Does the sign on the door help or hinder creativity?

Back in the day, in many agencies the principle of demarcation was as strong as it was in British Leyland.

There was a job for everyone, and everyone knew their job. And everyone knew their place as well.

Account Handlers handled accounts and creatives created. 

The only ones with a foot in both camps were the planners. Planners were – and may still be - a super-race of intellectual giants who not only knew what sold, but why.

In one of the best guidebooks to advertising that I ever read – Advertising for Account Handlers by Nigel Linacre – there’s a whole passage on what account handlers don’t do. 

They don’t write, and they don’t draw. They don’t have the final say on what the ad looks like or sounds like. They don’t buy media, they don’t produce. 

They don’t even look after the project as it makes its way through the agency. That’s the job of traffic.

In the first couple of agencies I worked in I was fascinated by this split between the various people whose job was, after all the same – to contribute to great ideas.

The first time I walked past a sign saying “Creative Department”, I was sorely tempted to look on the back of the door for a corresponding sign saying “Uncreative Department”. 

You know, to signal where ideas ended and boring people started.

Like the inscription “Here be dragons”, but “Here be normals” instead.

When I moved into sales promotion, I found the battle lines less rigidly enforced. Here, creativity was as much a function of account handling as it was of the creative department. 

And that suited me perfectly.

I believe that creativity – and the skills and attitudes that lead to great ideas – need to take root throughout any agency, client company or consultancy. 

And in this belief, I’m standing on the shoulders of giants. Two of my favourite Sirs, Ken Robinson and Martin Sorrell, are firm believers in “integrated creativity”.

An integrated creativity that is encouraged in everyone, not just those bearing the title “creative”.

If you want a sign to replace the one that says “Creative Department”, I have one for you. A sign you could put on the door of every meeting room, conversation space or board room where brainstorms might take place.

It’s borrowed from an organisation called “Toc H”, set up in the First World War to allow soldiers and officers to meet, converse, and share on a completely equal footing.

And it says “All rank abandon, ye who enter here”.

Customer care. Do you care?

I've been reading one of those books that makes you want to jump right up and do something else. "Raw Spirit", by Iain Banks. Subtitled "In search of the perfect dram", it's a series of journeys around Scotland, visiting some of her well-known, and less well-known, whisky distilleries.

I enjoyed the book, but it wasn't a thirst for whisky I developed. It was a thirst for travel. And specifically, a thirst for travel around the islands and highlands of Western Scotland - across to Islay, perhaps Mull and Skye, and up through Argyll to the Western Highlands.

So when I found myself in Glasgow recently, I thought I'd take advantage of the Tourist Information booth at one of the main stations to grab a timetable for the Cal-Mac Ferries that run from the Scottish mainland to, and between, the Islands.

Ahead of me in the queue was a group of young women - Spanish, I think. They had just arrived on a coach or bus, and had one simple objective in mind. To shop. Happily, they had arrived in Glasgow, perhaps Scotland's most stylish city for shopping.

They get to the head of the queue. Young man in uniform (well, a tie and jumper - smart, though) says "Can I help you?". Someone must have told him that in Customer Care Class - that, and nothing else.

"Can you tell me where the best shops are?" said senorita number one.

"Shops?" he replied, "Erm, they're everywhere." he replied. True, I suppose, but a literal answer rather than a helpful one.

"Where is the best shopping?" she continued. "Here," he said, taking a map of Glasgow from a pad behind the desk.

"And everywhere." he said as he moved his hand across the map. Taking in, I kid you not, the whole of Glasgow city centre. No suggestions, no directions, no further explanation. Just "everywhere".

As the girls wandered off, none the wiser, someone in the queue stepped over and said "Can I help you?". He proceeded to point out one of the main shopping malls (visible through the windows at the far end of the station) and then suggested a couple of other areas where they might find "Scotland With Style" (the current strap-line of Glasgow Tourism).

I don't blame the lad behind the counter. I blame his bosses. Customer care isn't just about knowing which brochure (or price, or catalogue) to hand out. It's not just about information, or rules, or regulations. It's about caring, really caring. The training should emphasise this. Teach people to think about the customer, to be creative in helping them, to care.

Do I care about this customer? Do I care enough to help them in a way that makes their experience, their journey, their life, better? When they walk away from this conversation will they feel that I have really tried to help them?

When the guy stepped out of the queue, offered to help, and really did so, I suspect those visitors to Glasgow thought a little bit more of the "The Friendly City".

I suspect they didn't feel the same after the conversation with the guy in the uniform.

They might be right.

One of my favourite stories of the 60’s and 70’s Ad Men concerns Bill Bernbach.

A child of both the Bronx and the Depression, Bill rose from the mailroom to Chief Executive of Doyle Dane Bernbach, creating and developing an intelligent style of advertising that is recognised and respected even today.  

He is also credited with the idea of putting writers and art directors together as a creative team – until DDB they worked in separate departments. 

One of his personal quirks was that in client meetings, he would sometimes be seen to take out a small piece of card, read it, and place it back in his top pocket.

When a young intern once asked about the card, Bill took it out and revealed the words “They might be right”.

“They might be right”.

The client might be right. The critic might be right. The other opinion might be right.

Bill Bernbach never allowed his confidence in ideas to cross over into arrogance. He never assumed that just because he had an intelligent and elegant mind, no-one else had. 

He didn't presume that the client – or the account handler – couldn't have opinions every bit as valuable as his own.

Understanding that others might be right doesn’t stifle creativity, it adds to it.

It adds a questioning vigour. And an openness and willingness to consider new alternatives. It encourages us to listen to the opinion of others.

Of course, too many times “they” will want you to tone it down, to avoid risks, to try the same old same old.

But that way lies boredom, failure and anonymity.

Looking at things from a new perspective, from the point of view of others, can be a valuable route to new ideas. 

What would the client say if they were in the meeting now? What would our competitors say? What would Bill Bernbach say?

That way lies innovation, and the confidence in your own ideas that comes from having considered all angles.

They might be right. And so might you. 

By the left, quick ... think.

I can't quite believe it's almost the end of the first quarter of 2012. I hope your year has gone well so far.

Mine hasn't started quite as I planned. A few days into January I had what is known in medical circles as "a wee scare".

I woke with strange pins and needles down the left side of my body, which qualified me for a visit from two very nice paramedics and a trip in an ambulance.

A few days in the stroke unit at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, some investigation and tender loving care from a battalion of quite brilliant doctors and nurses, and now, a diet made up completely of food which is low in fat, low in salt, and very definitely low in flavour.

There was no advance warning, and in fact, no visual, long-term proof from the various tests I've undergone. But it seems I had some sort of stroke on the right side of my brain.

And my goodness, I've undergone some tests. MRI, Cat Scan, blood tests, urine checks, heart monitor, that one with the iodine to test for starch, a gentle popping noise to show the presence of hydrogen, and several flame tests to indicate positive metal ions.

Actually, I might have mixed some of those tests up with Alex and Ellen's Chemistry revision.

The upside (apart from surviving) was that I got to talk to a lot of doctors, including many who are specialists in the workings of the brain.

And guess what? It turns out that all that HeadSurfing stuff I've been banging on about - that actions you take with the left side of the body can help stimulate the right side of the brain - turns out to be right on the money.

One of the things that always intrigued me about the highly creative people I've been lucky enough to work with - the copywriters, art directors, graphic designers and stand-up comedians - was how many of them were left handed. In every agency I worked in, the proportion of lefties who worked in the creative department was always much higher than the general population, and the same was true of comics.

Following my "incident", the doctors and physios were keen for me to keep exercising the left side of my body, in order to rebuild and reconnect the nerve endings in the right side of my brain. And as the right side of the brain includes more of the centres which involve creativity, humour and ideas, it makes sense to me that stimulating those areas will help you come up with more ideas and more innovative solutions to your problems and challenges.

So if you'd like to develop your ability to think creatively, I'd urge you to take time to do things which engage more with the right side of your brain.

Yes, you could exercise the left side of your body - try writing or sketching with your left hand. But other activities could include listening to music, using colour rather than black and white, exercising rhythmically or watching or reading something that makes you laugh.

Me? I think it's important to develop the rational as well as the creative side of my brain, so I'm doing the John Travolta dance moves from Saturday Night Fever.

Does where you work affect how you think?

I've worked in lots of different offices, and visited many more. Wide open, light and bright. Crowded, dingy and dark. On my own, with a partner, and in a team.

In every place I've worked, a key priority was to come up with ideas. Whether it was for running the team, working with clients, or new marketing campaigns. In every office, we had ideas. But in some of them, we had more ideas - and better ideas - than in others. Over the years, I've become convinced that Environment (or at least how you work with your Environment) is a key cultural condition of creativity.

A great environment contributes to the generation of ideas - and a poor one works against it. Working in a box isn't really conducive to thinking outside it.

Not all of us can work at Google (take a look at their office by putting in "images for google offices" on, er, Google). Or First Direct (the only contact centre I've ever been in where the environment is calm, relaxed and casual). Or even a groovy ad agency with a blue sky painted on the ceiling of the "thinking room".

But we can all improve the way we use our office environment to improve the way we think.

Get away from your desk Sitting in the same place, in the same position, surrounded by the same people, screen and furniture does no good for your creativity. Go for a walk round the building. Switch desks with someone else for a while. Find an empty meeting rooms and work there - cover the walls in flipchart paper and scribble! And while you're at it ...

Go for lunch I know, I know, you're busy. And everyone else eats at their desk. And anyway, that's the only time you have for Facebook. Stop it! Go somewhere new for lunch. Just a new sandwich bar, or the park, or by the river or canal, will make it much easier for you to think. At least once a week, take lunch Al Fresco instead of Al Desko. (Sorry).

Enhance what you have  OK, so you may not have a budget for repainting, knocking down a wall, or even a sofa or mini-football table. But when you need to come up with ideas, all you need to do is change what you have. Find a quiet corner and listen to some music (especially music you don't normally listen to). Surround yourself with creative stimulus (new postcards, pictures, books, magazines). Put up photographs that inspire you and energise your creativity (mine include David Bowie, Eddie Izzard, Paolozzi, Bob Marley and Dali).

Find what works for you, and use it. Some people think creatively when surrounded by colour, natural light, noise, stimulus. For others, they need to get away from that and move to a quiet, all-white room.

Look at what's around you when you find yourself getting ideas, and replicate that in your workplace.

Environment is just one of my 3 Cultural Conditions of Creativity. I'll be talking more about it (and the other conditions, tools and techniques) in the Headsurfing public seminars I'm running this month in Edinburgh (23rd August) and London (30th).

At £190 for Edinburgh and £230 for London they're great value - I'll deliver a full day of creative inspiration, new tools and techniques, attitudes and behaviours that will help you become instantly more creative.

If you'd like to come along, let me know as soon as you can - the last workshops sold out completely.

Facilitating a brainstorm - managing participants

Do you ever get the feeling that managing meetings would be easy - if it wasn't for the people involved?

I think we've all been there. But handling people - even problem participants - is easy when you know how. You need to think about the problem in advance, learn a few engagement techniques - and then implement them as the meeting or brainstorm progresses.

There are certain types of "problem participants" who occur all too often:

• The motormouth, who wants to dominate every conversation
• The wallflower, who doesn't want to talk at all
• The person who seems only to see the negative in everything
• The aggressive person, who delights in personal criticism and attacks (but only on others)
• The person who is always late and perpetually distracted

In the first instance, agree groundrules in advance - and keep them on display. These should include the rule  that the times of the brainstorm will be honoured, that all attendees are expected to participate, and that only one person should talk at one time (the "one singer, one song" rule). 

In addition, almost all "problem" behaviours can be handled by facilitation techniques. 

In order of escalation they are: 

1. Mention their name (most people respond and attend when they hear their own name)
2. Move towards them
3. Put a hand on their shoulder (but be aware of cultural issues which discourage touching) and
4. Call a coffee or natural break, and have a word with the person causing the problem.

In the last instance, if their behaviour is truly breaking up the brainstorm, explain the problem and ask them to leave the meeting if they cannot behave in a way that will contribute to achieving what the meeting needs to. 

In addition, be aware that people have different ways of engaging at work. Their personalities differ, and the way they work and communicate with other people can differ dramatically. There are several ways of understanding different personality styles -  from Belbin and Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), to NLP Representational Styles (Auditory, Visual, Kinaesthetic etc) and the Insights Colour system.

The sense behind each of them is that if you understand your own "type", and can flex to communicate in the way others prefer, you'll have much more success in communicating with them.

The system I use is Social Styles, with the primary types of Driver, Analytical, Amiable and Expressive. I find it simple to understand and translate into action, and I use it to understand any type of communication issue and any type of audience.

It's worth trying to work with these communication systems - check them out online, or talk to your HR colleagues.

Creativity Tip - Improve your facilitation skills

I’ve been working with a great new client over the last couple of weeks – the makers of three (if not four) of my favourite whiskies.

As well as doing the opening keynote at their conference (which was a blast) they asked me to train some of their key staff in facilitating brainstorms – so that during the conference we could run several creative thinking sessions simultaneously, getting the most out of them.

The ability to run a meeting properly is a great skill to have – it cuts down on wasted time, keeps energy levels up, and helps your colleagues to look forward to meetings rather than hate them.

The first tip I’d give you is that The facilitator’s key responsibility is to ensure the meeting achieves its objectives.

There’s no other point to facilitating – indeed, there’s no other point to any meeting.

Of course, step one is to have objectives in the first place. Ever been to a meeting that seemed to have no objective, no process, and no point? Thought so.

I’ll put up the key tasks of the facilitator – managing the meeting, managing people and managing process included – as well as tips and strategies for success on this blog over the next couple of weeks.

To learn the skills you need to get the most out of your sessions, keep reading the tips.

Creativity tip: Turbo-charge your imagination.

On Saturday I attended a TEDx event in Edinburgh.

If you don't know TED, you should. Drop what you're doing, and head to ted.com.

Billed as "Ideas worth spreading", TED is a series of conferences and events where the world's leading thinkers do short presentations on a truly remarkable variety of subjects.

The name comes from "Technology, Education, Design", but the speakers cover much, much more than that.

TEDx events are those run not by the TED Organisation, but by local supporters. Saturday's, live in London and simulcast to Edinburgh, Brighton, Liverpool and other cities, was set up and sponsored by the Observer newspaper.

I expected to be a 'sometime' attendee - to dip in and out as the whim took me, based on whether I thought the speaker was going to be interesting or not. That didn't happen. I sat transfixed, enjoying ALL the speakers. They engaged and involved us on subjects ranging from losing children in Israeli attacks (Izzeldin Abuelaish on "I shall not hate") to Climate Change, Ecology and Modern Art (the incomparable Vivienne Westwood). The unbelievably brave Katie Piper (turning her suffering sustained in an acid attack on her face into support and charity) and Martine Wright (who lost both legs in the 7/7 terrorist attacks and is now aiming to compete in the 2012 Special Olympics) showed us the strength of the human spirit in adversity - true adversity.

I did the hand-jive (all in the name of neurological research, of course) and joined in with people across the UK singing Zadoc the Priest in four part harmony. Honest.

I left the event with a notebook full of ideas, and a mind full of energy and inspiration.

Attending an event like this might be the most creative act you could ever do. It will inspire you, re-energise you - and most of all, fill your mind with possibility, with new ideas, and completely new ways of looking at the world.

It's like a turbo-charge for your imagination.

Creativity tip: Laughter equals ideas equals laughter

In every group I've worked with, when people are having ideas there tends to be a lot of laughter around.

And conversely, when people are laughing and enjoying themselves, the ideas tend to flow.

If you think about it, humour is very like creativity.

There’s a set-up (two men walk into a pub…), and then a punch line. The punchline is an "answer" to the set up. It's something we don’t expect, but which makes some sort of sense.

Great ideas are similar – there’s a challenge (or problem, or brief). And then an "answer".

If the "answer" we come up with is the obvious one, the one that immediately makes sense, it’s like a punchline you’ve heard before. It’s boring, unimaginative, the same old same old.

A new idea - like an unexpected punchline - surprises us. It's new - but it makes sense when checked against the problem or brief.

And having a laugh helps us have ideas. The centres of the brain which process humour, and come up with ideas, are so close that one helps the other.

Bring humour into your ideas sessions, by putting up cartoons, sharing jokes, or turning the problem into a limerick.

Have a laugh, and have an idea!

Meerkats are right. Simples is better.

I watched two football matches recently, one immediately after the other.

One was a schools match, and the other was between teams from the Youth Development programmes of two Premiership clubs.

Each game was exciting, and there were great players on all four sides.

However, something slowly dawned on me as I watched the second match.

The boys in the Youth Development teams - boys who may be very close to becoming professional footballers - played a much more simple game.

These boys are, for their age, among the best football players in the country. They are all 16 and 17, and their respective clubs will currently be looking closely at their skills, their stamina, their attitude, with a view to signing them as professionals - or letting them go.

The difference between these boys, and those that were just a little less successful as footballers, was obvious. The almost-professionals did the really simple things, brilliantly.

Their first touch control was superb. They played the one-two (or give-and-go, as it seems to be called now) brilliantly. They chose to make the simple pass - getting the ball to another player in space, playing to feet, running on to the ball.

And they did it at speed, and with strength and agility.

It might seem a bit of a stretch to make an analogy between these possible stars of the future and business, but I don't think so.

Simplicity may well be the single biggest factor in success in our work, our organisations, our careers.

What can you remove? What can you strip out? What can you simplify?

Albert Einstein said "Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler".

As usual, he was right.

Creativity tip: How Christmas can boost your creative thinking

For people who celebrate Christmas, things are quite different from the rest of the year.

And you can use these "different times" to boost your creative thinking.

Take time out to relax.

I know Christmas can be a stressful time. But try to find some time on your own, pour yourself a large one (or a cup of tea) and just relax. Just let your mind wander, and listen to your unconscious.

Learn from new people.

When you meet new people at the office party, drinks with the neighbours or family get-together, try to make real connections. You never know: something they say or do might just help you with an idea.

Do something you don’t usually do.

Visit a new gallery, watch a new film, or take a long walk somewhere you’ve never been before. New experiences make new connections in your brain, and that helps with new ideas.

Seven Strategies for Success in Innovation

The UK press this week has been full of calls for greater innovation in companies and organisations following a speech by the Prime Minister on Monday.

But it's a lot easier to say " let's innovate" than it is to do. So I thought I'd give you a few ideas on how you can innovate successfully in your team, company or organisation. A few simple changes in attitude or behaviour can have a huge impact in terms of how ideas are generated - and innovations delivered.

So here they are - my seven strategies for success in innovation:

Recognise that everything is up for innovation. It’s not just about introducing big ideas, or new products and services. Look at how you work, the meetings you attend, and the way you engage with customers or clients. If it ain’t broke? Break it and put it together better.

Ask for help. Talk to your people on the frontline what causes the greatest problems, or the most complaints. Ask recent recruits what they’d change. Most people say that “good ideas can come from anywhere and anyone”. But very few organisations really accept that. Talk to your customers (What do we do badly? What do we do well that you’d like more of? What don’t we do that would help you solve a problem?)

Systemise it. Spend some time every week just dedicated to thinking about new ideas. Spend an hour couple of weeks with your team over coffee and cake just talking about new ideas.

Go look at other organisations. What do they do? What don’t they do well that you could do better?

Be prepared to fail. In fact, prepare to fail. If you’re not failing every now and again, you’re not trying anything new. Be comfortable with failure, and learn to fail quicker.

Get comfortable with creative thinking. Use the Headsurfing™ techniques (on our website, address below) to change the way you think.

Keep developing your people. Nothing succeeds in creativity and innovation like an enquiring mind.


If applying these strategies leads to huge success for you and your organisation, let me know. I won't demand a cut of savings or profits, but I would like you to send me a note!

Stephen Covey would call it Win Win

It has finally struck me that I've got to that age. You know, the one where you turn into your Dad (or your Mum). And it's over music. Which is a bit hard on my Dad, because when I was 13 he took my brother and me to see David Bowie - and he fell for Bowie every bit as much as we did.

So much so that at Dad's funeral the chapel rang to the sounds of "Ziggy played guitar".

Anyway, my son Alex is 15 (16 next week), and some of his music is now getting a bit too, er, extreme. I'm going through the same reactions as a dad is supposed to go through. "Call that music? It's not even a new tune - the original was much better". And, of course, the killer - "You can't even make out the words".

Of course, none of this would matter - he has his own I-pod, and my noise reduction headphones are better than his. However, we spend almost an hour each way in the car together three times a week on the way to his football training, and the battle for control of the radio (Radio 2 vs Galaxy) has become intense. Until last night.

Until now, we had an agreement in place - one of his songs, then one of mine, then his. Interspersed with one of Ellen's (almost 13) if she's in the car too.

But it's not very satisfactory - he doesn't like mine (and sometimes on Radio 2, I don't either) and I don't particularly like his - especially the Ravey Davey ones.

But last night, on our way home, we had a great idea. A revelation. What Covey would call a Win Win.

Alex will make up a joint playlist for his I-pod (names so far include the AK, the AlKen, the Kenlex). On it, he'll put his music that he thinks I'll like - some of the less sweary Eminem, Jay-z, Biffy Clyro and such like. Then I'll put some in of my music - the reggae and funk originals of some of his samples, a bit of glam (although I think that will sound a bit effete for Alex) and 80s/90s hip hop that I think he'll like.

Sorted, as we used to say in 1991.

It was only after we both agreed this sounded like a great idea that I thought about Covey.

In "The Secret Habits of Highly Effective People" he talks about Win Win. And this one is perfect for us. We're both involved. We came up with the idea jointly. We both think it's a nice idea. And we might even learn something from the other's musical taste.

That's the beauty of seeking the Win Win position. Anything else - Win Lose, Lose Win, or even Lose Lose (which would have been the option of agreeing not to play music together at all) creates disappointment and resentment.

In solving problems with your team, your clients, your boss, seek the Win Win position. It's not simply a compromise (in which no-one really feels happy). It's a truly joint agreement which both can enjoy.

Why it's wrong to be right

When it comes to creative thinking, it's often wrong to be right.

It's wrong to be the one who knows everything. The one with the greatest experience, or the fastest mind. The one wearing the tee-shirt with the words saying "Been There, Done That".

Because when you think you know what works (and what doesn't) it can be difficult not to judge new ideas as they come along - and find them wanting.

New ideas need space to breathe. Room to grow. Time to mature. New ideas arrive undeveloped and raw. Sometimes (and these are the really great ideas) they initially sound silly or even stupid.

They don't come with a budget breakdown, a list of features and benefits, or a PowerPoint presentation to help convince the Board.

So we have to suspend judgement when generating ideas. And I mean completely!

No thinking about whether the idea (at this point) is affordable. No judging about whether it fits with the current campaign. No deciding whether it can or can't be done. At this point, it's just an idea. Get it up on the flipchart, and move on to the next idea.

The difficulty is, when we know it all, we find it hard to suspend our judgement. We've been recruited, or promoted, because we have a lot of experience. We think quickly. We know what works, and what doesn't. Or at least, we think we do.

To come up with innovative ideas, and new solutions, we need to stop being right. We have to say "OK, I'm prepared to open my mind to new ways of doing this. I'll pretend (at least for a while) that I don't have the experience, the knowledge, the understanding of what works and what doesn't".

In other words, when it comes to coming up with new ideas, you have to ban the boss-ness.

Or alternatively, ban the boss.

Getting it done - lessons from Geldof and Kennedy

You'll have noticed that this week is twenty-five years since the Live Aid concert, "The day music changed the world".

The BBC celebrated the anniversary by broadcasting two great programmes which are, as I write, available to watch again on the BBC i-Player.

"Rocking all over the world" was the minute-by-minute story of the day itself - it was inspirational, emotional, and brought back great memories of a time when music, musicians and music fans really managed to make a difference.

Although some of the clothes and hairstyles sparked horrible, horrible memories - and that was only looking at my own photographs of the day.

The other programme, broadcast on Tuesday night, was "Against All Odds", the story of how the day was organised and pulled together in only twelve weeks from initial idea. Yes, twelve weeks.

As you can imagine, the central theme that Bob Geldof kept hearing was "it can't be done". He was told he couldn't get the acts, he couldn't get a venue, he couldn't get a broadcaster. He was told that America was impossible. He was advised that the stage wouldn't work. Experts insisted that they were right, and he was wrong.

And he refused to take no for an answer.

What impressed me then, and it still does, was his single-minded pig-headedness not to let people stamp on his vision. He knew he - and we - had to do what we could to bring relief to Ethiopia, and this was all he could do. To paraphrase Nike, his answer was "Just f**king do it".

(Incidentally, he never said "Give us your f-ing money". What he said was "F the addresses, give them the numbers". And he never said "Play it again Sam" either.)

I met Bob Geldof a couple of years ago, when he spoke at a conference I was compering.

They say you should never meet your heroes. What nonsense.

He is everything you'd expect - inspiring, warm, funny, informed, entertaining, open, witty. And no, he hadn't seen the inside of a barbers for a while, but he did have great trainers on.

One of the things he said that day has stayed with me.

He said that all that he did ("all that he did?!") was to challenge people to get things done, using their own initiative. He said "I'd get a phone call saying 'I'm a PA in an office, and want to do something to help". Bob would say "Excellent - you're now 'Secretaries for Africa' - go and raise money".

A few weeks later an envelope would arrive, stuffed with cash, and a note saying "Secretaries for Africa did a sponsored run - here's the money we raised".

He's not the first to say that if we give people responsibility, and let them find answers or solutions to problems, we'll be amazed by their strength, ingenuity and integrity. But why do we keep forgetting that lesson?

Geldof launched Live Aid with only twelve weeks to set it up. He announced the line-up when very few of the bands had even been contacted, never mind had agreed to perform.

They succeeded.

The target was to raise a million pounds. The final figure was one hundred and fifty million pounds.

In 1961, John F Kennedy announced that the United States should commit to the goal of "by the end of this decade, landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth". At the time, his experts expressly told him that it couldn't be done.

They succeeded.

Think big, and inspire others. Just because something is impossible doesn't mean it can't be done.

Innovation Provocation

Trying to come up with new ideas? Struggling with a problem at work? Think about it in a new way.

Ask yourself a couple of questions.

What would the competition least expect us to do? What would surprise them? Scare them? Outrage them?

Put some ideas together that answers these challenges - perhaps it will take your thinking in new directions.

There's a brilliant ad appearing on TV at the moment, promoting School Diplomas. Produced on behalf of the Department of Education, the commercial shows rapper Kano completing the recording of his new single, then walking through the crowd of technicians and production staff.

As the 'staff' are identified by name and role, we realise that they are not professionals, but actually kids studying for diplomas in the key roles of construction, sound, PR, Business Admin etc.

It's a superb example of solving the problem creatively by looking within. How do we encourage kids to take up the Diploma (which connects academic study with workplace learning)? Why don't we show students actually producing something - and it's a brilliant and effective use of a celebrity who makes sense in terms of connecting with the target audience.

You can watch the ad here

Naturally, the ad has created some opposition (great ideas always do). The Times covered it with the headline "Foul-mouthed rapper helps Ed Balls". But reading Kano's response in an interview published online here in The Guardian I think his heart is in the right place. But maybe the next single should speak out against knife and gun culture, Kano?