Sunday, September 25, 2011

Creativity in You, Your Teams and Your Companies

If your image of creativity is one of childish whimsy and unlimited possibilites then you are not far off in my book.  But kids aren't the only ones who can have all the fun.  Adults need to keep this spirit alive and not put up the blinders and barriers that responsibility and the school of hard knocks may put in our creative paths.

Do you know how creative you are?  There is a quick and easy quiz you can take at http://www.mindtools.com/.  The first step in becoming more creative is finding out where you stand right now.  After taking the quiz be brave and give us your score in the comments with some analysis of what makes you more or less creative.  Then try out some of the tools to enhancing your creativity through the simple exercises of word association, random input from this interactive fortune cookie (click on the cookie for your random message), mindmapping or try out some more advanced methods to use in a group found on mindtools or from your own search.  Lego is one company that embraces systematic creatitvity throughout their business culture, listen to members of their staff describe the work environment and think how your companies might get some inspiration for creating innovation space.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Interview with An Entrepreneur



Asking questions is an art form.  It requires critical thinking to engage in an exchange and the interviewer directs and elicits responses from the interviewee.  This process is likened to the yin/yang or Tao of Communication by Vadim Kotelnikov found on 1000ventures.com.  An often used tool, the interview is one of the skills that are essential to learn right.  This can only be done through practice.  Whether on the receiving or giving end of questions, being prepared is essential.  For the ZSEM course I teach, I found early on that there are many online interviews with entrepreneurs that fail to help an outsider understand the basics of what business, where is it located, how does it work, why did it start, when the process started and where is at now.  The template I have created for students is a great starter to help them stay on point and collect information and insights along the lines of background, idea generation, marketing, operations, finance, results and the personal reflection that comes through the entrepreneurial process.  Below in the comment area, I ask my students and blog readers to give me the name of entrepreneur they would like to interview, the business and industry that entrepreneur represents, why they would like to interview them and any link to a pre-existing interview or profile on that person.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Book and Related Business Models


The days of leisurely hanging out in books stores across the US maybe numbered, atleast for those who are fans of Borders.  My favorite location was there in my annual 2009 visit to NYC and gone the next in 2010.  I knew it was a bad sign.  In my inbox this morning, Barnes &Noble was ready to fill the void by declaring its new features.  But the thoughtful, brand loyal customers of Borders forty year run will enjoy the article by Todd Leopold at CNN.  I particurlarly enjoy his description of what a bookstore could be:

 "....there's something about a bookstore. It's a library, a gathering spot, a refuge, a journey. Often it's small, maybe an 800-square-foot storefront jammed into a city street. Or it's idiosyncratic: an old house or converted barn, a rambling lobby or strip-mall space. It may not even be in your neighborhood, but that's where you go."

My challenge to you, students in my SUR(Students who work) class at ZSEM and any other readers who want to join in is to find a book selling business model that is working.  In your comment, please link us to the website or article featuring the book business model and describe it by product, price, place and promotion so it is easier for us to compare and share.

Future Entrepreneurs

Teaching in higher education in Croatia for almost 20 years, I have mostly been in the private sector.  But I am happy when learners re...