Larry Blumsack
Founder, President
"Larry was articulate, engaging, and informative and I came away from the presentation thinking about some of the situations that I run across in my own life in a whole new light. Not only was the material that he discussed interesting and useful, Larry's presentation style and demeanor was extremely engaging and held my excitement throughout the entire program. I would highly recommend Larry as a great speaker, a great teacher, and as a great person."
Justin R. Merola, CRPS® Financial Advisor-UBS Wealth Management
About Zoka Institute
For critical thinkers, creative problem solvers and collaborators Zoka Training teaches individuals a skill set that can influence any organization's bottom line - the fine art of developing creative solutions through collaborative, upside/down thinking. By focusing on exploring ideas rather than identifying problems, Zoka Training unlocks hidden creative potential by showing individuals how to think outside their preferred styles and focus their creative energy – thus turning knowledge workers into inspired thinkers and solutions-driven contributors.
Volume 3 Issue 13 10-09
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Hi %%First Name%%,
Can you walk the talk to innovate?
"Stimulating innovation/creativity and enabling entrepreneurship is among the top 10 challenges of U.S. CEOs." A key opening point from "Ready to Innovate" in a recent survey by The Conference Board that looks at the creative readiness of the U.S. workforce.
I have been advocating for years that you can't have innovation without creativity. Now U.S. employers rate creativity/innovation as one of the top 5 skills in importance. DUH!
Here are some of the 2008 findings of The Conference Board's survey of U.S. public school superintendents and business executives. "Eighty-five percent of employers concerned with hiring creative people say they can’t find the applicants they seek. Employers concerned with hiring creative people rarely use profile tests to assess the creative skills of potential employees (less than 20 percent). Instead, they rely on face-to-face interviews. More than 1 in 4 say they assess creativity based on interviewees' appearance."
Little wonder we are in an innovative crisis.
I can only project what the survey outcome might have been if the U.S. business schools and MBA programs were included. After our recent economic crash the media is filled with tales of business schools and MBA programs searching for a path to be relevant for the 21st Century global economy.
The U.S. 20th Century linear, process-oriented educational policy from K through PHD - of "No you can't, here's the answer" - "don't make mistakes" - "fear the judgement of others" - "be serious" - has stripped-mined creativity from our leaders and workforce.
Slowly - ever so slowly - public school educators are realizing that participation in the visual and peforming arts are the highest indicator of creativity. However, this will not result in creative/innovative thinkers for business for at least 10-15 years. Here is where the business schools can step up to the challenge and play an important role in nuturing creative/innovative thinkers. Yes, include the arts in all the business programs.
Neuroscience now shows us that habit energy and linear thinking can be changed at any age. They call it neuroplasticity. The brain can rewire at any age through new experiences and new activities.
Arts-for-business-based training continues to prove that it provides the necessary new experiences and new activities to leverage internal assets by turning human capital into creative capital. Some Fortune 500 CEOs realize that arts-for-business-based training can turn limited habit energy into expansive creative energy.
So CEO's stop looking outside your company and use Zoka Training to awaken and rekindle the imagination of your people.
What is the creativity level in your organization on a scale of 1-10 and why should you care?
Do you have -
Critical Thinkers?
Creative Problem Solvers ?
Collaborators ?
Regards,
Larry
617-489-1933
lblumsack@zokainstitute.com.
Click here to go to the website.
www.linkedin.com/in/larryblumsack
www.twitter.com/zokainstitute
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