thinking a primary focus.
The first consultant I spoke with was Bob Theobold who had spent a couple years creating, planning and developing a Creative Thinking program for IBM in the 70s. I found him in Colorado and called him using the ancient AT&T long distance phone call system. We spoke, actually I listened, for about 90 minutes. That one call cost me over $120 and took me months to pay it off through my monthly AT&T bill payments. It was only the beginning of my adventures into CREATIVITY PROGRAMS in AMERICA's WORKPLACES.
Summary of my listening:
He was angry, frustrated, filled with hate because he had spent so much time creating the program at great expense to the company and it was NEVER implemented because one manager saw no value in it.
He didn't have a CREATIVITY CHAMPION. One of the first variables I learned that is needed to internalize creative thinking as a cultural factor. I would learn about the need of CREATIVITY CHAMPIONS many times over the next few decades.
Through extensive reading of articles in various types of publications from business journals to association journals to educational journals to popular mainstream magazines and through doing workshops or speeches for Fortune or Forbes top 500 companies I began to learn what were some of the actions, activities or programs companies were doing in the 70s and 80s to expand creative thinking use inside their organizations, corporations or companies
Here is the general list I discovered from 1978 to 1990
some of these were my clients all the rest I read about or learned about from other consultants during CPSI or ACA or IN or ICINC conferences.
Here are some of the things they did or were doing.
I discovered that some companies like Ford used SUGGESTION SYSTEMS and had been since the 1940s plus they rewarded successfully ideas through a small percentage of profits from the implementation of the employees' ideas.
I came across the famous 3M 15% Rule that was created by CEO, Terry McNight in the 1940s that almost every speaker, consultant or author from the 60s onward included in their articles, books, speeches, workshops or training programs. I would learn from a mix of 3M employees that it was mostly a MYTH.
Yes I came across a mix of internal creativity clubs such as the unofficial G.R.I.T. group at 3M made up of retired and current 3M employees in 2005 and I believe still exists. I was a guest at two of the lunch meetings in 2005 & 2006 and they used my earlier book: BROKEN CRAYONS as their book for discussion one month. Another was the famous OZ GROUP at duPont. I met a few of its engineer and scientist members through a mix of conferences.
From 1978 onward I have collected many books that organizations or corporations have published internally or for public consumption about their efforts at S.P.R.E.A.D.ng creative thinking throughout.
Occasionally I have learned about how CONTESTS were used to spark increase amounts of creative thinking.
Often I came across internal newsletters distributed among employees.
The concept of IDEA MEETINGS, formally created and facilitated by trained facilitators instead of the usual sit around and "brainstorm" meetings that were never planned is another activity I discovered.
To learn more about my thoughts of the Bastardization of Alex Osborn's "BRAINSTORMING" creative thinking tool and the horrible cliche "BRAINSTORMING" go to:
http://www.cre8ng.com/areas-of-knowledge/happy-new-year-2011/about-me/brainstorming-or-brainstorming
A few even developed their own IDEA SYSTEMS during the Quality Circles and Quality Teams era of the mid 80s.
As I traveled around the country from 1984 onward I discovered many "In-House Training" programs focused on creative thinking.
I was allowed to attend a few Innovation Fairs as a speaker or guest in the US and Scandinavia from 2000 to 2005.
Thanks to many CPSI and ACA colleagues I learned about their companies or clients having Creativity or Creative Thinking Libraries. Some of my creative thinking colleagues were the ones who set them up in the 80s to 2005.
Management Support of creative thinking activities or programs I also found from 1978 onward to today.
Unfortunately except in a few isolated cases most of these did not last more than 12 to 18 months.
When the CREATIVITY CHAMPIONS retired or were moved to other divisions of companies or simply left the companies the greatest percentage of the CREATIVE THINKING PROGRAMS simply
DIED a slow and sometimes PAINFUL DEATH
never to be restarted.
Lots of newspaper articles and magazine articles and some research studies did brag about these programs yet they still
DIED.
this is where I would like to place the cover image
from Time Magazines story
Are You Creative?
from September 1985
But due to copyright laws I can not
Also
I would like to place the July 19, 2010 Newsweek cover that announced the
CREATIVITY CRISIS in America
for now I will temporarily.
to read more about my thinking about the cover article and one other in this issue go to:
http://www.cre8ng.com/my-products/writing/articles-2/creativity-crisis-in-america-my-comments
on my website.
Key verbs is a sub-theme or structure I am using throughout this book using the key letter from MELT THEM DOWN.
For this chapter I am using 4 verbs
machine (verb)
mail (verb)
maintain (verb)
make (verb)
The key problem I have discovered through reading, interviewing and my own first-hand experiences with clients, many of them included among the Forbes and Fortune top 500 companies can be summed up in one word
MAINTAIN
Seldom have any programs been maintain the US or other countries I have traveled, worked in or studied over the past 41 years.
MACHINE
Too often companies to corporations become MACHINEs and they tend to MACHINE everything they do.
MAKE
They make things. They make systems and too often they never truly become integrated into their daily cultures. They become just another short-lived BUZZWORD or FAD until another one comes along.
Too often things are MAILed but never truly integrated into daily work life.
I will return to the explanation and actual use of my S.P.R.E.A.D.ng system and how you and your organization can produce your own that will turn you into a Cre8NG Community or Organization that consists of many interconnected and overlapping collaborating Cre8NG! Communities.
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