Tag: brainstorming

Coloring Beyond The Bottom Line

By Peter Jeff
The Leadership Mints Guy

Here’s an idea on using children’s books to ignite creative thinking. Reading time: 4:06

The butcher paper covering the exquisitely polished executive conference room table seemed out of place as the 11 vice presidents filed into the palatial mahogany and marble executive suite for their regular meeting with the company president.

The president called the meeting to order and immediately started passing out large purple crayons.

The president sat back in his chair and stroked his crayon as if it were a fine cigar. He cradled his cigar/crayon as if it were a treasure to behold.

Then with all the showmanship he could muster -and with a poker face -he waved that crayon as if it were a mini magic wand and said:

“There’s power in this crayon, power that we can use to draw greater profitability and productively into our company,” the president deadpanned to his skeptical executives. “The power to create our own business climate no matter how lousy the economy.”

The executives were sure the president had snapped under all the bottom line pressure. They were incredulous, their body Continue reading “Coloring Beyond The Bottom Line” →

Collaborate With Off-the-Wall Thinking

By Peter Jeff
The Leadership Mints Guy

Here’s an idea to spice up your staff meetings with a brainstorming session. Reading time: 4:19

POST IT NOTES With a sense of urgency in every step, the corporate executive marched into the conference room and glared at his colleagues seated for their weekly staff meeting.

Then an eerie, tension-filled, pregnant silence commandeered the the safety and security of the conference room.

It felt as if were High Noon at the OK Corral.

Suddenly the leader seemed like a gunslinger, itching for some action. He flung his hand into his pocket and drew- OUT a stack of Post-It notes. He waved them around as if they were a gun, and commanded: ”STICK ‘EM, UP! ”

They did.

Within a few minutes the surrounding walls were festooned with 3X5 cards and Post-it notes in so many colors they looked like butterflies hovering over the walls.

Indeed the most effective leaders turn meeting rooms into team thinking rooms. They have a penchant for displaying and sharing ideas that involve all meeting participants. Continue reading “Collaborate With Off-the-Wall Thinking” →