Awake at the Wheel: Getting Your Great Ideas Rolling (in an Uphill World) by Mitchell Lewis Ditkoff

Author:Mitchell Lewis Ditkoff
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9781600372957
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing
Published: 2008-04-30T14:00:00+00:00

Tooling Up

TOOLING UP

35 WAYS TO GET THE WHEELS TURNING

As Og’s earthly representative, I have been designing and leading creative thinking sessions for a wide range of corporations since 1986. I have worked with left-brained people, right-brained people, and air-brained people – all of whom have been interested in “getting out of the box.” In the process of providing my service, one thing has continued to astound me: No one has any time, or more precisely—no one thinks they have any time. And because they don’t, the need to “cut to the chase” remains paramount. Speed rules – and along with it the desire for “tools and techniques.” Now, I have nothing against tools and techniques. They can be very helpful. Golf pros give them out all the time. But tools and techniques are never enough – especially in the realm of innovation. Can they be useful? Yes, in the same way that jumper cables can be useful if your car won’t start. But first you need a car—and after that, someplace to go! Without a car and a destination, jumper cables are just a meaningless prop.

If you are committed to birthing a Big Idea, first understand that the car is you and the engine that powers the car is your passion for bringing something new into the world. Only when that is in place will tools and techniques make any sense.

Some of the methods described on the pages that follow will be right up your alley. Some will not. Some are so common-sensical you’ll think you could have invented them. Some are so nonsensical you’ll dismiss them as trivial. Don’t worry about loving them all. You won’t. Just find the ones that capture your attention and give them a shot – whatever it takes to get those beautiful wheels inside you turning once again.

Two different parts of you will be activated by these methods: the subconscious and the conscious. The subconscious-activating tools will increase your receptivity to new ideas, helping you access the part of you that already knows. This was Og’s favorite approach. Using the subconscious tools will feel a bit like walking into a dark room. At first there will seem to be nothing to see. But after a while your eyes will adjust and you’ll begin making sense of what is already there.

The second set of tools is less about receptivity than proactivity. This approach presumes it is possible to quicken creativity by purposefully shaking things up. Experimentation is an important part of this approach – much in the same way that chemists mix and match elements in the hopes of synthesizing new discoveries.

Is there a perfect technique? No. Just like there’s no perfect diet, place to live, or relationship. What works for you on Monday may not work for you on Sunday. What works for you in the morning may not work for you at night. But that’s what makes the world – just like the wheel – go round and round. And that’s why I offer you 35 different methods to choose from.

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