50 things that will improve your creativity and that in your organisation by next Friday
Try these:
1. When someone asks you, “So, what do you do?” offer an UNFORGETTABLE answer in less than five seconds that makes them say, “Really…?” “Cool!” or “Oh yeah, that sounds interesting.” Remember, even the most boring job in the world can sound magnetic, cool and unique!
2. Don’t try to be different. In fact, don’t “try” to be anything. Just be. Be yourself. Be the world’s expert on yourself, and be that person every day. Nothing is more approachable than authenticity
3. The more imitable you are, the less valuable you are
4. Smile for ten seconds every time you walk into a room
5. Consistency is far better than rare moments of greatness. So be friendly to everyone - especially people who appear unimportant, because you never know when you’re being evaluated by someone who IS important
6. Don’t be afraid to interrupt someone by saying, “Wait, I don’t know what that means.” It shows you’re listening and shows you’re human
7. Walk slower. Make it easy for people to get your attention
8. Share your knowledge from your successes AND failures. And remember that people remember stories, not facts; and not to tell them what you did - but to tell them what you learned
9. Most people avert their eyes from oncoming strangers when they get within 10 feet of each other. See how many of them you can get to acknowledge you in one week. Then try to double that number the next week
10. When one of your staff members comes to you with an issue, ask “What are two or three aspects that concern you most about this problem?”
11. Keep your office door open. Avoid physical barriers. And even if it means more team members stop by to “bother you,” you will learn more about what’s going on in your office/department/company
12. Change your working environment throughout your day and work to your body and mind’s individual energy levels e.g. if you don’t feel creative after say a client meeting, don’t try to be – do some routine admin for the first half hour afterwards. People often feel deflated after meetings even when they have gone well because of all the preparation and build up prior to them
13. Two words that will always make every customer happy: RIGHT AWAY
14. Make it easy for people who come to your website to get in touch with you. On every page, put phone numbers, email, fax, screen names, your mailing address and any other medium through which customers can reach you
15. And when your customers ask, “What’s the best way to get a hold of you?” tell them, “Whatever you prefer. I’m equally easy to reach via email, phone, fax or in person.” Let them choose. It doesn’t matter what you prefer - because it isn’t about you
16. In the history of business, a client or co-worker has never exclaimed, “Damn it Steve, why do you always over-communicate!?” Less isn’t more!
17. Make at least one of your customers laugh every day
18. Make at least one of your co-workers laugh every day
19. Make at least one of your salespeople laugh every day
20. Make a friend in less than 30 seconds with every person you meet
21. Make eye contact for two extra seconds when being introduced (and saying goodbye) to someone new. One-one-thousand…two-one-thousand…
22. In the event that you actually remember someone’s name, always say it back to that person upon exiting a conversation
23. Don’t impress. First inspire, then people WILL be impressed
24. Email signatures don’t need your entire life story. Just be sure to include your basic contact information, and something that piques the interest of the recipient
25. When you put an employee on ‘hold’ for ‘call waiting’, tell them how many seconds to expect to wait. For example, “Sandy, hang on 10 seconds. Be right back.” Most people will actually count to ten in their heads. That way, when you return, you’ve proved to them that they can “count on you.”
26. Read 10 magazines you wouldn’t normally read. It’s called an ‘Eclectic Education’, and it’s the stuff great conversationalists are made of
27. Every week, introduce one of your coworkers to someone new
28. Become a great storyteller
29. Be able to answer the question, “So, what do you do?” in 5, 10, 20, 30, 60 and 90 seconds
30. As Yogi Bera said “You can observe a lot just by watching”
31. Spend lunch with your employees as often as possible. Offer a casual, open environment that encourages both work-related and casual conversation. Let them buy you a drink
32. When asked a question you don’t know the answer too, get off your chair and go find the person at the sharp end who really does
33. Send 50% less e-mails and try verbal communication, it worked for hundreds of years before the PC
34. Ask for help
35. Switch off the television two evenings a week and listen to the radio
36. Find a new radio station to listen to in your car
37. Buy, and read, a non-fiction book. Preferably a Biography of somebody you have never heard
38. Make something with a small child, rent one if you have to
39. Have your next department meeting in the park, even if it is raining
40. Jump in a puddle
41. Organise a ‘bad jumper’ dress down day
42. Dig out your old record collections and play something you haven’t listened to in (at least) ten years.
43. Get your colleagues to swap theirs too
44. Have a game of rounders or soft ball after work
45. Scare yourself once a day!
46. Mark out a hop-scotch squares on one of the main offices thoroughfares and insist everyone play as they pass. The CEO/MD goes first
47. Find your “Customer of the Week” and tell them
48. Find your “Worst Customer of the Week” and tell them how you are going to fix that
49. Let all employees who don’t have kids go home an hour early before next Friday
50. Allow all employees who have kids an hour off early on condition they do something for themselves, not with the kids, before next Friday
Have fun, they do work, really!