Creativity | christopherhildreth

Archive for the ‘Creativity’ category

Barbizon Lighting, Penelope and Customer Service

March 21, 2008

Frequently, I have the pleasure of ordering stage lighting products from Barbizon Lighting. They have many offices, but I go to the one in Atlanta since it is relatively close. Over the past few years I have come to know a particular sales person who deserves credit and admiration. Her name is Penelope and she is the personification of the perfect salesperson.

I say this because first, have you ever wanted to proclaim the wonderment of a salesperson? Probably not. It is precisely because we encounter too often sub-par salespeople that those who embrace their gift rise to the surface. Don’t get me wrong, the complete sales force of Barbizon Lighting in Atlanta are wonders to work with. Penelope rises to the surface because she makes me wish I had more money to buy things with. I really want her to sell me more stuff.

She has found her niche and she owns it. Too many times we vocalize about people who didn’t do this or that – I wanted to give honor where honor was due to a person who definitely deserves it.

Kudos to you, Penelope! I can’t wait to buy more lights!

Categories: Context, Creativity, Influence, Leadership

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Checklist

March 14, 2008

This may seem like a mundane word, but it provides access to some amazing and interesting bits of food for thought. The biggest point to make is that to avoid blind spots institute checklists.

Hospitals use checklists to save lives every time they insert an IV line. Checklists give people the best way to do things – a clear cut “right way”.

In any business we do certain things over and over. Through the passage of time a certain amount of overconfidence can cause us to do things without thinking – think of the rate of auto accidents near to home; a route we take over and over and soon do as second nature.

Even when we do institute an actual checklist in situations we have to be wary of checklist creep. We have to discipline ourselves not to short change a working system.

To be candid, when we use checklists we make fewer mistakes. We all have things we do over and over again. Take these things and put them in checklist form. This is the one sure fire way to eliminate at least some of the blind spots we all share.

Categories: Context, Creativity, Cultural Ideas, Influence, Life

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Richard Florida

March 12, 2008

Richard Florida is the guru of the Creative Class. His book, The Flight of the Creative Class, has opened up a new way of looking at what being creative means for more than just the individual. The book discusses the “global competition for talent” and offers ways the United States can compete.

What I really like is his new book, Who’s Your City. In this book he discusses the attitude that “cities should focus on attracting high-paying, attractive jobs. Economic growth and a thriving jobs market would attract the best talent, right? Wrong. It turns out that it’s more important for cities to focus on creating a strong, diverse talent base. By fostering a strong creative class, cities are assured of future economic growth and prosperity.”

In an interview Florida also says something that needs no more interpretation than to simply read it:

“Talent and creativity do not reside in the individual. They reside in the relationship.” Think about that one for awhile.

Categories: Books I'm Reading, Creativity, Cultural Ideas, Influence

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From Center to Side

March 2, 2008

Once upon a time the very center of the idea of Christianity was to “get to Heaven”. Books were written, messages preached and people have actually died on the premise that this idea of getting into Heaven was the center of the gospel.

The institution of Christianity is currently undergoing a broad evolution in terms of the concepts that have drifted from center to side and those that were either on the side or not on the grid at all moving to center.

The concrete idea of “Kingdom” is moving to center in many places on the landscape of Christianity. This is different than the Kingdom Now movement of a few years ago. This current idea has a foundation of experiencing the fullness Christ promised in living this life. There is an intense focus on “being” Christ to the world. The areas that are leading in influence and the areas that are being influence by global culture tend to be areas that “mainline” denominations would not typically be associated with.

This has to be separated from the Emerging or Emergent church. There are many “white steepled churches” that are actively involved in bettering their community and taking lead roles in the “greening” of their towns and cities.

The key, and I talk a lot about this, is that this process is not stopping and hasn’t stopped. In the future the things that we have placed in the center of our belief will be replaced by things that are being placed on the sides today.

The essence is that this great fermenting of Christianity is a living activity, and as long as we are having conversations about what belongs in the center and what should be moved to the side, the dream of the community of Christ is still going strong.

Categories: Belief, Context, Creativity, Cultural Ideas, Influence

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God Is a Salesman

February 28, 2008

Picked this book up a few days ago and started to read. The concept is centered around the fact that in a world where we need proof and trial studies and perfomance data, we take the idea of a God without any of these things.

The author’s point of view is that for God to be able to have that many followers with so little in the way of actual “stuff” to show, God has to be the best salesman out there. Since in our lives we find ourselves always selling something, we should take some pointers from God and let the observations influence the way we live and express our lives.

I’m about halfway through and have to say that I am enjoying the book. It’s not a blockbuster, but it’s small size gives you the “light at the end of the tunnel” to keep you motivated to finish.

I intend to utilize many of the ideas listed in the book.

Categories: Books I'm Reading, Context, Creativity, Cultural Ideas

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The Power of Words

February 23, 2008

Just a comment here about the power that is contained in words. During this campaign season we are hit from both sides with words words words. Every candidate is seeking to separate themselves from the other and distinguish themselves as THE candidate to vote for.

In the process there are many words that flow between and about the people running for office. In a few months our ears will have become numb to the talking points of each person and we will collectively try to advance time to November. Before we endure this and leave it with nothing, lets take this time to examine the value of words and their influence on us and those around us.

Words can help us or hinder us. In each of our lives we have the choice which words to us in every situation of life. We are the authors of our future as we dictate into history our lives. What we choose can have long lasting consequences, as we will see in the campaign.

Just take the next week and see if your words change because of paying more attention to them and their power. As we wake up each day the world awaits our voice. The world longs to hear what we wish for each day and doesn’t hesitate to bring it to pass.

Categories: Context, Creativity, Cultural Ideas

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Practically Letting Go #3

February 19, 2008

Alright, here’s another tried and true way to increase your effectiveness and actually accomplish things on a regular basis. It is not earth shattering and doesn’t come close to profound, but it does work, and for me, that is all that matters.

I have lived through days where my “to do” list seemed endless. My typical movement throughout the day consisted of going from one task to the next, without finishing any of them.

OK, here is the nugget of truth – take a piece of paper (no blackberry, palm or other so-called organizer) fold it three times. On one side of the paper write the top three things that must be done for that day and nothing else. I have found that the myriad of smaller items find their way into my mind whether I write them down or not. Now you have three needful and doable things to accomplish each day. This gives each day focus and purpose and leaves you at the end of the day knowing that you were successful in fulfilling your obligations.

Only put down those things that must be done. This keeps you on track and never behind!

Categories: Creativity, Goals, Uncategorized

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Living from our strengths

February 12, 2008

I have to say that one of my favorite people to read and listen to is Marcus Buckingham. He worked with the Gallup organization for several years and co-authored the books, First, Break All the Rules; Now Discover Your Strengths and authored the book The One Thing You Need to Know. His emphasis for some time now has been to help people focus on living through their strengths instead of trying to improve their weaknesses. His point is taken with an example of a scale from 1 to 10: 1 being weak and 10 being strong. If you are an 8 in one area and you improve by a point or two, great; but if you are a 3 in an area, you have the potential to only get yourself up to a 5 or 6 – still mediocre at best.

His analysis displays the fact that when we live and work from our strengths, we are happier people. No one has to tell you what you’re good at – you know it, it is instinctive and you feel pleasure from it. Conversly, no one has to tell you what you are bad at – you know these things also. you dread them and they deplete your energy.

When we focus living in our strength zone, we make life better for ourselves and those around us. A team of people working from their strengths can change the culture of an organization and increase the whole workforces attitude about a particular business. The impact cannot be emphasized enough.

Living and working from our strengths utilizes the best we can offer to any person or situation. It breeds success, and decreases failure, resulting in much more confidence and inner direction and (pardon the pun) strength.

Categories: Books I'm Reading, Context, Creativity

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Scandalous God

February 10, 2008

One of the great scandals of man’s search for God has to be something that was mentioned in the previous post. I said that our church has a saying – Truth is truth wherever you find it. This fact has a huge implication in view of the us/them approach to God searching. Typically we enjoy a perception of preeminence in relation to our chosen path. If we are Christian, we assume all others, the “thems” are wrong and we are right. The same for any other flavor of religion or sect.

In fact we not only believe others to be wrong, but very wrong, and ourselves to be right about everything we think in relation to our religion. The great scandal is that God has allowed His truth to make it’s way into all sorts of “paths” – both the approved ones and the ones not approved. If truth is truth, then there is no difference whether Jesus or Buddah says that we should “love each other”.

The essence of the truth is not in who says it, but in what is contained in the words.

Categories: Context, Creativity, Cultural Ideas

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“Everything is beautiful”

February 5, 2008

In a previous post I mentioned the scripture in Ecclesiasties 3:11 where everything is described as having beauty in its own time as a characteristic. I wanted to revisit this. It is difficult to look at situations we share and those that appear singular to us and use the word, “beauty” to describe them.

It is not beautiful to lose a job or loved one. It is not beautiful to go through divorce. It is not beautiful to experience pain. The key phrase I think we have to examine is “in its time”. The scripture is not saying that everything is beautiful all the time. It is saying that there are things that appear once to be horrific and grotesque, but at a later time can bring beauty and even appear beautiful themselves because of the joy that has resulted from them.

In simplistic terms, there can be no appreciation for peace without the terror of war. We live under a constant tension that lets us experience both the good and the bad. As the narrative explains, Adam and Eve took of the fruit. From that taking came the knowledge of both good and evil. I think the blessing in the curse is that they were able to truly enjoy the good and also see the devastation of the bad.

Regardless of current circumstances, everything will find itself beautiful in its own time.

Categories: Context, Creativity, Cultural Ideas

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