The Deliberate Creative
If you have ever been confused by how to be creative or how to get your team to be more innovative, listen up. In this podcast, Dr. Amy Climer explains research, demystifies the creative process, and gives practical advice and strategies to help you build an innovative team. Learn about leading creative teams, deliberate innovation, and the creative problem solving process. Move past the myths and get real about innovation and creativity.
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Episode 103: Designing Creative Space with Donald Rattner
02/28/2020
Episode 103: Designing Creative Space with Donald Rattner
Space matters. In this episode, Architect Donald Rattner shares the research on how to design your space to enhance your creativity. Donald shares several simple changes you can make. Then, he examines Amy's office and provides advice on how she can make her space more conducive to creativity. Then, Amy implements those changes and reveals the new office layout. What You’ll Learn The three A's of designing a creative space How our brain's perception of our space impacts our creativity What prospect refuge theory is and how to use it to your advantage Learn about the new "resimercial" design craze for workplaces About Donald Rattner Donald M. Rattner is the author of “My Creative Space: How to Design Your Home to Stimulate Ideas and Spark Innovation” and principal of Donald M. Rattner, Architect. As a consultant he draws on scientific research to help individuals and organizations maximize occupant creativity in workplace, residential, wellness, hospitality and retail environments. Educator and author as well as practitioner, Rattner’s publications include “The Creativity Catalog,” “Parallel of the Classical Orders of Architecture,” entries in professional reference books, and numerous contributions to print and online channels. He has taught at the University of Illinois, New York Academy of Art, New York University, Parsons School of Design, and online. Workshop and lecture venues include NeoCon, Metrocon, Creative Problem Solving Institute, Creative Mornings, and many others. His work has been featured on CNN and in such publications as The New York Times, Work Design Magazine, Builder, L-Magazine, and Better Humans. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in art history from Columbia and a Masters of Architecture from Princeton University. Weekly Challenge Assess your space. Keep a log of when/where you are doing your best work and when/where are you doing your least successful work. Then, what changes might you make to help you be more creative? Resources
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Episode 102: Emergent Innovation with Johnathan Cromwell
02/14/2020
Episode 102: Emergent Innovation with Johnathan Cromwell
Deliberate creativity encourages gaining clarity about the problem at the beginning of the innovation process. However, that's not how we always work. It's common to create something new while maintaining ambiguity around the purpose of the solution. Dr. Johnathan Cromwell found this in his research while studying a start-up company that was creating a social robot. After observing hundreds of hours of team meetings he noticed a process he calls emergent innovation. In this episode, he explains his research and helps us understand how emergent innovation works. What You’ll Learn The difference between emergent innovation and deliberate innovation Elements of emergent innovation How to get comfortable with ambiguity [powerpress] About Dr. Johnathan Cromwell Johnathan Cromwell is an Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Strategy at the University of San Francisco. His research focuses on creativity and innovation in organizations, particularly how people collaborate with each other as they tackle vague, open-ended, and ambiguous problems. Through this research, he aims to develop a new theoretical framework called "dynamic problem solving" that explains why, when, and how people change the way they approach problems as they deal with various constraints during the innovation process. This work has been recognized by the Academy of Management with the 2018 OB Division Best Paper Award. He earned an S.B. in Chemical-Biological Engineering from MIT and a Doctorate in Management from Harvard Business School. Weekly Challenge John challenges us to try improv cooking as a way to explore emergent innovation. Use the ingredients in your kitchen and come up with a dish. Use those ingredients to shape your dish and see what emerges.
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Episode 101: Polymaths with Dr. Angela Cotellessa
01/30/2020
Episode 101: Polymaths with Dr. Angela Cotellessa
Polymaths are essentially a modern-day Renaissance person. They have expertise in a range of fields and their diverse experiences help them be more creative. Dr. Angela Cotellessa was the first person to do a dissertation on modern-day polymaths. In this episode, she shares with us what she learned about polymaths and how it relates to being more creative.
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Episode 100: Creativity Stories from Listeners
12/31/2018
Episode 100: Creativity Stories from Listeners
Wow! It's episode 100! In this episode, Amy Climer interviews four long-time listeners who share what they learned from The Deliberate Creative Podcast. They talk about their own insights and changes they made in their lives based on listening to the show. Prepare to be inspired! What You’ll Learn How four listeners have applied the learnings from the podcast to their work and life Insights into Amy's recent creative block News about the future of The Deliberate Creative Podcast Resources Episodes about Creative Problem Solving: , , , , Episode 8: Episode 20: Episode 21: Episode 26: Episode 64: Episode 70: Episode 91: Book:
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Episode 99: How to Conduct Ethnographic Interviews for Design
08/02/2018
Episode 99: How to Conduct Ethnographic Interviews for Design
Human-centered Design requires learning people's real needs. It means moving past assumptions and engaging with people to better understand their experiences. Some of the most powerful tools in the Human-centered Design process are ethnographic interviews and other types of ethnographic research. This episode explains what these tools are and how to use them to help you gain a deeper understanding of their real needs. The results will be increased creativity and innovation. What You’ll Learn What ethnographic research means in the context of design and creativity 4 types of ethnographic tools that are helpful for solving problems creatively Tips and advice for conducting ethnographic research such as interviews, walk-a-mile, contextual inquiry, and observation. Resources Suri, J.F. & Howard, S.G. (2006).. Journal of Advertising Research. Weekly Challenge Practice doing at least one ethnographic interview this week.
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Episode 98: The Power of Human-centered Design
07/19/2018
Episode 98: The Power of Human-centered Design
Human-centered Design is about looking at people's real problems and creating solutions that meet their needs. In this episode, learn the definition and basic steps of human-centered design and how it can help you solve problems more creatively. What You’ll Learn The definition of human-centered design Why human-centered design matters and how you can use it in your work/life The six-step human-centered design process [powerpress] Resources for federal employees and Weekly Challenge Think about a problem you are trying to solve. Who are the stakeholders involved? Who do you need to talk with to gain a deeper understanding of the actual problem. Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Thanks! Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them!
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Episode 97: Intrapreneurship with Dr. Irena Yashin-Shaw
07/06/2018
Episode 97: Intrapreneurship with Dr. Irena Yashin-Shaw
Intrapreneurs are problem solvers who are being recognized as the driving force behind innovation in organizations. Dr. Irena Yashin-Shaw is leading the charge in this new way of working. In this episode, she shares how to be an intrapreneur and how to create a culture that fosters creativity and intrapreneurialism. What You’ll Learn What intrapreneurs do and why it matters Three practices to foster intrapreneurialism Barriers that prevent intrapreneurialism An example of a large organization who implemented intrapreneurialism and reclaimed over $1 million in lack of productivity. About Irena Yashin-Shaw, Ph.D. CSP Dr. Irena Yashin-Shaw, is a liberator of underutilized talent within organizations. She is an innovation and creativity expert, thought leader and practitioner dedicated to creating intrapreneurs – people who think and act like entrepreneurs while working inside organizations. She works with leaders in both the public and private sector who want a critical mass of high-performing, dedicated, energized employees who will help create a future-ready organization. With a PhD in creative problem-solving and a Masters in Adult Education, Dr. Irena is a rare combination of deep academic knowledge, real-world entrepreneurial experience and entertaining speakership who has been working in the fields of innovation and creativity since before they became the new workplace imperatives. In addition to her work as a corporate educator, advisor and mentor, she is an international conference speaker who has taken ‘edutainment’ to an art form. As a Certified Speaking Professional she loves to challenge smart, savvy and sophisticated people who want insight rather than information and an experience rather than a presentation. Irena lives in Brisbane, Australia, but considers herself a global citizen, with a commitment to being part of the solution for the big challenges that define our age.
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Episode 96: Leading Creative Organizations with Charles Day
06/22/2018
Episode 96: Leading Creative Organizations with Charles Day
Charles Day is an accidental consultant. After building a successful, creative film editing company others started asking for his input on developing their company to be more creative. In this episode, he shares his insights and what he’s learned about organizational creativity. What You’ll Learn common practices of the most creative businesses Three elements leaders need to do a lead a creative organization Four weapons every leader needs - and they don’t cost anything [powerpress] About Charles Day In addition to running The Lookinglass, Charles is a Principal of the Boswell Group which provides psychodynamic management consulting to CEOs, corporate directors, and senior leaders. He is also an Adjunct Professor at New York’s Columbia University, where he has taught the art and science of building companies that unlock 'Profitable Creativity’, and he coaches at The Harvard Business School in their Executive Education Program. Charles writes frequently for Fast Company and speaks regularly on Creative Leadership. Resources Fast Company article: by Charles Day Weekly Challenge See if you can identify everyday creativity within yourself and others. Acknowledge the creativity and focus on giving creative feedback. Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them!
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Episode 95: Conversations Worth Having with Dr. Cheri Torres
05/31/2018
Episode 95: Conversations Worth Having with Dr. Cheri Torres
Conversations are the heart of what we do. The type of conversations we have impact all aspects of our business and personal life. Creative organizations have conversations that lead to creativity. In this episode, Dr. Cheri Torres shares how to engage in conversations that matter and how to help your organization be more creative. It is surprisingly simple and you can start implementing change immediately. What You’ll Learn Four types of conversations and which ones to avoid The two simple Appreciative Inquiry practices The impact of conversations that matter and how one hospital went from low patient satisfaction scores to amazing within one quarter [powerpress] About Cheri Torres, Ph.D. Working with Cheri, people learn to use everyday conversation to dramatically improve outcomes for their organization and relationships. Leaders and team members develop their capacity to use Appreciative Inquiry to foster productive and meaningful engagement, even when facing complex problems. The success her clients experience is not magic. Her approach is grounded in the most current research in positive psychology and neurophysiology. Leaders working with her learn to create the kind of relational dynamics that ignite the full potential of their teams and organization, resulting in high performance, innovation, and goal achievement. Culture change and strategic planning become opportunities for engaging all stakeholders in conversations that create change from the inside out. She has worked across all sectors: corporate, government, education, and social profit/NGOs, supporting their capacity for learning and innovation, shared leadership, teamwork and collective impact. She has trained thousands of trainers and teachers in the use and practice of Experiential Learning, Appreciative Inquiry, and other strength-based processes. In addition to North America, she has worked in India, Mexico, Canada, South America, and Europe. Cheri holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with a specialization in Collaborative Learning from the University of Tennessee. She also holds an MBA, a Masters in Transpersonal Psychology, Level 2 certification in Cultural Transformation Tools/Barrett Values Centre, and Level II certification in Spiral Dynamics Integral. She has authored numerous books and articles. Her most recent book, Conversations Worth Having: Using Appreciative Inquiry to Fuel Productive and Meaningful Engagement, was published by Berrett Koehler in May 2018.. She lives in Asheville, NC with her husband, Michael; their two dogs, Logan and Annabelle; and two cats, Ziggy and Lucy. Resources Book: Weekly Challenge Pay attention to the conversations you have this week. When you find yourself in a negative conversation, ask a generative question. See what happens and how it flips the conversation into something with a more positive, hopeful, and productive spin. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them!
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Episode 94: Four Levels of Creativity with Daniel Cape
05/18/2018
Episode 94: Four Levels of Creativity with Daniel Cape
Understanding the four levels of creativity can help you assess yourself and your colleagues. In this episode, Daniel Cape explains the four levels and talks about experiential education and creativity. What You’ll Learn The four levels of creativity and examples of each The level we judge ourselves on and how that can inhibit our creativity About Daniel Cape Daniel Cape is a doctoral student at Saybrook University earning his degree in psychology with a focus on creativity studies. He has over 15 years of experience in the field of experiential education. Daniel’s previous work included U.S. and international camp experiences, a project-based learning school, young-adult transition programs, and serving in the Army National Guard as a combat engineer officer. He started the non-profit EPIC Smiles where he teaches caricatures to children around the world. He is author of the book and created EPIC Cards which teach and promote creativity. Resources Daniel's book: Weekly Challenge See if you can identify everyday creativity within yourself and others. Acknowledge the creativity and focus on giving creative feedback.
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Episode 93: The Connection Between Learning and Failing
05/03/2018
Episode 93: The Connection Between Learning and Failing
It's nearly impossible learn skills without failing some of the time. In this episode Dr. Amy Climer examines the connection between learning and failing. She shares some stories from her own life and how she was able to use failure, mistakes, and mess-ups to further her learning and her creativity. What You’ll Learn How failure is inevitable in the learning and creative process The importance of transferable skills [powerpress] Resources Amy's email: Weekly Challenge What is one thing you're working on improving? What is one thing you can do to progress toward developing that skill? Next, reflect on how that went. How do you react when you succeed, when you fail, when things don't go quite as planned? Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them!
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Episode 92: What is the Return on Investment in Creativity?
04/19/2018
Episode 92: What is the Return on Investment in Creativity?
This episode is about the financial impact of creativity to an organization. What is the ROI in creativity and innovation? Does it matter if employees are creative? Is it worth investing in training to help people be more creative? Learn the five levels of employee creativity, the financial impact they have on the organization, and why creativity training is worth the investment. What You’ll Learn Five levels of employee creativity and the financial impact they have Why creativity training is well worth the investment Examples of companies who saw huge returns after creativity training. [powerpress] The Deliberate Creative™ Training is designed to provide the creativity skills employees need to move to a higher level of creativity. An in-depth training can move employees up a level and over time they can become amazing assets to the organization’s innovative approach resulting in thousands of dollars of increased revenue or decreased expenditures. [Tweet "“Creativity is both a skill and a process.” - @AmyClimer"] Resources Epstein, R., Schmidt, S., & Warfel, R. (2008). . Creativity Research Journal, 20(1), 7-12. Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them!
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Episode 91: The Skills You Need To Be a Design Thinker with Dr. Dani Chesson
04/05/2018
Episode 91: The Skills You Need To Be a Design Thinker with Dr. Dani Chesson
Dr. Dani Chesson is a thought leader in design thinking. Through her research she identified six core capabilities that design thinkers possess. In this episode, she walks us through those six core capabilities and helps us understand how to be better at coming up with creative solutions to problems. What You’ll Learn The six core capabilities of design thinkers Why visual expression helps creative problem solving The importance of separating out the ideation and evaluation of ideas How one company saved millions on a benefit program by using design thinking. [powerpress] [Tweet ""Failure isn't a bad thing. Failure is about learning. Design thinkers have gotten comfortable with taking risks and learning from them. " - @DaniChesson on The Deliberate Creative Podcast"] About Dr. Dani Chesson Designer turned change manager, turned strategy consultant, Dr. Dani Chesson is the creator of Chesson’s Design Thinker Profile, an assessment that measures design thinking capabilities in individuals and teams. As a Design Thinker Coach, Dani helps her clients discover untapped opportunities and put them into action so they can reach their full potential. Design thinking has been the center of Dani’s career and research interest. Throughout her career, Dani has leveraged her training as a graphic designer to help organizations create new products and services, adopt emerging technologies, and successfully implement large-scale change. A former Vice President at Bank of America, Dani has over a decade of experience leading global teams through large-scale innovation and change projects. She has also held leadership and consulting roles at Carlisle & Gallagher Consulting, Sherpa, LLC, and HSBC. Dani holds a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication with a focus in graphic design. She holds a Master of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Science in Organization Development from Queens University of Charlotte where her research focused on how designers approach problem solving. Dani earned a PhD in Leadership and Organizational Change from Antioch University where her research involved developing an assessment for measuring the capabilities of Design Thinkers. You can learn more about Dani’s work at and, she can be contacted via email at Resources Dani Chesson's website: (inspired by Amy's interview with Dani) Weekly Challenge Share with one person one failure event in your life and what you learned from it. Then, journal about it. You can listen to about a big failure she experience a few years ago. What's yours? Post your failures below. Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them!
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Episode 90: What I Learned From a Big Failure
03/22/2018
Episode 90: What I Learned From a Big Failure
Inspired by guests Jeff Leisawitz (episode 89) and Dr. Dani Chesson (episode 91), Dr. Amy Climer shares the story of a big failure she experienced in 2006-2007. Most importantly, she talks about what she learned, what she would do differently, and how you can mitigate your risk on a project that might fail. What You’ll Learn The story of Amy's failed art practice What Amy learned from being a professional artist Advice for starting a project that might fail [powerpress] Resources See Amy's art at: amyclimer.com Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them!
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Episode 89: Creativity as a Tool to be Seen, Expressed, and Healed with Jeff Leisawitz
03/08/2018
Episode 89: Creativity as a Tool to be Seen, Expressed, and Healed with Jeff Leisawitz
Jeff Leisawitz is a musician, artist, and writer whose mission to to help everyone be more creative. His focus is on teaching the power of using creativity as a tool to be seen, expressed, and healed. What You’ll Learn How he accidentally wrote a book The impact of creativity on the world Jeff's advice on getting more creative About Jeff Leisawitz Jeff Leisawitz burns with a mission—to inspire writers, artists, musicians and everyone else to amp up their creativity, heal their hearts, and shine in the world. Jeff is an award-winning musician/producer, a critically acclaimed author and internationally distributed filmmaker who has devoted his life to the art of creativity. As the guy behind , Jeff fused interviews with Seattle’s WTO demonstrators into electronic music, garnering more than a quarter million downloads worldwide. Jeff has released five studio albums and has landed more than 5,000 music placements in film, TV and multimedia— including clients like HBO, MTV, Discovery, Microsoft, NBC and many others. As the founding writer for Seattle’s taste-making alternative rock station 107.7 The End, he chronicled the alternative grunge scene in the 90s. After training as a Life Coach and practicing NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Re-Patterning) Jeff landed a gig as an adjunct faculty member at Pacific Lutheran University— teaching college students to rock. Seriously. When creative businesses and organizations like King County Library System, Brown Paper Tickets, Tacoma School of the Arts, Northwest Film Forum, Gage Academy, The Writers Store and others need an Awesome Infusion, Jeff leads workshops and events to fire up the creative spirit and empower people to tap into their true potential. is Jeff’s first book. Resources Book: (now closed) Weekly Challenge Create a new habit! What would serve you well - writing 10 minutes a day, a drawing a day, a poem a day, look for more beauty in the world? Make that small change and reap the tremendous benefits. Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them!
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Episode 88: Infusing Creativity in Project Management with Dr. Teresa Lawrence
02/22/2018
Episode 88: Infusing Creativity in Project Management with Dr. Teresa Lawrence
Dr. Teresa Lawrence has found a unique niche teaching project managers how to be more creative and effective by using tools and techniques from Creative Problem Solving. In this episode, she explores how project managers can use divergent and convergent thinking and better use the specific tools they select. What You’ll Learn The definition of a project How to know where to start in a project The importance of using divergent and convergent thinking in project management How to use the activity Card Sort [powerpress] About Dr. Teresa Lawrence Teresa Lawrence, PhD, PMP, CSM, provides training, facilitation and coaching in creativity and the application of creative problem solving in all methodologies of Project Management across all industries. In addition to consulting as a project manager and trainer, she provides professional services in the management of strategic initiatives and change. Over 10,000 Project Managers have earned PDUs from Teresa’s workshops, presentations and webinars. Teresa is an alum of the International Center for Studies in Creativity (ICSC) and serves as the VP for Certification Training in the Buffalo PMI chapter. She is the past recipient of Buffalo Business First “Women of Influence” and the University at Buffalo Graduate School of Education “Distinguished Alumni” awards. Teresa is a previous superintendent of schools and the current president of International Deliverables, LLC. You can contact Teresa at teresa@ or find her on . Resources Teresa's website: Project Management Institute - Weekly Challenge Think about a project or task you are currently facing. There are many elements that need to get done. Do the technique Card Sort that Teresa mentioned. If you could only do one of the tasks, which one will get you the furthest along right now. Use this to prioritize the top three thing that would have the greatest impact. Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them!
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Episode 87: Creativity in Practice with Artist Jane Dunnewold
02/08/2018
Episode 87: Creativity in Practice with Artist Jane Dunnewold
Jane Dunnewold shares what she has learned about creativity in her decades as an artist and creativity teacher. She talks about how she stays creative in her own life and how she fosters it in her students. Her insights are applicable to artists and non-artists alike. What You’ll Learn Who is "the committee" and why you need to be aware of them. The one piece of advice that all artists on this podcast have shared. How the power of a simple conversation could change someone's happiness at work [powerpress] About Jane Dunnewold Jane Dunnewold teaches and lectures internationally about art and creativity. She has mounted numerous one-person exhibitions, including Inspired by the Masters (Visions Quilt Museum 2016). Her work won Best of Show in the exhibition Timeless Meditations (Tubac Art Center/2013). She is a recipient of the Quilt Japan Prize, and Gold Prize at the Taegue (Korea) International Textile Exhibition. Dunnewold has authored numerous books, including the classic (1996). Interweave Press published (2010.) In 2016, North Light Books published . She is the former President of the . Resources by Chad Littlefield Weekly Challenge Jane offers two challenges for the week. 1) Each day, take a photo of something close up. Spend a minute or so paying attention to those small details. What do you notice after doing this for a week? 2) Think of something that you would like to know about other people, something you are curious about. Ask those questions when you are meeting new people or talking with someone you don't know well. Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them!
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Episode 86: How to Implement Ideas with Steve Garguilo
01/25/2018
Episode 86: How to Implement Ideas with Steve Garguilo
Steve Garguilo is an expert at taking action. In this episode he explains his blueprint for how to take action on ideas, big or small. You will learn what gets in the way and blocks us from taking action as well as strategies to help you and your team take action and make progress. What You’ll Learn How to take action on your ideas Learn how to adapt a bias towards action How the difference between productive and unproductive procrastination About Steve Garguilo Steve Garguilo works with people from all walks of life from all over the world to help them make their ideas happen. He led the revolution to transform the culture of the 5th largest company in the world by instigating and shaping a grassroots movement at Johnson & Johnson that engaged 23,000 employees and led to countless stories of product and people development. Steve’s groundbreaking programs are known for being incredibly engaging and highly immersive and interactive. Net Promoter Scores for his programming range from +86 to +100. Garguilo has also worked on social ventures globally, including in Kenya and India. In 2014, he completed The Mongol Rally, a 10,000-mile adventure from London to Ulan Bator, Mongolia, fundraising for the African Prisons Project. He has lived all over the world and has spoken at TED and TEDx events across the globe in the United States, Switzerland, Brazil, Scotland, Tunisia, and Lithuania. A global citizen, he has visited each of the 48 contiguous United States and is a member of the “century club” having visited over 100 countries. Resources Book: by Steve Garguilo and Sergiy Skoryk Steve's websites: and Weekly Challenge What is one big idea that you want to take action on? Then, ask yourself what is one thing you can do to make progress on this right now. It is overly simple, but it's important. Give it the importance it deserves. Take that first step and get started this week.
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Episode 85: 5 Creativity Books I Recommend
01/11/2018
Episode 85: 5 Creativity Books I Recommend
Are you looking for some good books about creativity to read for 2018? If so, here are the top 5 books I recommend the most. They will help you be more creative in your personal and professional life, as well as to help you lead your team and organization to innovate more. Happy reading! What You’ll Learn Amy's top recommended creativity books A short review of each book [powerpress] Resources Book: by Stephen Pressfield Book: by Daniel Cape with contributions by Dr. Amy Climer Book: by Linda Hill, et al. Book: by Ed Catmull Book: by Elizabeth Gilbert Podcast: with Elizabeth Gilbert Weekly Challenge Pick one of these 5 books and start reading! Then, let me know what you think.
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Episode 84: Using Goal Setting to Increase Creativity
01/02/2018
Episode 84: Using Goal Setting to Increase Creativity
If you want to be creative, you have to be deliberate. Setting goals is an important part of being more creative. Many people claim they want to be creative, but don't actually do anything about it. In this episode, learn Dr. Amy Climer's process for how she sets and achieves her goals. Learn what didn't work for her and how she fixed that problem. What You’ll Learn The importance of writing down your goals Barriers Amy faced in previous years and how she overcame them A process for making your goals more visual so you can remember and achieve them Resources The yearly, quarterly, and weekly goal setting posters Amy uses Weekly Challenge Download the goal setting posters. Spend some time writing down 3-5 yearly goals. Then, write down 3 goals for this quarter and for this week to help you meet those goals. What is one step you can take today to get started on those goals? Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them!
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Episode 83: Creativity in Practice with Artist Hollis Chatelain
12/14/2017
Episode 83: Creativity in Practice with Artist Hollis Chatelain
Hollis Chatelain is a textile artist and humanitarian. She also teaches creativity. In this episode, she shares exercises and techniques she teaches her students to help them tap into the creativity that is already within. What You’ll Learn New exercises to help you get new ideas Why and how to embrace boredom Why journaling might not be the best way to foster your creativity [powerpress] About Hollis Chatelain Hollis Chatelain has inspired people around the globe with her award-winning scenes of multicultural life. She first went to Africa with the PeaceCorps in 1980. Influenced by the 12 years she lived in West Africa working with humanitarian organizations, her work has always reflected her dedication to social and environmental issues. Hollis has worked as a professional artist for over 40 years creating textile paintings that convey the untold stories of women, children and the environment. Resources Hollis on , , and Weekly Challenge Go sit in a place where you feel relaxed. Just sit and daydream. Be in the moment. What do you see, hear, smell? Tap into your senses and what's going on around you. It's not emptying your brain as in meditation, it's about noticing and being bored. Do this for 15 minutes. Can you do it for 7 days? What did you notice? Do you start looking forward to it? Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them!
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Episode 82: Working with Toxic Employees with Dr. Mitch Kusy
11/30/2017
Episode 82: Working with Toxic Employees with Dr. Mitch Kusy
Toxic employees cause significant harm to organizations and decrease creativity. Dr. Mitch Kusy is an expert in everyday civility and has studied toxic personalities in organizations for years. In this episode, he explains how toxic employees hurt organizations financially and otherwise. He discusses why managers don’t deal with them and why they need to. He offers advice and strategies for dealing with people with toxic personalities. What You’ll Learn The financial impact of toxic employees and why you shouldn't ignore them Strategies for dealing with toxic employees to improve your organization and increase creativity [powerpress] About Mitch Kusy Dr. Mitchell Kusy, a 2005 Fulbright Scholar in Organization Development, is a full professor in the Graduate School of Leadership & Change at Antioch University. A registered organization development consultant, Mitch has consulted with hundreds of organizations nationally and internationally; he has been a keynote speaker around the globe. Mitch has helped create organizational communities of respectful engagement, facilitated large-scale systems to successful change, and engaged teams through assessment and team-designed actions—all with a focus on improving organizational culture and long-term return on investment. He previously headed organization development for HealthPartners and the leadership development area for American Express Financial Advisors. Before his leadership in national and international organizations, Mitch was a full professor at the University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis, where he co-designed the doctoral program in organization development. Previous to Why I Don’t Work Here Anymore, Mitch co-authored five business books. In 1998, he received the Minnesota Organization Development Practitioner of the Year Award. He resides in Minneapolis, MN and Palm Springs, CA and may be contacted at . Resources (email Mitch for a free copy of the Kusy Toxic Cost Worksheet) Mitch's new book: Book: by Mitch Kusy and Elizabeth Holloway Weekly Challenge Apply one of the strategies that Mitch outlined in the podcast episode! He offered these three strategies specifically: Conduct the Cost-Benefit Analysis of the situation - Is this going to backfire? Has feedback failed previously? What is my intention giving feedback? Look at your own performance management system - Are the values spelled out? If you decide to give feedback, look at the nuances in how you can approach it as described by Mitch. Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them!
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Episode 81: Be Good Enough Now with Jessica Pettitt
11/16/2017
Episode 81: Be Good Enough Now with Jessica Pettitt
Jessica Pettitt is a diversity and social justice educator. She talks about her new book Good Enough Now and how teams can learn to collaborate at a deeper level, embrace diversity, and get real with each other. What You’ll Learn How to be Good Enough Now The three common response patterns and how to identify yours How your response patterns can help you collaborate at a deeper level [powerpress] About Jessica Pettitt Jessica Pettitt, M.Ed., CSP, pulls together her stand up comedy years with 15+ years of diversity trainings in a wide range of organizations to serve groups to move from abstract fears to actionable habits that lead teams to want to work together. With a sense of belonging and understanding, colleagues take more risks with their ideation, conserve precious resources through collaboration, and maintain real connections with clients over time. Resources from Good Enough Now Weekly Challenge Take some time and create a list of your crucible moments in your life. Identify how your third rail showed up in each of them. What do you notice? Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them!
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Episode 80: How to Decrease Anxiety Related to Creativity
11/02/2017
Episode 80: How to Decrease Anxiety Related to Creativity
At different points in the creative process we might come upon some anxiety related to creativity. In this episode, Amy Climer talks about three common factors which cause anxiety related to creativity and three tips so that you can move through the anxiety and start implementing your creative ideas. What You’ll Learn Three common factors which cause anxiety related to creativity Three tips to help manage and ease anxiety related to creativity Weekly Challenge Reflect on the ways in which you might be feeding your own anxiety related to creativity and give one of these tips a try. The world needs you and your creative ideas! Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them!
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Episode 79: Asking Powerful Questions with Will Wise
10/19/2017
Episode 79: Asking Powerful Questions with Will Wise
In this episode we're flipping the script. Guest Will Wise is an expert at using questions to create connections. Today, he will be interviewing Amy Climer and demonstrating how to ask powerful questions. You'll learn how to ask better questions through an exciting live Q&A session. What You’ll Learn How to ask more powerful questions and create deeper connections with others How to build trust in your team One simple thing your team can do to be more creative today. The vision that drives Amy's focus on creativity - you are a part of it! About Will Wise Will Wise has over two decades of experience custom building leadership programs for corporate and nonprofit groups. He has earned a reputation as one who can transform groups and people into their best selves. Tens of thousands of people have been empowered with positive communication skills after spending some time with Will and We!™ Most recently, Will has also added author to his list of accomplishments with the release of his new book, . Will lives in State College, PA with his amazing wife, Heather, and their three children. Resources Will's new book, Link to (through Oct 21, 2017) and other free resources (after Oct 21) through : The Creative Problem Solving process Weekly Challenge Be aware of what you are curious about and ask questions about it. Ask questions beginning with a "how" or a "what", not a "why." Take the risk and then listen to see what shows up. Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them!
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Episode 78: Facilitating Creative Problem Solving with Roger Firestien
10/05/2017
Episode 78: Facilitating Creative Problem Solving with Roger Firestien
Dr. Roger Firestien is a master facilitator of the Creative Problem Solving process. He has been using it, studying it, researching it, and teaching it for 40 years. In this episode he shares his thoughts on facilitating a well-crafted Creative Problem Solving session. He talks about how to get the best results for the clients, how to be an amazing facilitator, and some tips he has learned over the last four decades. What You’ll Learn How one company saved $50,000/week after using Creative Problem Solving The tools Roger Firestien uses more than any others Three levels to strive for in your own facilitation practice How to design the physical space to achieve maximum results About Roger Firestien Dr. Roger Firestien has taught more people to lead the creative process than anyone else in the world. By applying Roger’s work in creativity: Clorox solved a 77-year-old problem in 15 minutes; General Motors came up with a $1.50 solution that saved the company $50,000 a week; Mead Paper developed a world-class line of products and saved $500,000 a year; The Los Angeles Times set their vision for the future; Buffalo, New York received One Billion dollars for economic development. Called “The Gold Standard” of creativity training by his clients, he has presented programs in creativity to over 600 organizations nationally and internationally ranging from major fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, universities, associations and churches. Dr. Firestien is Associate Professor and the Senior Faculty member at the world renowned International Center for Studies in Creativity at SUNY Buffalo State. He is the author and co-author of five books. Roger’s expert views on creativity have been reported in Fast Company and The New York Times. When Roger is not traveling, he lives in Buffalo, New York, and regularly works cattle on the SK Hereford Ranch near Medina, New York Resources - here you will find the resources he mentioned, as well as the GM Story and other helpful examples. Weekly Challenge Take a look at how you show up as a facilitator. Remind yourself of your purpose to serve others. Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days.
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Episode 77: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and How to Overcome Them
09/21/2017
Episode 77: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and How to Overcome Them
In this episode, Amy describes the five dysfunctions of a team as outlined in the book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni and provides ways that leaders might address each of these dysfunctions. What You’ll Learn The five common dysfunctions of a team What you might do as a team leader to overcome these dysfunctions Resources Weekly Challenge Download the cheat sheet for this episode below and rate your team on each of these levels. If your team is not at a 4 or 5, create a plan to address the dysfunction within your team. Transcript Feel like reading instead of listening? The transcript will be available in a few days. Note: The links on this page may be affiliate links. That means I get a small commission of your sale, at no cost to you. However, I only share links to products that I or my guests believe in. Enjoy them!
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Episode 76: The Connection Between Change and Creativity with Michael Diettrich-Chastain
08/17/2017
Episode 76: The Connection Between Change and Creativity with Michael Diettrich-Chastain
In this episode, Michael Diettrich-Chastain explores the connection between making change and creativity. He explains seven elements needed to implement change in your life and how to use that to be more creative. What You’ll Learn The connection between change and creativity The CHANGES model and how you can use it to be more creative in your life How self-care can impact the bottom line About Michael Diettrich-Chastain Michael Diettrich-Chastain is the founder of an independent Organizational Consulting and Coaching firm – Arc Integrated. Michael has an undergraduate degree in Psychology and Spanish as well as a Master’s Degree in Counseling. Michael is a Licensed Professional Counselor in North Carolina. In addition to his background and experience in psychology, Michael is also a Certified Communication Coach as well as a trained facilitator in the Advanced Insights Profile, Actualized Leadership Profile and Group Culture Profile. As a leadership coach, Michael has helped organizational leaders and teams become more effective in recognizing how to inspire, engage, resolve conflict and communicate with others. Through coaching, Michael helps individuals recognize and develop strengths in order to become more effective in their careers and personal lives. Michael has facilitated trainings on leadership, team building, communication, emotional intelligence, employee engagement, self-care and other topics. Michael has facilitated trainings nationally across the US. As a recipient of the Group Study Exchange Scholarship, through Rotary International, he has traveled internationally delivering trainings and education about his fields of work. Michael has studied eastern martial arts for more than a decade. While this study is a passion for him personally, he often incorporates philosophies from his experience into his work with individuals and organizations. He has facilitated trainings on leadership, stress reduction, communication and conflict resolution while infusing concepts from his martial arts study and background. Resources Article: Article: Weekly Challenge A daily practice is a key component of being more creative and effective in life. Michael challenges listeners to start doing something each morning that focuses on yourself. It could be mediating, walking, exercising, writing, etc. Developing ourselves helps us show up more present with our teams and in the work we do.
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Episode 75: Being Thoughtfully Fit with Darcy Luoma
08/03/2017
Episode 75: Being Thoughtfully Fit with Darcy Luoma
Darcy Luoma shares her philosophy about being Thoughtfully Fit. Just like one would intentionally train to run a marathon, we need to train to be more mentally and emotionally fit. Darcy shares the six components you need to improve many areas of your life - whether it's being more creative with a team or improving your relationship with your spouse. She gives actionable insights and shares stories of her own personal shifts. What You’ll Learn The six components of being Thoughtfully Fit Hear stories about how to be more intentional about how you show up in life Resources : How Multi-tasking Decreases Productivity Weekly Challenge Strengthen your core. When you find yourself in a difficult situation pause, think, and act. Listen to the episode to learn more. Share your experiences in the comments below. We'd love to hear from you!
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Episode 74: The Survival of Ideas
07/20/2017
Episode 74: The Survival of Ideas
Creativity is about the survival of ideas, pushing and pulling them out of us, giving them shape, and nurturing them into the world. It rarely happens alone. More often teams and groups are critical to creative ideas reaching adulthood. Yet, teams are complex. They can be the greatest champions for an idea or instantly kill it. In this episode, Amy Climer talks about the 3 elements of collaborative creativity that teams need to help ideas survive and thrive. What You’ll Learn The three elements of collaboratively creative teams. What happens when ideas are shot down too early Resources Episodes about Creative Problem Solving: , , , , , : How Multi-tasking Decreases Productivity Book: by Elizabeth Gilbert Weekly Challenge Think about a team you are a member of. How do they rank in the three elements of collaborative creativity? Where are the weaknesses and strengths? What does the team need to learn in order to be more creative together?
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