Interview with Jeff Merrell, Northwestern University, Learning & Organizational Change

March 29th, 2010 | No Comments

Name:  Jeff Merrell
Company:  Northwestern University Master’s Program in Learning & Organizational Change
Area of Expertise:  Linking knowledge-sharing practices to organizational strategy, with a particular emphasis on socially-responsible activities.
What sparks your creativity?
Being around other people who are engaged and enthusiastic about whatever it is they do. I love working with people who get all geeked-up about their [...]

Catalyst Ranch is Hosting Twestival on March 25, 2010 5:45-8pm

March 23rd, 2010 | No Comments

I can’t believe it’s time again for the 3rd Twestival held at Catalyst Ranch. For those of you confused by the name Twestival, let me clarify. Twestival is a chance for those involved in Twitter & Social Media to meet face-to-face, network, take part in break-out Mastermind Groups and support a great cause. I have been an [...]

Idea – 340 Club

March 18th, 2010 | No Comments

Our friends at Stuart-Rodgers Photography have come up with a fantastic idea for keeping their creativity flowing and are willing to share it with all of us non-professionals.
Here are the details in their own words:
Membership is free and the rules are simple.  Create a new piece of art every day for one year.  Our club understands the ebbs [...]

Purposeful Play – From Pamela Meyer

March 16th, 2010 | No Comments

One of the common misconceptions about play is that it is necessarily purposeless, and therefore can’t possibly have any place in business. Harvard scholar and jazz pianist (and mentor) Frank Barrett calls improvised play a form of “disciplined imagination” reminding us that play can also be wildly productive and innovative.
Pamela Meyer wrote a new book, [...]

The Art of Stapling

March 10th, 2010 | No Comments

The next time you pick up your stapler and mindlessly staple a stack of papers together, why don’t you give that stapler a closer examination and really think about your technique?
Are you really as handy and dexterous with its use as you think you are?
Are you ready to go up against Baptiste Debombourg staple for [...]

Buy Inventions: Build on the Genius of Others

March 8th, 2010 | No Comments

Are you always coming up with great ideas or tinkering in your basement developing your next invention but don’t know how to bring them to market? Or are you involved in new product development and are interested in tapping into some great brains who don’t happen to work for your company? Well, IdeaConnection is a [...]

Fill In The Blanks – Fun With Meetings

March 5th, 2010 | No Comments

 
Here’s a very easy and fun way to start a meeting, using the talents in the room to redesign the environment and give it some pizzazz.
 
Assignment: Draw the missing half of a face of a person.
Allotted Time: 5 minutes

Go through a bunch of magazines and cut out interesting photos of people.  Make sure that they [...]

Using Environment to Enhance Meeting Productivity

March 2nd, 2010 | No Comments

Why do people say that they need a change of environment or some fresh air when they feel that they’re getting caught in a rut, a routine, stuck on a problem that they can’t seem to be able to solve?  Because a new environment has the potential to take the mind to a wondrous place [...]