Justin Brady

Home  About  Writing  For Hire  Podcast  Blog Justin Brady's resources on creativity and how to organically cultivate it.

[justinkbrady]

Newest Piece: Why Trying to Become a Jack of All Trades Hurts Your Business

If you started your working life with one creative focus, and are now being asked to take photos, design mockups, manage social media strategies, record and edit video and perhaps even write code for websites, you are becoming what I call a “creative hyphenate.” A designer-director. A manager-editor.

I’m a new contributor for the 99U family! Read the rest of my new piece on 99U.com.

[justinkbrady]

Tesla’s Model 3 is missing something. A screen.

Tesla’s announcements are always thrilling, advancing automotive technology farther than anyone can imagine, but one feature in their newest car is causing confusion. The new Model 3 set to release later next year has completely removed the drivers instrumentation and speedometer screen behind the steering wheel. Before you think they have completely lost their minds however, this very well may be a bigger step into the future than we all realize.

The renegade EV company makes it a habit to raise eye brows with every new announcement they make. From auto pilot, ludicrous acceleration, bioweapons air filtration systems and falcon wing doors, you can be sure their next announcement will be just as thrilling at the same time fully preparing you for the Zombie apocalypse.

But in a somewhat odd turn of events, the Model 3 represents a departure from most people’s expectations of where future technology is going. Samsung has announced their new Family Hub Refrigerator, adding a 21.5 inch HD LCD to a common appliance, Apple introduces a new touchscreen size seemingly every other week, their smallest screen being their Apple Watch. Even hotels across the nation are adding touch screen concierge systems in their lobbies (that never seem to get any use). With the touch screen trend heating up why is a company so advanced like Tesla going the opposite direction? Why are they removing their previous two screen setup in favor of one?

It may be because they believe the future of automobiles, and technology in general, is the reduction of visible technology. Specifically, the future will have fewer screens, not more of them. If you think I’m taking crazy pills, consider the reasons we actually need a screen.

For years, the devices common in every household were easy to use and quite simple. Mixers and ovens just aren’t complex, which meant the interface to operate them was equally simple. Buttons, knobs, sliders and switches were sufficient.

When the computer was invented however, things became complex and the interface of old, was no longer effective. With potentially billions of possibilities, we needed a way to communicate billions of commands. A new interface had to be developed.

It’s for this reason, Xerox famously developed the graphical user interface and mouse design, later adopted by Apple. It allowed us the ability to finally communicate with technology in a more efficient method — a method we had been used to for years — pointing with our hand. Despite the improvement, they had their flaws. The additional complexity meant additional struggle and frustration.

Billions of command combinations meant more complexity. With this added complexity came more grey areas, more misunderstanding and more things to go wrong. Even today, we all struggle to change our own computer and email settings. Calendars fail to sync, music libraries get erased and simple email invitations from our boss disappear. (While I was writing this piece, for example, my entire pages folder on iCloud was erased!) It’s probably for these reasons, younger generations in some cases, flat out abandon technology when it overcomplicates things.

Surprisingly, those growing up in the internet age, hate eBooks compared with those aged 47 – 56. And it’s not as if they are reading less, they are reading more on printed books. Even Italian notebook company, Moleskine has done remarkably well despite its growth coming when everyone was buying laptops, tablets and smartphones.

Younger generations aren’t impressed with new tech announcements. They already understand the vanishing limitations and incredible potential. Younger generations care about beauty, simplicity and ease. This mentality is why SMEG, an Italian appliances company has seen increased popularity as of late and why GE’s bare bones 1950’s throw back Artisan Series appliances are selling like hot cakes.

If technology sufficiently makes their life more enjoyable and easier, they embrace it. If not, they reject it. A second screen in a vehicle, without a true purpose, is useless. Even tech company leadership seem to limit or ban pervasive tech in their own homes.

Future tech will not be embraced for what it can do, but how it makes our lives more enjoyable, free, beautiful and elegant. The interface as we know it will be a thing of the past. Cars will lose screens possibly in favor of voice communication (or sign language) or no interface at all because cars will simply know what to do, looking at your next appointment, traffic conditions and adjusting vehicle environment to balance your core body temperature.

Video conferences will be replaced by real in person conversations because transportation will be fast enough. Cell phones, largely unnecessary will be replaced by simple ear buds (like Will Smith’s phone in iRobot) and technology that currently interrupts our life, will gently fade into the background.

Tesla knows the dashboard of the future (if you even need it) will have nothing on it and the idea of visibility fiddling with any technology will be a thing of the past. Street signs and stoplights will be torn down and only things in their place will be the beautiful view just as God intended it.

This piece is an expansion of what I discussed with Van & Bonnie this morning on WHO Radio (1040 AM, Des Moines.) To watch the full Periscope video, and to see what happens when the mics aren't turned on, watch the video here!

Thanks for reading! Make sure to sign up for my newsletter to get resources on creativity and how to cultivate it. (Don’t worry, I always keep it short)

Twitter Image Source: https://twitter.com/ChefBrohan/status/716297656075681793

[justinkbrady]

This is why our politicians suck at creativity.

If there was ever a group that could benefit from a creative infusion, it would be the US Federal Government, yet year after year the same broken methodology seems to prevail. As much as we love to criticize and attack them for their seemingly incompetent problem solving skills, could our very attacks be causing a chain reaction, killing any and all creativity?

Since shooting your political opposition isn’t acceptable in this country anymore, negative attacks and character assassination are the go to option, comprising of 70% of all political advertising. Surprisingly, these ads don’t damage the campaigns of their political targets. Instead, this negative approach is causing collateral damage to something else entirely, creativity in government.

Leaders are creativity starved, constantly on the lookout for the next hot idea and politicians are no different. In fact, if there is ever an industry ripe for creativity, it’s our own government, but you probably aren’t going to see congress turn into a creative culture. At least, not for a long time.

Creative ideas don’t come easily. In fact, creativity is remarkably scary. It only happens when people are willing to try new things and fail, but not just one failure, or even two. The best creative solutions, of which we are in desperate need, will likely take a dozen, a hundred, or in James Dyson’s case, a few thousand failures to solve real problems. For creative solutions to make their way to surface, failure must be endured with no assurances of outcome. It’s probably for this reasons Henri Matisse said “Creativity takes courage.”

Consider Steve Jobs or Richard Branson. Both are highly respected creative business men, but both are also epic failures. A quick search engine query will turn up Branson’s Virgin Cola and Virgin Vodka, both of which went bust. Even Steve Jobs, had a strikingly large amount of disasters. His NeXT company failed along with the Apple Newton, Pippin and Lisa. (You probably have no idea what those even are) So, what would happen if these men ran for President? Would we run attack ads on their failures or remember them for their success?

It’s not that our government leaders don’t want creative solutions. They certainly do. PEW research has even shown that voter interest in new ideas has risen since last March, with over half the entire country placing more value on “new ideas” than experience!

But put yourself in their shoes. Can you create and think of new ideas when your boss is staring down on you, ready to fire you for any misstep? Of course not! We wouldn’t have the Dyson vacuum if James Dyson had a boss that fired him after the first failed prototype. In fact, we wouldn’t have any innovative products at all. Every creative solution has come about through trial and error amassing piles of useless ideas and failures.

But we expect our political leaders to get it right, the first time every time. We also expect them to change the entire world and to do it quickly. Yet, the research shows that creativity is utterly destroyed under the gun. And our stupid expectations are taking their toll.

Political polarization is at an all time high since 1994, but what is troubling is that both democrats and republicans view the other side as a threat to the country, instead of viewing them for who they really are: A group of leaders that want peace, prosperity and freedom for the American people.

It’s alarming it has come to this.

Politicians have been trained over the years that new ideas are dangerous. They’ve been trained not to stick their neck out. They’ve been trained to avoid new ideas. They’ve been trained to avoid risks. They’ve been trained to protect their re-election chances by avoiding any and all failure or any solutions that have long term implications.

They’ve been trained by you and me, the voters, that failure is not on the table. And if failure is not on the table, creativity isn’t either. We have killed creativity in our own government.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to sign up for my newsletter to get resources on creativity and how to cultivate it. (Don’t worry, I always keep it short)

Photo by Martin Falbisoner (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

[justinkbrady]

Focus On This Tiny Thing First & Creativity Falls Into Place

True creativity is driven by leaders who have one strong character trait that many ignore, leaving it only their personal lives. It’s so stinking simple, that many don’t and won’t ever understand the value it brings to their team, their company and their co-workers. Before I get to that, let me tell you a quick story.

My wife had just celebrated a milestone in her vocal music educational career and we decided to celebrate. I asked where she wanted to go and she made a surprising suggestion, wanting to give an old downtown restaurant a try that we had previously been unimpressed with. Why did she want to go here all of a sudden, what changed?

It turns out, a few weeks prior one of her college friends was in town and wanted to try the very place we had long crossed of our list. The ambiance at this place is great, the location desirable, and the menu looks great, so it makes sense why someone who had never been there wanted to go. Surprisingly, the experience was great! 

We went. As we arrived the hostess led us through a maze of quaint square tables draped with white table cloths past cliché Italian posters, sitting us at a cozy table near the kitchen. We ordered drinks, and going over the menu, both decided to try the very dish that won her heart back.

Our server arrived with our plates, and with a highly anticipated first bite our excitement faded faster than sidewalk chalk art on a rainy day. The food was bland, lifeless and boring. It seemed as though all the ingredients were there, but the preparation was less than desirable. What had been a delicious masterpiece had transformed into a cheap knock-off. How can the same dish, less than a week apart be so different?

It may sound cheesy, but the big difference is love. Before you roll your eyes, hear me out. I’m not referring to lovey kissy love, but love of craft. The chef that had made my wife’s dish was obviously in love with his craft, but the next guy was likely working there just to get the bills paid. You may not think that makes a difference, but ask any chef and they will tell you two people can make the exact same dish, using the exact same ingredients, in the exact same manner and produce two very different plates. How’s that?

Consider Chef Bobby Flay. If you’ve ever attempted a Bobby Flay dish, it’s not easy. You can follow his recipe to the T, but no matter how hard you try, it’s not likely to taste like his version (or maybe just plain awful). Why? 

It’s simple. Because you don’t truly love the recipe. You have a more utilitarian relationship with it, specifically, wanting to fill your stomach. Bobby doesn’t have that relationship however. He loves his craft and he loves that dish. 

Love unlocks the subtle things about ourselves we don't even notice. Love unlocks our obsession with our craft, making sure every detail is just right. Love focuses on the subtle details everyone else misses. Love constantly pushes us to improve beyond all measure of logic. Love is illogical pushing us past what most logical people view as barriers. Love pushes us past “can’t” to “I didn’t think that was even possible.”  

Our creativity is severely limited when we simply follow the recipe. While it’s healthy to learn from super star CEOs we must few this as only a rough outline of what worked for them, and may not even apply to us. Yes, the things they write about are accurate, but it’s a cart before the horse problem or as Gary Erickson of Clif Bar calls it "bottom line thinking".

"Businesses often talk about taking care of their people. In reality, they see this as a means to an end: The better you treat people, the harder they will work. In my opinion, that's just bottom-line thinking" says Gary in his book Raising The Bar.

Love must come first. We can’t try all the new management tricks, and implement new techniques we read about and hope for a miracle. It's bottom line thinking, and guess what, it never ends up working. Something just won’t taste right, and your team will notice.

If you can’t love your craft, you can’t find creative solutions and blaze new trails. If you can’t love team, you will never grow a creative culture. 

A variation of this piece appeared on my blog in 2014. | Photo Credit: Paul Goyette

********** Thanks for reading! Make sure to sign up for my newsletter to get resources on creativity and how to cultivate it. (Don’t worry, I always keep it short)

[justinkbrady]

Workspaces that Don’t Work: The Problem with Open Offices

This original post was inspired by concepts from chapter ten of Under New Management. Open offices are said to be necessary to inspire collaboration, but the latest research has revealed that any benefits of open office design for collaboration are typically offset by myriad distractions, and possibly even long term health concerns.

While the recent trend toward open offices is often explained as necessary to inspire collaboration, research is showing that the benefits of open office design for collaboration are typically offset by myriad distractions and possibly even health concerns.

In 2005 Jungsoo Kim and Richard de Dear from the University of Sydney conducted a study using data on office environments from the industry standard of work environment research, the Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) database at the University of California at Berkeley. Since its inception in 2000, the POE has become one of the most widely used assessments of office space. (It’s even utilized for LEED-certification assessments.) Its widespread use has resulted in a massive amount of data for researchers.

Kim and de Dear selected a small subset of the data based on office building categories, which was still quite massive: 42,764 observations collected from 303 office buildings. They classified each building into one of five categories, ranging from enclosed private offices to open offices with no partitions, and then compared satisfaction levels across categories on a variety of dimensions such as noise level, sound privacy, ease of interaction, comfort of furnishing, air quality, temperature and even the amount of light.

Unsurprisingly, they found that enclosed private offices had the overall highest satisfaction rate and that open office plans had the lowest. But it was when they looked at individual dimensions that they found a few surprises. The biggest differences between private offices and open-plan offices were in dimensions such as visual privacy, sound privacy, amount of space and noise level. A lack of sound privacy received the most negative responses from employees in open offices. In addition, between 25 and 30 percent of employees in open-plan offices were dissatisfied with the level of noise in their workplace. However, satisfaction with ease of interaction was no higher in open offices than in private offices.

Thus while noise was a problem, the greater noise level didn’t appear to be from all of the collective collaboration buzzing around the open room. The researchers then took their analysis one step further, using regression to calculate how important each dimension was to employees’ overall satisfaction. One of the dimensions most strongly related to overall satisfaction was ease of interaction, despite the fact that it was judged to be no better or worse in open office plans than in private offices. In other words, the desire for more collaboration among employees was shared by all, but those in open office plans may not have found it to be worth all of the stress and distraction from the bombardment of noise.

Inside the lab, Gary Evans and Dana Johnson of Cornell University found the same effect of open office noise on stress. Forty female clerical workers responded to their advertisement requesting volunteers to participate in a research project on computer workstation equipment. (Some men responded to the advertisement, but because the majority turned out to be women, the researchers decided to limit the study to women to control for possible gender differences.) Each woman was randomly assigned to one of two conditions: a quiet office or a noisy office. Each woman participated in two three-hour-long sessions — one to set a baseline, and the other for the experiment itself. During the experimental session, the women were asked to type text from an aviation safety manual into a computer at what would be a normal, relaxed pace for them. The women were told that the researchers were not monitoring their performance (although the researchers actually were).

The women in the noisy office condition were asked to type while low-level sounds simulated an actual open office (ringing phones, typing sounds, and drawers being opened and closed), while the women in the quiet condition were not. As would be realistic in any office environment, all of the women were interrupted every twenty-five minutes and asked to complete quick tasks. The researchers tracked their typing performance and also observed how often the women in either condition made adjustments to their workstation. (Making regular ergonomic changes to posture and workstations has been shown to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal diseases.)

After the session, researchers also measured the epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol levels of the women to get accurate markers of stress. Lastly, all participants were given a variety of puzzles (some solvable and some unsolvable) and told to work on one puzzle at a time until they either solved it or decided that it couldn’t be solved. Then they could go on to the next one if time allowed.

The participants in both conditions averaged the same levels of performance, and neither group reported feeling any more stressed than the other at the end of the experimental session, but their epinephrine levels suggested that the noisy environment did cause significant stress. In addition, the women in the noisy condition made significantly fewer changes to their workstation, suggesting that the noisy environment was negatively affecting their future health. Moreover, the women in the noisy condition made significantly fewer attempts to solve the puzzles, indicative of decreased motivation after exposure to the noisy environment. Evans and Johnson’s findings suggest that immediate performance might not be dampened by an open office environment, but that increased stress, decreased motivation, and illness might accumulate to reduce overall productivity later on.

The research seems to suggest that open offices are not the engines of collaboration they are often made out to be. While this may be true, a better solution to the debate may simply be that employees need the ability to find what works best for them, for the team, and for the company.

***** David Burkus is the author of the forthcoming Under New Management. He is host of the Radio Free Leader podcast and associate professor of management at Oral Roberts University. Please visit his website at www.davidburkus.com.

[justinkbrady]

Jet lag and your fear of flying might just be a thing of the past.

Many years ago I was heading to Slovakia with a good friend of mine, Dave. As we boarded he was just fine, but making our way down the runway, started to change his demeanor. He got pale and dug his fingers deep into the small pillow he fished out of the overhead compartment. Dave was terrified like many travelers today, but those fears and the jet lag travelers experience may soon be forgotten.

Plenty of annoying things, we have endured in the past are funny to think about today. We don’t have to endure the elements when driving, and more recently, we don’t need to fiddle with paper maps when on our next family vacation. Air travel however has always bit a bit of a nuisance.

We wait in long TSA lines, we endure the pervasive smell of Diesel fumes and we are stuffed into tiny planes that cost us an arm and a leg, both financially and literally. (Thank you to that 23 year old punk who reclined quickly into my left knee. You know who you are.) When we do board the plane and make it to the destination, our ears hurt due to pressure changes, some get sick from turbulence or airborne contaminants and when you finally arrive, and most are tired and jet lagged. When Boeing launched their 787 Dreamliner back in October of 2011 however, they claimed the new state of the art plane would reduce jet lag, noise, air quality and even turbulence, possibly changing air travel forever, but does science back up these claims?

Boeing’s South Carolina manufacturing facility just created and delivered it’s 100th Dreamliner, and with over 400 planes now in operation, the bugs have been worked out and this plane seems to be proving it’s place in the spot light. But the question remains, are all these big claims just marketing gimmicks or are they scientifically proven? The facts are actually quite remarkable.

One incredible feature is the Dreamliner’s cabin lighting system, meant to help reduce jet lag by resetting your body’s internal clock. Even though this may sound like new age hippy crazy talk, it’s actually rooted heavily in science and even companies like Apple are even taking this into account in their newest 9.3 iOS release. A feature called Night Shift is said to help your natural sleep rhythms at night. Even companies like Philips are making lighted alarm clocks said to mimic a sunrise.

So what is it about light that Boeing, Philips and Apple are so interested in? It’s called your circadian rhythm and studies show even something small such as your smart phone can have an adverse affect on your sleep, suppressing melatonin, the sleep-promoting hormone. But research conducted by Martha Hotz Vitaterna, Ph.D., Joseph S. Takahashi, Ph.D., and Fred W. Turek, Ph.D. has shown that your circadian rhythm can, in fact, be reset with exposure to specific spectrums of light.

But light isn’t necessarily the only thing tied to jet lag or the fear of flying. Cabin pressure also plays a big role. Many travelers aren’t aware that when the plane is pressurized for comfort, it doesn’t actually pressurize to sea level, but instead to the pressure you’d experience on a hike in the mountains. This lowers air humidity and hinders oxygen absorption in the blood. 

At 8000 feet for example, oxygen saturation is lowered by approximately 4 percentage points, The New England Journal of Medicine points out. In their study, this lowered oxygen percentage, while it may seem small, was the culprit behind increase reports of discomfort in unacclimatized participants. The Dreamliner can be pressurized at greater amounts to simulate pressure at 6000 feet, 2000 feet lower than any other aircraft. This obviously raises oxygen absorption, correcting the aforementioned problems.

But there’s more to feelings of dizziness, fatigue and in-flight headaches beyond light and pressure. Air quality is also of concern when stuffed into a small tube thousands of feet in the air. In a study conducted by the Technical University of Denmark The Dreamliner’s gaseous filtration increases passenger comfort far beyond the HEPA air purification common today.

The Dreamliner also takes a very interesting crack a common fear that plagues over 40% of us, in some cases so strong it can qualify as an actual anxiety disorder. The fear of flying. Thees aviophobes are so terrified of flying many can’t even board a plane, truly missing out on opportunities like traveling over seas.

Design updates like nacelle chevrons reduce engine noise and now all systems and equipment have been isolated in the plane. All these features combined with vibration insulation make it more quiet calming anxieties, but one other feature is especially remarkable.  


The presence of various instruments and accelerometers on the plane can instantly sense turbulence counteracting it with wing flaperon positioning and this reduction of turbulence seems to be a huge factor in reducing the fear of flying. “turbulence is a ‘trigger event’; it switches on people’s anxiety.” said Professor Rober Bor to the Independent. “fearful passengers translate that into danger…” Boeing’s new Dreamliner, reducing turbulence means that’s triggering event isn’t as likely to happen or be as severe and this means less anxiety and fear. 

As the Dreamliner continues to make it’s way onto the scene, and as other air manufactures like Airbus start to improve the patients experience with similar advancements, fear of flying and the jet lag association may soon be erased completely, for aviophobes like my friend Dave, the skies are about to get friendlier.

[justinkbrady]

Here's how to predict successful content. (And why you don't want to)

I was shown some interesting software that can predict the success of your blog post… before you write it. 

A good friend of mine, Kevin Sime, reached out to me one morning showing me something he stumbled upon. The site specifically was Inbound Writer. They advertise their content software as a weather forecast for your writing. 

I’m assuming the software compares historical trending data, current key word popularity, news and social traffic, using this data to predict readership. It seems all fine and dandy, but is the software missing a big part of the equation? Would you really want this? Will this potentially kill your creativity?

What if we had this same technology for our own conversations? What if we had an app that chirped before meeting people for coffee, outlining topics that are off limits and ones I should hit on? 

It sounds cool, for sure. But would you really stay away from certain topics simply because your friends might be resistant? Would this make you more likable? Sure. Would it make you more human? No. In fact, it sounds like this would mold you into the masses, sacrificing your individuality. It sounds like you’d be the popular girl in school that everyone wants to be friends with, but no one respects. 

If you have a great piece of content you want to generate that is truly helpful, but their software says not to write it, do you not write it? How is this truly helpful to your audience? Where would new, fresh ideas come from? Where would the writing that truly challenges people, or is fresh new territory come from? Could you end up writing off a piece forever, simply because of a software prediction? Is that one break out piece that can truly help someone (while offending others) worth not writing? 

Yes, you can base your plans off tomorrow’s weather report and keep the rain off your head, but in doing so you will cancel events that could have been incredible experiences. You will also depend on a weather report for opportunities that may not actually be there. 

Are writers really in the business of only writing what will be popular? Or are they in the business of changing opinions and inspiring others? What if Harriett Beecher Stowe had this software, would she have abandoned writing Uncle Tom’s Cabin, widely credited for changing the US view on slavery?

Don’t depend on tomorrow’s weather report. We need to focus not on what will get eye balls, but what people need to hear.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to sign up for my newsletter to get resources on creativity and how to cultivate it. (Don’t worry, I always keep it short)

Photo credit: Victor Hanacek

[justinkbrady]

Teaming up with the most creative person in insurance?

What happens when one of the 20 most creative people in insurance asks you to co-host their podcast on a weekly basis? You talk about what Tesla, Siri, Crops, Simple Ovens and Insurance all have in common.

Gregory Bailey, former CMO of Athene, advisor at Melius Inc, mentor at the Global Insurance Accelerator, and Co-Founder of Insure VC has invited me to join him on his podcast The Denim Rivet and our first episode together came out yesterday for episode lucky number 13. 

Topics ranged from Siri selling insurance, drones analyzing crop health in real time and what the future of technology looks like, or doesn’t look like. Hint: Technology will disappear and beauty will be front and center. I also revealed my new company name and rebranding effort! (It’s called Cultivate)

I’d encourage you to Subscribe in iTunes,| Android or via RSS. 

[justinkbrady]

Grow creativity in your team with a skill you already have. (Part 3)

In this third part of a three part series, I go over how to grow creativity in your team with a skill you already have, but I must warn you: This one is painful. (Part 1 is here, and Part 2 is here.)

Everyone has ideas, and many of us have big ones. One giant problem restricting our teams creativity however, is quite simple: The great ideas aren’t being shared. That’s right, your team or employees have truly great ideas, but simply don't share them. 

Think about this introspectively. How many times have you personally seen a hot new product roll onto the scene that you already thought of years prior? It could be possible hundreds if not thousands of people were also thinking of that product or idea, but they simply didn't share it or act on that idea. Why?

Perhaps they were scared of being ridiculed. Perhaps they were scared of failure or generally looking like a moron. Whatever the reason, it would make sense that great ideas would start flowing if somehow you could erase both negative reactions, but how the heck do you erase negative emotions associated with idea sharing? In short: Time and careful observation.

Your team won’t just start sharing ideas at random. They have to witness first hand the environment is safe for idea sharing before diving in. Think of a pool party with friends all starting at the water, waiting for someone to test it before they dive in. Finally, when someone does, what happens? It’s game on!

So, how do you go about getting everyone to jump in? You need someone to make a first move and when they do it needs to be a positive experience not just for them, but for everyone. After jumping in they have to tell everyone how great the water is, maybe exclaiming “Oh my gosh everybody, this pool is awesome!” I’ve seen first hand how this works, so let’s kill the metaphor and get into the meat. 

Last year I was in a clients board room regarding a new market focus. They had developed an incredible mind-blowing product and thought it would do well in another market. As we took our places around their giant board room table, an unlikely staff person was invited to the meeting. This woman was fairly new to the industry, was inexperienced, and wasn’t even in the marketing or sales departments. Because they were just starting her training however, they figured this meeting would be a good crash course for her to get her bearings, but they had no idea what this seemingly insignificant invitation would result in.

Through most of the meeting she was silent, listening, absorbing and making eye contact, occasionally smiling and reacting to lighter points in the discussion. Thirty minutes into our discussion however, that changed, although you had to be perceptive to even notice. She inched her hand up ever so slightly, not saying a word and catching her hand out of the corner of his eye, the CEO of the company simply asked her, “did you have something to add, Linda?” She made her quick comment, in an apologetic half baked kind of way, hesitant to put herself out there and then closed her mouth.  

No one knew it yet, but this was the most critical point in our meeting. Her comment didn’t make a lot of sense at first and seemed unsure if it would even be received, therefore she didn’t flush it out or expand in fear of rejection. The CEO’s response however, set the course for her entire future at the company. He simply leaned back in his chair and said, “I don’t understand, Linda. Could you expand on that please? Maybe re-state it in a different way and take the time you need.” His body language reflected genuine interest. After listening, both the CEO and myself kept prodding her, repeating her feedback, giving her space.

Moments ago, this employee wasn’t likely to contribute to our discussion and was “only in training” but when she expanded at the CEO’s request, she delivered some incredible insight and ideas we hadn’t even considered. She dipped her toe in, and the water felt good. It’s only a matter of time before other employees jump in (they already are).

This company wasn’t always this way. It’s not that any of them were mean or bad leaders, it was simply they weren’t perceptive. When we are perceptive as team members or leaders however, co-workers are more inclined to share big ideas, more so when we show our desire to hear those ideas. By listening and being perceptive you can encourage an idea explosion at your company. Theodore Roosevelt was right, “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” 

Employees and other team members might not be as bold as you think they should be to get their ideas heard. You need to be careful to watch for them. If people aren’t sharing ideas with you, they simply perceive their co-workers or leaders as not being open or receptive and that’s a problem.

You don’t have to say “no” or “that won’t work” for people to perceive you aren’t open to new ideas. Body language and lack of empathy also send that message. When people perceive this, they just stop trying. 

Form this point forward, seek honest feedback from your team and employees. You don’t need to make some crazy statements about how “things are going to change around here, and now I’m going to listen to you.” Just act. Over time, employees will notice and inevitably one employee will dip his toe into the water. When he does, make sure the experience is an incredible one and watch as your entire company begins to dive into deep pool of creativity!

Thanks for reading! Make sure to sign up for my newsletter to get resources on creativity and how to cultivate it. (Don’t worry, I always keep it short)

Photo Cred: Ryan McGuire

[justinkbrady]

The Surprising Ease of Team Motivation

Do you realize just how easy it is to motivate your team? No seriously, do you REALLY know how easy it is? 

Almost a month ago I spoke with an employee at a fairly large organization. This person, I’ll call her Sharon, had just finished a huge project that had taken 10 months of preparation, and 8 weeks of execution, typically requiring her to be at the office from 7am to 10pm. The project went off flawlessly and even set record sales, but instead of being relieved or overjoyed Sharon was actually upset. How’s that possible? 

Was she expecting a bonus? Was she expecting a promotion? After digging into the situation I learned that wasn’t it at all. She didn’t seem to care about extra pay or any bonus. That wasn’t even on her radar. Instead, she was upset simply because both her and her co-lead didn’t received a single email. “An email?” I replied, “I’m not sure I understand.” 

She explained that she didn’t receive one congratulatory email from any staff or even company leadership. There was no confirmation of a job well done. Previous leadership would talk to the team and congratulate them on completion of a successful project, also sending an email about how proud he was to have them on his team, but the new leadership simply said nothing. 

They weren’t mean people by any stretch. These leaders actually extended special funding for their project to get it done the way Sharon and her team wanted to do it, financially they had given them support. Their lack of response and silence however, sent a loud message that they simply didn’t care, or worse. Leadership was disappointed! 

Sharon and her team crushed previous records and pulled off an incredible feat, yet she was upset over an email that would have taken the leader 2 minutes, or an “atta boy” that would have taken 10 seconds. It really was that simple.

It’s a great reminder that our co-workers and team members, at the end of the day, don’t want bigger paychecks, bonuses, more vacation time or free coffee bars. They want approval. They want to know their contribution is appreciated.

While giant organizations throw millions at their staff to motivate and make them more creative, instead of working harder they are becoming more disengaged. In an age of abounding incentives and  over 70% of our work force today are completely disengaged at work. 

Can a 2 minute email fix every problem? I doubt it, but not sending one can do more damage to morale and motivation than you can imagine. Be aware of all the projects your staff, team and even co-workers are working on. Perhaps create a special calendar just for projects and events. Make sure to congratulate and send out an “atta boy” or “atta girl” email when these projects are completed. In doing so, it will be the most impactful 2 minutes you ever spend and not only is it surprisingly easy to do — It’s free. 

Thanks for reading! Make sure to sign up for my newsletter to get resources on creativity and how to cultivate it. (Don’t worry, I always keep it short)

Photo cred: Ryan McGuire

[justinkbrady]

Grow creativity in your team with a skill you already have. (Part 2)

What does it take to really pull creative ideas from your team or colleagues? Throughout my interactions with leaders, I’ve made some telling discoveries on what it takes to do just that. Of course, listening, empathy and trust are crucial and make the foundation, but there are some tips that can build on top. In this second part of a three part series, I will unpack how to find more creative ideas, in your own backyard. (Part 1 is here. Look for the rest, publishing later)

Delay Your Reactions Most of us suck at identifying great ideas and creative foresight. You can challenge me on this, but the evidence speaks for itself. History is filled with examples of experts in their fields downplaying incredible ideas or individuals that went on to be huge successes. You could be doing this without even knowing it. So... how do we prevent ourselves from becoming that same idiotic expert? And how do we know if we are doing it presently?

When I’m listening to a team or individual members, by nature I want to react immediately to what they say — I’m willing to bet you do too. I pride myself on my honesty so it’s easy to write off this urge as honest or objective, but if I allow myself to respond quickly, I can do real damage. 

What ends up happening is this: Either I verbally commit to something I regret, or I derail creative insight that may have been beneficial in the long run. One tip that I’ve learned over time however, has changed the course of how I receive and detect truly innovative ideas.

Whether I perceive ideas to need work, be downright stupid or even brilliant, I resist the urge to confirm or deny feedback. Instead, I simply take notes and “reply” to this individual on paper, delaying my response 24 hours. I affirm the team members contribution verbally of course. I thank them and I continue to ask questions, writing suggestions or feedback down.

I then review my own notes and reflect on the conversation. It’s vitally important to let feedback, ideas or criticism simmer before responding. The mind seems to unlock more potential and see ideas for what they really are if you sit on them a little longer. 

If an individual says something without thinking it through first, that individual will become more biased in that view for that point forward, more likely to defend their position. (Maybe even simply to save face.) They will then be prone to arguing their case, simply to win the argument rather than pursuing truth. This is referred to as the argumentative theory of reasoning and it derails creativity. Big Time.

But what if your team member has recommended an objectively poor idea? You still win with this strategy. This process will allow your team member or colleague to see their own flaws in their belief and doesn’t allow them fall into the same trap of defending their idea just to win. Also, they will notice you cared and listened, and this will improve their productivity and contribution to the company even if the idea doesn’t pan out. 

Write down your thoughts and intentionally delay that emotional response of yours. It may be hard to do, but you won’t be under pressure to react immediately to everything and the results will speak for themselves.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to sign up for my newsletter to get resources on creativity and how to cultivate it. (Don’t worry, I always keep it short)

Photo Cred: Ryan McGuire

[justinkbrady]

The surprising benefits of being polarizing.

Discovering new ideas and finding solutions to problems is difficult. Emotions will run high and people will disagree with your decision. Empathy is an important part of creativity, but you also need to draw a line, polarizing people in the process. It sounds risky, but surprisingly it will be beneficial in the long run.

Here are the four benefits from being a polarizing individual:

1. Everyone listens to polarizers.  When it comes to leading a team, people want to follow the person who clearly stands for something 100%. They don't want to follow the uncertain person (we all have plenty of that in our own lives). To stand for something however, means to stand against something else. 

If I say, “Oranges are a fruit” you won’t likely listen, much less react. If I say “Oranges are my favorite fruit” still you won’t acknowledge me. But, if I say, “Oranges are the best fruit” I’ve got your attention! I’m implying a lot more than just my love of oranges. I’m implying that Apples and Bananas are not the best fruit. This will get a reaction. Of course, backing my statement up is another thing entirely. 

No one listens or follows non-polarizing people because they aren’t saying anything new or fresh, and if you’re not saying anything new or fresh, you just blend right into the background.

2. Polarizers strengthen the bond of those who share their opinions If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that opinions and ideas aren’t what make people truly unique. What makes a person unique is their willingness to voice and act on those opinions. This means that whatever polarizing position you take, you already have a gaggle of people to support your position. Before you take a stance, you likely have a few thousand people already willing to stand with you!

Think about the articles you share with friends on Facebook, at the bar or at the coffee shop. They likely form opinions or ideas you’ve been thinking about for a long time. They aren’t all that new to you. The only new thing is that someone else wrote it. You feel like they are speaking to you or, perhaps, even for you! If you are a polarizer, your message already has a platform waiting to meet you and form a strong relationship. 

3. Polarizers crush the bond of those who don’t respect their opinion. Polarizers do not crush relationships of those who don’t agree with them, but instead of those who don’t respect them. That’s a HUGE distinction. Some messages you share as a polarizer aren’t going to be popular with your audience, but that’s ok, they will respect you anyway for sharing it! But what of those that you turn off? Well... you’re better off and here’s why.

People who can’t respect you for simply speaking a different opinion are a waste of your time. Reasonable people understand other intelligent people disagree with them — they get it. People who don't get it however, are bitter and angry all the time. Even when you try to keep them happy, they still won’t share your message or help you. 

You will spend time on them, trying to assist them, trying to engage them, but to no avail. They simply won’t help you, spread your message or buy from you no matter what you do. It’s better to let that bond crumble, freeing up your precious time and resources. (You don't need that kind of crap!)

4. People trust the polarizers.  Who do you trust more, the people who agree with you all the time, the people who don’t make a decision, or the people who tell you what’s really on their mind? I didn’t ask who you LIKE more, I asked who you TRUST more? You trust the polarizing people! Even though you don’t like what comes out of their mouth all the time, THEY are the ones you turn to when you want someone to tell it to you straight. 

When you are a polarizing individual, people don't doubt they know the real you. They are confident the version of you they are familiar with, is the exact same version your mother, family and dog see. They don’t doubt your authenticity. 

It should go without saying, but only positive polarizers see the benefit. Yes, you should be a polarizer, but you should also respect others opinions no matter how wrong you might believe them to be. Polarizers don’t have to be divisive. 

Effective polarizers listen and do their best to understand others. They respect other’s opinions, no matter how wrong they believe those opinions are. Polarizers understand there’s nothing wrong with making a stand for something and changing their opinion later. They know, people will just see them as reasonable and capable of changing their mind.

Maybe you want to be that agreeable person people invite to parties. Maybe you want to be that person everyone gets along with on the outside. Maybe you want to keep your relationships on the surface to not offend anyone. I just want you to know one thing: it's all fake.

Polarizers want people to rely on them conquer obstacles! Polarizers want real relationships. Polarizers are trusted, respected and listened to. Polarizers, team up with other polarizers make big ideas happen, and only polarizers change the world.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to sign up for my newsletter to get resources on creativity and how to cultivate it. (Don’t worry, I always keep it short)

Photo credit: Ryan McQuire

[justinkbrady]

Are You Ignoring BIG Opportunities Right In Front of Your Face?

Sometimes big opportunities are sitting right in front of our face, but because they don’t have the snap, crackle and pop we read about in business books we ignore them. We ignore profitable business models, great ideas or perhaps even the opportunity to save lives. That may seem extreme, but hang with me. 

The Paris attacks are a stunning reminder that gun violence is a very real and scary thing. The thought of it happening in another American classroom is terrifying. Many people with good intentions have differing solutions on how to solve the problem here in the USA, but one company doesn’t want to wait, and their creative approach may just be the key to warding off future attacks. The story of the technology and how it came to be is fascinating, but also holds an often overlooked lesson in creativity.

The technology, called Guardian, is an indoor shooting detection system that can tell instantly if a shot has been fired, where it was fired from and will immediately alert authorities and staff or occupants in the building so they can respond appropriately. The system is effective at removing uncertainty, delivering incredibly accurate data in less than 1 second to those in charge.

Tests conducted in schools with this technology deployed have proven to reduce response times of first responders from 18 minutes down to as little as 2 minutes. Since the typical active shooter scenario lasts about 12 minutes, it’s obvious where the value lies. If you think this sounds like a fancy glass break detector found in common home security systems however, you’d be wrong. There is much more than meets the eye… or ear I suppose.

Guardian’s story can be traced back all the way to one dark moment in American history. It’s November of 1963 and President Kennedy is visiting Dallas, Texas in a parade through Dealey Plaza where he was assassinated, later dying at Parkland Memorial Hospital. We’ve all heard the theory of the 2nd shooter on the grassy knoll, but many have no idea where this theory came from, much less that it was based on science far ahead of it’s time.

In December 1978, Dr. James E. Barger, of Bolt, Beranek and Newman (BBN) testified to the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) that his evidence pointed to a 2nd shooter. Rather than a video or photo however, his theory was based on something else. Sound.

His acoustical research could determine not only that shots were taken, but also where the shots came from based on sound wave patterns and echoes heard on recordings. In this particular case, Dr. Barger had discovered a recording made from a Police Officers microphone left on (or open). Having only the recording and lacking any additional evidence however, the HSCA was not able to prove Dr. Barger’s theory, so to this day we officially recognize only one shooter. Lee Harvey Oswald.

The story of Dr. Barger wouldn’t end there however. Eventually Dr. Barger would collaborate on a DARPA project called Boomerang. Forty five million dollars of research and even testing done in Sniper Alley in Sarajevo finally yielded a shooting detection system developed for the US Military to keep soldiers safe in the field. Using Dr. Barger’s acoustical research, the system would not only detect when a gun shot was fired, but could differentiate between fire from the good guys or the bad guys. In addition, Boomerang could identify the location of the shooter.

The technology is so sophisticated it can be mobile, mounted on helicopters or vehicles, letting troops know in seconds if they are under attack and from where. This is exceptionally helpful especially in urban environments where echoes can make it nearly impossible for soldiers to locate a shooter.

To bring this technology to market Raytheon, BBN hired Chris Connors as a marketing consultant. Connors was instrumental in bringing this technology to the military when it was used with much success. Connors however saw more opportunity for the technology and after buying it, formed a new company called Shooter Detection Systems. He fully developed an earlier prototype for an indoor version of the technology and commercialized it.

After observing lock down procedures at his children’s school, which pretty much consisted of hide and pray tactics, he realized that perhaps Guardian could be used in schools, shortening the response time it took for the authorities to arrive. In short, he was right. 

It has been proven to reduce response time dramatically, even giving law enforcement the exact location of the shot fired. Today, he is working to install this technology into schools across the entire US.

It’s fascinating but there is also a critical creative lesson it holds for all of us. Originally, it was developed for the battlefield in outdoor environments at a time when school shootings weren’t exactly a top concern for Americans. Connors and Shooter Detection Systems didn’t exactly have a new idea, but merely a new use for existing technology — and this is a very important distinction.

Most would say “so what, this isn’t that creative, Guardian is simply an indoor version of outdoor technology.” What you fail to understand however, is that most of the creative ideas out there are, in fact, just re-interpretations of what has already been done before. Many of today’s break through technologies were simply copies of other previous successes, re-packaged.

We tend to overlook this truth often because it doesn’t sound as sexy. We like the thought of something being truly new and unique, because we like the possibly it will happen to us! Alas, my friend, it’s just a pipe dream perpetuated by our own ego. You can hold out for that truly new or fresh idea, but it’s probably not coming. The creative hand of Midas just doesn’t exist. 

Have you disregarded what you thought was an unoriginal idea because it wasn't new or original enough? Sadly, you may have missed out on a HUGE opportunity that was right in front of your face. Do not focus on what’s new, but what is meaningful and what can help people. Focus on changing lives... you might just save some in the process.

You can join the Indiegogo campaign to raise funds to put a Guardian system in 50 schools in 50 states. Shooter Detection Systems is providing the technology at cost via the ERASE campaign.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to sign up for my newsletter to get resources on creativity and how to cultivate it. (Don’t worry, I always keep it short)

[justinkbrady]

This one thing you are doing will KILL your creativity.

I’m pretty sure there is one very dark thing you are doing to yourself that can severely hurt your creative energy. It often attacks people who like to exercise their creative muscles, inevitably finding themselves in a state that squelches their energy and kills their creativity. Some even feel depressed and broken as a result. What is it? It’s called social comparison.... And there’s more to it than you might think. 

I was speaking to a fellow entrepreneur this week who was completely drained of his creative energy. He was upset with company growth, but after I started digging deeper, he was open enough to give me some real numbers and that’s when it hit me. He was actually doing quite well! I started asking why he thought he was so behind and one theme started appearing: he was comparing himself to other similar businesses. But there was a problem with his thinking. He just didn’t know it.

One particular company he spoke of has seen incredible growth and amazing success in the last 3 years. They have received numerous awards, acquired some clients easily that he had been working on for years and despite starting at the same time he did, had a fairly big staff. What the heck was he doing wrong? And what was this company doing that had made them so successful!? The truth is... nothing. 

I happen to know more background on this company than he does and the truth is, this company’s success is about as real as a hollywood set. It looks good from the outside, but behind the scenes it’s all chicken wire and painted styrofoam. When the wind picks up it will blow right over, leaving a mess in it’s wake. 

The founder and owner happens to have a near bottomless budget of family money and the company can only close new deals by offering prices so cheap, they can’t even make profit. 

Despite winning awards for work culture, people are leaving the company in droves and to recruit, they have to offer much of the creative gimmicks I often warn about. This founder is known for being arrogant, mean and downright nasty to employees, even berating them in front of their peers. While these gimmicks attract talent, they can’t hide the negative work culture. The fact is, once the family money runs out, this business won’t survive or will “be acquired” by another company.

But this entrepreneur didn’t see any of that. He had no idea. To him, this company’s success served as a barometer for how behind he was. He was comparing his small solid structure, to a mansion that was nothing more than a shell. His creative energy was being destroyed by something that wasn’t even real. 

It reminds me of something a tech startup friend of mine said on a panel years ago. “People Lie” he said, when someone from the audience asked him what surprised him about his business dealings. Indeed it’s true. And some people are amazing liars. 

Negative social comparison will hurt your creativity and zap your productivity all for no reason! Don’t compare yourself to other’s success, in reality you may not want to be in their position at all!

Trust your gut. Trust your close friends and judge yourself by your ability to meet your own goals, and hey, if you’re down (it happens to all of us) send me an email and I’ll talk you off the ledge. 

Thanks for reading! Make sure to sign up for my newsletter to get resources on creativity and how to cultivate it. (Don’t worry, I always keep it short)

Photo credit: Ryan McQuire

[justinkbrady]

Here’s why Consumer Reports yanking their recommendation actually helps Tesla.

The Model X was just released Sep. 29th, but not everything is rosey for Tesla Motors. Fail videos have begun to arise of Tesla’s auto pilot feature, with the car trying to lunge into oncoming traffic or curbs. Granted, Tesla has instructed owners auto pilot is for the interstate only, is in beta and customers should keep their hands close to the wheel. Less than a week after Tesla announced the rollout of their auto pilot software however, news got worse. Consumer Reports has yanked their recommendation for the Model S. 

It seems the Tesla Model S has suffered from reliability issues, after a survey of 1400 Tesla customers Model S customers. Among the negative complaints were touch screen, drive train, window and door issues and rattles, squeaks and even leaks in the sunroof. The good news is, they are well known for their high marks on service, making sure to get all these issues repaired quickly. 

All this news, of course has gouged Tesla’s stock price, big time and Tesla has yet to announce their third quarter financial results due on November 3rd, but even if they are downright terrible, I know their future is strong. 

As a matter of fact, things were looking a little too positive for Tesla as of late. The Model S consumer reports, the P90D Ludicrous mode, the Model X selling out and all the other positive news was starting to worry me just a bit. Why?

Because companies like Tesla get better through fire. This scenario reminds me of a piece I wrote in the Washington Post titled “Why Elon Musk will be inspired by New Jersey’s slight.”

Leaders like Elon Musk are hardened and perfected by flaws, missteps and errors of this magnitude. I know for a fact that these public, and humiliating errors will make a better Tesla than if they wouldn’t have happened. 

So, investors? Now is the time to invest in Tesla. The stock price has fallen and the getting is good. 

Future owners? Take comfort in knowing that this will just put more fire under Elon Musk and the Tesla tomorrow will be nothing like the Tesla you know today. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to sign up for my newsletter to get resources on creativity and how to cultivate it. (Don’t worry, I always keep it short)

[justinkbrady]

The Netflix price increase won’t hurt them like last time... and I know why.

Netflix has announced they will raise prices. For those of you that have been subscribers for a long time, this may sound familiar. It was July of 2011 when Netflix had first raised prices, totally unaware of the backlash that waited around the corner. Their stock price plunged, they lost millions of subscribers and not until the end of July 2013 did their stock price inch back up to where it was in July of 2011. This time however, it will all be different — and I know why.

During that disaster years ago, Netflix overlooked a very important characteristic of it’s customers. Namely, our humanity. Customers aren’t surprised by price increases, we’re used to it. And even with the price increase, Netflix knew they still had the best service and price in the market, so naturally they assumed the customer would agree But upon sending an email notification to customers they overlooked one thing that ended up costing them millions. Empathy.

Here’s that letter:

Dear Netflix Customer,

We are separating unlimited DVDs by mail and unlimited streaming into two separate plans to better reflect the costs of each. Now our members have a choice: a streaming only plan, a DVD only plan, or both.

Your current $9.99 a month membership for unlimited streaming and unlimited DVDs will be split into 2 distinct plans:

 Plan 1: Unlimited Streaming (no DVDs) for $7.99 a month  Plan 2: Unlimited DVDs, 1 out at-a-time (no streaming) for $7.99 a month

Your price for getting both of these plans will be $15.98 a month ($7.99 + $7.99). You don't need to do anything to continue your memberships for both unlimited streaming and unlimited DVDs.

These prices will start for charges on or after September 1, 2011.

You can easily change or cancel your unlimited streaming plan, unlimited DVD plan, or both, by going to the Plan Change page in Your Account.

We realize you have many choices for home entertainment, and we thank you for your business. As always, if you have questions, please feel free to call us at 1-888-357-1516.

–The Netflix Team

You might not be able to put your finger on it, but this email is missing something. It’s missing any care or any love for the customer. It’s canned and distant. It reads like a letter you’d expect from the IRS. There is no talk of why they are raising prices, no talk of “postage costs” and no talk of “we want to get you better content and that costs money.”

Netflix likely reasoned that streaming customers would save money, making them happy but that’s not what happened. Because Netflix didn’t take the time to carefully consider how the email would be read, most viewed it’s terse matter of fact presentation as an arrogant price gouging tactic. Within hours social media had exploded and Reed Hastings, the founder and CEO had been given a new name by previously loyal customers: “Greed Hastings.” If there is one thing I’ve learned from Dan Ariely’s books it’s that people do not respond rationally or logically, they respond emotionally. 

Despite the increased negativity, Netflix made no attempt to calm their customers and the lack of response fueled the fire, making things worse. The massive exodus of customers began, costing Netflix millions of users (yes, millions). Their stock price dropped from 265.99 to 113.28 in only two months and in under 5 months had dropped to 64.53, eventually bottoming out at 54.44! (Note: Netflix has since split their stock price, so the numbers have changed.)

This type of catastrophic failure doesn't come without consequence. Companies like Hulu and Amazon capitalized on this new opening, using an opportunity that likely would have never been an option had Netflix not angered their customer base.

In addition, Amazon learned more than just how to steel Netflix customers. When that time came for Amazon to raise their own prices on Prime and Prime Video they took a more empathetic approach, even keeping their loyal customers at the former Prime rate, delaying the price increase. 

It worked. Amazon’s prices raised and there was very little complaint and there was no customer exodus. In fact, they had 53% growth in Prime memberships during this price increase. 

So here we are again. Netflix is raising prices. Will it hurt like last time? In one word: No. I’m willing to bet we aren’t going to see the same reaction. Why? Because Netflix learned their lesson. They finally learned empathy. It was a costly lesson, but they learned it. Ladies and gentlemen, behold: The New, Empathetic Netflix.

Dear Netflix Customer,

We’re writing to let you know about an update to our prices. As a thank you for being a valued Netflix member, nothing is changing for you right now. Your price is staying the same and is guaranteed not to change for one year. In order to continue adding more TV shows and movies, we are increasing our price for new members from $8.99 to $9.99 for the 2 screens at a time plan. You can review your membership details at any time by visiting Your Account. As always, if you have questions, we are happy to answer them. Please call us at any time at 1-800-585-7265.

–The Netflix Team

Empathy is a big creativity booster. Amazon didn’t have some genius creative team figure out how to raise Prime prices, adding customers at the same time they simply learned from someone else’s failure and used empathy. Not only does empathy grow creativity, but it improves your relationships with others and allows your company to grow! Well played, Netflix. Well played...

Thanks for reading! Make sure to sign up for my newsletter to get resources on creativity and how to cultivate it. (Don’t worry, I always keep it short)

[justinkbrady]

Grow creativity in your team with a skill you already have.

Throughout my client interactions and interviews with leaders, investors and innovators, I’ve made some interesting discoveries on what it takes to pull creative ideas from a team. You’ve likely seen me write or talk about how listening, empathy and trust are crucial, and they are, but there are some tips that can build on top of this foundation. Here is the first. (Look for the rest, publishing later)

Watch Faces and Posture Paul Ekman is a psychologist and the leading expert on what posture and facial muscles communicate. He discovered that reactions are universal, not regional or cultural, so he would use this information to effectively “read” people. For those of you that are interested in this, I encourage you to read his books. There was even a TV show years back based on his life. It was called Lie to Me. 

You don’t have to be Paul Ekman however, to pick up on simple body language and facial reactions. When working with your team, just watch them and pay close attention. Are they uncomfortable? Mad? Tired? Do they think you just fed them a load of bull? If you really pay attention, you will see visual cues that will fill in these details. If you pick up on something, ask for clarification. 

The subconscious regions of your brain have been picking up on body language and inflection for years, so if you pay close attention, you will be stunned at how intuitive and insightful you will become. In addition, your team will pick up on what they perceive as you being more interested and will contribute more. You’ll be shocked at the intimate details that begin to come out in your discussions.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to sign up for my newsletter to get resources on creativity and how to cultivate it. (Don’t worry, I always keep it short)

Photo credit: Victor Hanacek