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Wisdom from a Paradigm-Shifting Creative: Bucky Fuller

350px-Biosphère_Montréal Last night I saw R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe at the Arena Stage in DC - written & directed by D.W. Jacobs - based on Fuller's life, work and writings - and awesomely performed by Rick Foucheux. It was FANTASTIC! A one-man show with integrating storytelling, multi-media, scientific theory and universal mystery, it, for me, was its own hybrid genre of theater - one where where engagement, education, inspiration, entertainment, resonance, audience interaction and evolutionary invitation converged.

Years ago, I had read his well known Operation Manual for Spaceship Earth and some of his articles and became enthralled with his ideas, vision and wisdom. But it wasn't until I took a design class that I really appreciated the power of physicalizing structure with those ideas - and "nature doing more with less." We were given toothpicks and glue and one egg. We had to create a structure for the egg by which we had to stand on a chair and drop the egg, encased in our toothpick structure, on to the ground...and the egg was not supposed to break. Long story short: only one person succeeded at not breaking the egg as he dropped it with nothing but a few toothpicks to protect it. His secret: he had created a geodesic dome around his egg. He used the least number of toothpicks, and he used them most coherently - just like nature creates. That was a powerful learning for me.

Last night I was reminded of Fuller's work and the magnificence of nature's creativity. I left inspired, re-invigorated and deeply grateful for the legacy of this brilliant, heart-centered pioneer who not only thought the great thoughts, but animated them with great actions and creations - and all is service of the good of "spaceship earth" for which he cared passionately.

A small piece of his story: Until 4.5 years old, when he got his first pair of glasses, he could barely see so he learned to live in and create from his imagination and internal experiences. In kindergarten, while other kids were putting together simple toothpick models based on everyday structures they observed (like box houses), he was designing triangles because they "stayed together - they made sense."

After diverse jobs, many hardships, and no particular direction, at age 32 he had a mystical experience that changed the course of his life while walking in the streets of NYC. He emerged from that experience committed to think for himself, discovering and speaking Truth. And in a way that is in integrity with nature. He wanted to find "the coordinate system that nature employs." Later on, in thinking about patterns, and especially "patterns in a mutable kind of way," he later discovered (what he had hints of intuitively at a young age) that "the triangle is the only stable structure" which eventually led to the development of the geodesic dome among his countless contributions. (More on him here).

Below are bits of his wisdom, as shared in the performance last night (in no particular order).
While some are not so cutting-edge anymore, they are still not universally accepted, let alone enacted or embodied. Other are still pushing at the edges. He was talking organic complexity, systems thinking, patterns, non-linearity, emergence, intuition, creativity, dynamic movement, biomimicry, sustainability and heart/mind/brain integration 60 years ago...steeped inside of a static, linear, dehumanizing, mechanistic world view and accompanying set of values. When I think about not only
what he cultivated, but when - the context in which he, like all out-of-time visionaries before and since, emerged his insights - I'm inspired by his courage uncommon. The following is from the play:

•  It is only through feeling that you are truly yourself. Thinking and knowledge can be learned form others,
   but feelings can only from within you.

•  Change is the normal state, as opposed to the Newtonian view where rest was normal
   and motion was abnormal.

•  Out of information comes synchronized principles.

•  Nature is about doing more with less. Economists, on the other hand, have been about doing
   less with more.

•  I m not a re-former. I am a new-former.

•  We need to re-orient production away from weaponry - away from killing-ry to living-ry.

•  Behavior of the whole is unpredictable by the behavior of it parts.

•  Oppositeness re-generates life.

•  Each individual is a verb.

•  You as an individual must have courage to go by the truth or you will be swayed by the crowd. 
   Only the individual can let go of his fear and plunge into the design science revolution.
 
•  To reform the environment is the design responsibility of Spaceship Earth.

•  Selfishness made sense when humanity didn't know there was enough to go around.
   Now that we know there is, selfishness does not make sense anymore.

•  All is expanding and contracting.

•  We need idle time. It allows people to think, "What do I see that needs to be done?"

•  Intuition is the key to thinking - the contact between the conscious and the subconscious.
   The mystery is ever more entrancing and ever more beautiful.

•  You can deceive your brain self, but not your mind self. The mind deals only with the truth.

•  Everything is energy. Instead of seeing is as fixed - up or down - see it as inward or outward.

•  We have a choice: Utopia or Oblivion. If we make it, we'll make it because of truth and love.

In an age when "visionary" and "renaissance" is found in every other manifesto, I think we need a more discerning word or phrase to do justice to the Bucky Fullers. For now, I am feeling gratitude for the "verb" of who he was.

The image is of the geodesic dome donated to Expo '67 in Montreal.


Navigating the Unknown: 7 Reflection Tools

This is a re-post of an article I wrote in 2006 based on my experiences with creative emergence - in my own life and working with my clients. Just came across it again today so I thought I would share it. 36223mountain-summits

1. Change the lens you use for seeing the unknown. Do you see the unknown something to be feared,  challenged, dealt with, managed or overcome? Or is it something to be navigated, explored, embraced, cultivated, or expressed? If you think of facing the unknown in your work what thoughts and emotions come to mind? What metaphor? A beast to be tamed, a wave to be surfed, a game to be played? How we perceive the concept of this unfolding future we call the unknown determines how easily we navigate it.

2. Consciously engage uncertainty. Whether we like it or not the unknown has now become our working partner. By actively engaging the unknown in small ways at first - such as with a low-risk/high-ambiguity project - you develop the essential skills to work with it in larger high-risk/high-ambiguity arenas. What would it take for you to go deeper into situations, pushing past what you currently know, before going forward? It feels counterproductive in our fast-paced culture, but by taking the up front time to go deep and explore multiple dimensions, next-level solutions begin to reveal themselves.

3. Allow the process to be messy. When we start consciously exploring unknown, there is a period of time where logic, order, and organization are put on hold as we get into the unearthing of new information. It can seem illogical, nonsensical, and even foreign-sounding as it emerges. Like all births, new directions are not necessarily tidied up and pretty as they enter the world. Similar to a baby being born, the ideas, structures and systems that emerge from the unknown space can look unrecognizable at first. The task it to continue to draw whatever shows up forth, amidst it messiness, until the new order emerges. There is a natural, self-organizing system at play in every emergent situation. How much time and space do you give to ideas to go formulate?

4. Actively leave the familiar. Just because something worked for one group in one situation doesn't mean it is necessarily repeatable. Look back to the past for what is relevant to the new situation and bring it with you. Leave the rest behind. It is in our nature to seek the shelter of the familiar even if we know it is no longer serving us. Leaving what is comfortable and not working to dip into the "empty space" to draw forth the new is challenging. Do you have compassion for yourself (or others) when you are frustrated, overwhelmed and feel like you hit a wall?

5. Use multidimensional creative approaches. By using a variety of creativity tools, techniques and approaches you can engage more of your brain and more of your senses. The human habit is to approach uncertain situations with the same set of analytical tools each time. No matter how focused and capable your thought process, unless you do something different to activate new parts of the brain, the information will still travel down your same neural pathways in the same way and you will come up with the same types of solutions. If you purposefully integrate alternative methods, whole brain thinking and multi-sensory stimulation, awareness is heightened and you become more responsive and resilient. What are some ways you can intentionally do this?

6. Be the Beginner. Probably the most significant, yet challenging aspect of navigating the unknown is the willingness to enter the beginner mind. We live in a knowledge based society. We are educated to have the right answers. The more we know, the more intelligent, capable, and competent we are considered. We are rewarded and recognized for that which we know, not for that which we don't know. Yet, in a world where the word innovation is showing up in almost every mission and vision statement, this is often exactly what is needed to move forward. It's not about abandoning what you know, but bringing it to the table to sit side by side with what you do not know.

7. Accept the human paradox. Within the paradox of human nature, being what it is, the unknown is both dangerous and exciting, a threat to be feared and a mystery to be revealed. We are mystery seekers. There is a multi-billion dollar mystery industry--books, movies, adventure tours, Internet games, and haunted houses. There is something about walking around the corner and not knowing what will pop out that is inherently exciting and alive to us. Uncovering and discovering are in our nature--just look at a child exploring the environment, looking behind every crack and crevice for what's next.

While a part of us may love the mystery, we have another part of us, in our reptilian primal brain, that has been hard wired to fear what is around the corner. Our ancestors knew well knowledge of our surroundings gave us control of a dangerous world. There was a real danger in leaving the safety of the cave. This is still true today. When we perceive threats to survival, we like to know what is next. Ironically, the same world that makes people want to retreat to their caves to hide from the "predators" is this same world that is requiring new levels of innovation to adapt and thrive. When is change exciting and when is it threatening to you?

The more you work with the unknown as a co-creative partner, the easier it is to stay grounded in the winds of change. It takes more than just deciding to embrace uncertainty to be able to do it. It takes understanding where you are in relationship to the unknown now, and then consciously choosing to be with the discomfort, and perhaps excitement, of exploring new territory. Underneath business buzz words, mission statements and strategic goals, there is an unsure human facing a new world. It takes practice. As with mastering any new skill, navigating the unknown is an ongoing process.


Creativity in Business: My Interview with Sam Horn

Books Interview #19 in the Creativity in Business Thought Leader Series is with Sam Horn, author, coach, keynoter, consultant, and creative communication strategist (www.SamHorn.com). As the originator of Tongue Fu! and POP! Sam has helped thousands of entrepreneurs and organizations crystallize and communicate innovative, one-of-a-kind ideas, approaches, products and services that helped them break out vs. blend in.

Sam has
been featured in Washington Post, NY Times, Chicago Tribune and Investors Business Daily; and been interviewed on NPR, MSNBC, and BusinessWeek.com. She was a top-ranked speaker (with Tom Peters, Seth Godin and Jim Collins) at INC.’s annual 500/5000 convention. Her client have included Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, NASA, National Governors Association, KPMG, Boeing, IRS and Intel among many others. She is known for focusing on original, real-life ideas that help people create receptivity and rapport and win buy-in from customers and decision-makers.

Q: How does your work relate to creativity?

Horn: My work focuses on how to communicate in creative ways so busy, distracted people are compelled to look up from their Blackberries and give us their valuable attention.

For example, a client came to me because he was going to be speaking at a Harvard Medical School conference for physicians and hospital administrators. He told me, “Sam, I’m a specialist in Six Sigma.  If I do a good job with this program; it could result in millions of dollars of follow-up business from the decision-makers in the audience. We have to come up with something creative to capture and keep their interest.”
I asked him, “Do you have any signature stories, interesting hobbies or relevant experiences we can use to pleasantly surprise your audience from the get go and ‘have ‘em at hello?’” He told me, “I’m on the road constantly. I don’t have time for anything other than work.” I asked, “Do you and your wife do anything with the little spare time you have?” He said, “We watch Law & Order.”


Bingo.
His presentation, which explained how hospital administrators could identify and fix inefficiencies that were undermining patient care and profits, became Flaw and Order. To make a long story short, he got a standing ovation – at a medical conference! – and was surrounded by participants asking for his card following his presentation. The moral of that story? Content is important; however a creative approach to your content is even more important if you want busy, distracted people to give you their time of day.

That’s just one way I help entrepreneurs and organizations figure out innovative ways to capture and keep the favorable attention of their target customers.
 
Q: What do you see as the New Paradigm of work?
 
Horn: Jerry Garcia said, “It’s not enough to be the best at what you do; you must be perceived to be the only one who does what you do.” I think the old paradigm of work was that we tried to be the best in our industry. That’s not enough these days. The New Paradigm of Work is to break out, not blend in. And to break out, we need to be one-of-a-kind, not one-of-many.

A favorite example of that happened here in the Washington DC area.  A restaurant was not getting many people to their Happy Hour. Why? There were dozens of restaurants in the area offering Happy Hours. The manager kept looking for a way they could break out instead of blend in. He noticed that one of their loyal patrons tied his dog up outside while he came in for a cold one. Eureka. Why not have a Happy Hour for dog owners? They could put out water bowls and dog biscuits for the poor pooches who’d been cooped up all day so it was a win for everyone. What to call this petworking opportunity? Yappy Hour! The Washington Post did a feature article on the Alexandria, VA Holiday Inn’s Yappy Hour which was picked up by dozens of newspapers around the country.  Now, millions of people know about that restaurant and they have a wildly popular and profitable weekly event – all for free (and a little imagination.)

That’s the New Paradigm at Work. Be first-to-market – and you own that market.
 
Q:  What do you see the role of creativity is in that paradigm?

Horn: I believe the role of creativity is to look at everything we do at work and ask, “Has this become common? If so, it’s a prescription for becoming irrelevant and obsolete. How can I make this current and uncommon so we get noticed by busy customers and media?”
 
Q:  What attitudes and behaviors do you see as essential for effectively navigating the new work paradigm?

Horn: One of the most important attitudes and behaviors we can use to navigate the new work paradigm is to constantly brainstorm and strategize ORIGINAL solutions to current problems.

A few years ago, the scuba industry in Hawaii was tanking. It costs a lot of money to scuba dive. You have to be certified, you have to carry those heavy oxygen tanks on your back, and some people have trouble with the pressure in their ears.  A smart business owner kept brainstorming possible solutions by re-thinking the norms: You don’t have to carry the oxygen tanks on your back. Why not leave ‘em on the boat and just run a long air hose to each person in the water? And you don’t have to go down 80 feet and worry about equalizing your ears; you can go down 8 feet and still feel like you’re in an aquarium surrounded by colorful tropical fish. Plus, people don’t have to get certified and it’s a third of the cost, so more people can do it. Voila. What do you call this new sport? Well, using a POP! technique called Half & Half, you describe it as half snorkel – half scuba. It's…SNUBA!

What’s your business or line of work? What are the current problems? Why is your product or service becoming outdated? Why are customers not coming back? Rethink your norms. Ask yourself, “Do we HAVE to do it this way?  What’s a better way? A faster way? Cheaper way? More efficient way? Come up with a creative solution to a current problem and you and your fellow employees can profit.
 
Q: What is one technique people could start applying today to bring more creativity into their work?

 
Horn: Ask yourself, “How can we do the opposite, not the obvious?” People are tired of same old, same old. If we introduce something radically different from our customers’ norm, it will get their attention…and business loyalty.

For example, when Enterprise wanted to enter the multi-billion dollar car rental business, the question was, “How could they possibly compete with industry giants Hertz and Avis who owned the majority of the market?”  They asked themselves, “What do customers want – that no one else offers?”  The answer? Drop off and pick up service at your home or hotel. So, Enterprise offered that. “What do all our competitors have in common?”  They’re all located at or near airports. So, Enterprise located in neighborhoods. By doing the opposite vs. the obvious and giving customers what they wanted and no one else offered. Enterprise is now the #1 car rental agency in America.

What’s this mean for you? Look at your competitors. What do they all have in common? How can you be the exception to their rule? How can you zig where they zag? What do your customers want that they can’t find?  How can you be first-to-market so you own your market? How can you turn a norm on its head (much like Heinz catsup did with its innovative sit-on-its-cap bottle?)
 
Q: And finally, what is Creative Leadership to you?

Horn: It’s creating an environment where everyone feels valued and heard; where everyone has an opportunity to use their talents and innovative approaches to do work they love that matters...that benefits all involved.
 
You can reach Sam Horn at www.SamHorn.com.


Presented at TEDxCreativeCoast

I had the great pleasure of presenting at TEDxCreativeCoast in Savannah on Friday. The theme was "Designing Creativity." I did my presentation on what I called the Improvidigm - a paradigm of sustainable creativity informed by the generative principles and practices of improvisational theater. Some of the patterns that emerged throughout all of the presentations included convergence, hybrids/integration, trans- and meta-, the human touch, passion, using creativity for social good/serving a larger mission, working with nature/living systems, connection, presence/mindfulness, new structure creating, transforming challenges into opportunities, and the unwavering commitment to making a positive change in the world.

4716082012_a5c9002be5
TedxCreativeCoast - Savannah, GA - June 18, 2010


Whole Brain Thinking

This is revised from an article I wrote last year, with updated chart.

In today’s rapidly changing business environment, leaders and entrepreneurs are required to be more adaptive, responsive  and innovative than ever before. Assessing situations quickly, developing novel solutions and flexible strategies have become a requirement (or invitation - depending on how you see it) for all of us.

If you approach a new situation with the your habitual thinking, it’s impossible to generate new ideas, visions or solutions. Your thought patterns will travel down the same neural pathways in your brain the same way they always do--and the outcome will be the same ideas you typically have. Thinking in novel ways requires new connections within the brain. New thinking requires pattern breaking. Research shows that by actively engaging the brain’s capacities from both hemispheres, you have a larger "playing field" from which to create – there is more cross fertilization between neural synapses which leads to original ideas and "A-ha" moments.

The "left brain" organizes what already exists and thinks linearly. There is a sequential, analytical process toward a specific outcome. The "right brain" imagines what can be and thinks in nonlinear interconnections. It has immediate access to insights and novel connections.  Cultivating the use of both sides leads to breakthrough leaps and the ability to think on your feet under pressure

 

I developed a simple Whole Brain Dimensions chart of the generally accepted differences. You can use it to get a glimpse into your dominant thinking approach. The words in the left hand column are typically associated with the "left brain thinking," and the words in the right hand column are typically associated with "right brain thinking." These are simple generalizations, designed to get you thinking about your habitual thinking patterns. The more integrated your brain hemispheres are – accessing and using the elements associated with both sides of this list - the more effective you will be at generating elegant solutions and developing new, generative visions. Most individuals and most organizational cultures lean more toward one side or the other. Which are you? Which is your organization? Which are valued in your work culture? Which are invisible, repressed or even criticized?

Quickly scan the list for the words that apply to you. Don’t think about it - go by initial instinct even if you are unsure about what something means. Answer intutively. Keep track of how many words in each column describe you. You don't have to choose between the 2 columns - just check off each word that speaks to you as part of your own process, even if they seem opposite. For example, you may find you already use both detailed and big picture thinking in your work. If so, check both. 


Whole brain dimensions - Mac1

Add up the totals on each side to become aware of your dominant thinking approach.
What are your natural gifts, trained skills, habits or growing edges?

Whole Brain Integration Techniques

The flowing are some quick and simple exercises you can use anytime to begin to integrate the hemispheres and strengthen your less dominant side.



1. Opposite functions - Spend some time doing everything with your non-dominant hand. Every time you break a dominance habit, you create new neural pathways and give the brain more options. It become easier to think in new ways throughout your day, and easier to adapt, respond and create in high pressure environments.



2. Color and No Lines - Instead of using lined legal paper and a pen in meetings, brainstorming sessions or any other work related functions, try use unlined paper and colored markers. Lines have a subconscious effect on us which keep the brain locked in habitual thought patterns. By removing the lines, the brain is more free to think visually and instead of just in words. Using colored markers has a stimulating effect on the brain because the right brain thinks in color.



3. Sensory Immersion - engage all of your senses in your ideation process instead of coming to a situation from analytical thinking alone:

 The more senses you use simultaneously, the more the brain sides work in harmony and the information you receive. Immerse yourself in right-brain touch, taste, smell, imagery, movement, sounds and music while focused on your project and you can unfold more insights, awareness' and novel connections.

4. Embodiment - become the project, problem, vision, product and act from its point of view. New ideas will flood your mind. This is easy to prove. First, try imagining new features to add to any product in a certain time period, i.e., 5 minutes. You will come up with a number of features. Then, pretend you actually are the product - become the product -and start talking as the product, again for 5 minutes. You will learn exponentially more about what additional features it "needs." The act of becoming a product or concept will give you new insights and awareness' into the product, and therefore, potential new features, that you cannot get from just thinking about it.