Are you creative?
The answer is a definite “NO” from 90% of those asked!
How accurate is that answer? Not very!
Are those who answered lying? Not at all!
The majority of people today honestly don’t believe that they’re the least bit creative. Yet, that opinion is disproved almost daily. Some of the most creative and productive ideas on record have originated from the most unassuming people in the organization.
Consider the following examples:
- The McDonald’s “Happy Meal”
- The UPS “Right Turn Strategy”
- The Nike waffle iron sole for running shoes
- The dial telephone invented by an undertaker
- The Birdseye Frozen Food quick-freezing process
These are just a few of the many breakthrough ideas which have changed our way of life in this country. The opportunities abound. Most are simplistic in nature. They’re all around us and continue to surface daily. We simply credit their discovery to those who are more creative than we are … which is usually untrue. The credit actually goes to those who are curious, confident, eager to expand their comfort zones and unafraid to take calculated risks.
Here’s another perfect example:
In 1991 a group of investors came up with a novel idea. After the NCAA championship basketball game between Duke and Kansas in Indianapolis, they invested $65,000 to buy the floor on which the final four games were played. That was a “calculated risk”! Would you have gambled on such an idea?
They then cut this brand new basketball floor into 22,000 little pieces. These investors then sold those little 6×5 pieces of floor to 22,000 loyal fans as souvenirs for $24.95 each. This creativity turned their $65,000 investment into $548,900 in less than one week! A profit of more than half a million dollars in one week!
Again, those opportunities are everywhere and we need to recognize them and take action. So, keep your eyes open, unleash your imagination, and be open to new concepts, strategies, products and services. Be one of those “creative minds” who continuously changes the world we live in!
About Harry K. Jones
Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.