What does being better actually mean? Is there a concept of betterness?
Many readers will be familiar with the BBC mockumentary series W1A that pokes (considerable) fun at the BBC itself. It is full of things that make you wince, mainly because they are so near the truth. Daily goings-on are punctuated by gobbledygook and job titles are impossibly vague. Below is the introduction used for the mock advertisement for the position of Director Of Better.
The establishment of a Director of Better represents a turning point for the BBC by placing the idea of betterness at its core going forward and beyond.
Working with a range of internal placeholders at a senior level, this is an opportunity to re-set the dial for the Corporation either by shining a new light on that dial or by shining the old light but with a new bulb so that no-one can be in any doubt about where the dial is or can have any excuse for not being able to read what it says.
If you are not familiar with the series then you might get some idea of the humourous and tongue in cheek nature of it. There is a serious point to be made though. If you read the introduction to the job advertisement carefully it does contain some valid points (which are then tossed away on a torrent of stupidity).
If your business could appoint a Director of Better, what would this person do, what would be the result of employing such a person? You might say there is no point but just imagine that your business could actually afford to employ someone whose sole purpose was to make things better. This could be better for the customer, better for employees or better for shareholders (or all of these).
Would the Director of Better be spending money, would they be banging heads together, would they be looking at your business in a new way (a new light or new bulb perhaps) or opening your mind to new possibilities? What would they do to improve your business, to make it better?
I am not actually suggesting that you do employ such a person, or if you do, maybe do not use the job title. Maybe you could be your own Director of Better or (even better) take a couple of friends out for a pizza and ask them to play along with the idea. As a fully fledged promoter of betterness don’t forget to carry a method of recording these ideas as you come across them. A simple notebook or voice recorder will do, just don’t forget.
Make The Best Use of Your Environment – Researchers at University of Minnesota proved that an untidy or messy environment can actually improve our creativity. So, start with your desk. Put on it some objects that bring back good memories or that you really like. Now move away from your desk and think about your actual place of work (which could still be home). You need an area to chill out when you are taking a break from work. What would give you some stimulation if you were to say, grab a cup of coffee? Maybe step outside into the garden or stretch out on a comfy bean bag. You get the idea.
Here is my list of the top ten things that you should make sure that you are doing to give your Innovation efforts the best chance of success. Please note that they are not necessarily in order of importance, just the order that they came into my head!
Many people get “Creative’s block” when they are faced with a requirement to come up with ideas or solve a problem. At other times their creativity overflows! Others, after having no time to play or practise, wish they had more free time, and when they finally get it, they are not in the mood. This article provides some tips which might help you kick start your creativity if ever you get stuck. These suggestions might not cure your problem but they should start you on the path to finding something that will. Note that for this to be useful in the world of business you should have some use in mind for this else it is simply messing around (but good fun).
You come up with good ideas at work and take them to the boss. Do you here any of these phrases in reply? Even worse, do you use these phrases when talking to your colleagues? They tend to kill ideas and have a nasty effect on organisational culture too.
Entropreneurship is a term that I have invented to describe the qualities and behaviours required for the type of leader that all organisations need NOW. This is why I strongly believe that in calling it Leadership for TODAY not tomorrow. Who wants to wait for something that is going to improve the fortunes of their organisation?