Cultivating Creativity

Business leaders often tell us to “think big,” “think outside the box,” “be different,” and so on. From my experience, I think that is easier said than done. When I try so hard to be creative, I ended up being frustrated and disappointed in myself because everything that comes to mind doesn’t seem to “make sense.” I realized, however, that not everything should necessarily make sense at first. Many creative ideas start off by not making sense. The distinguishing factor for a creative idea lies in people themselves. 

People who have the courage to step out of their comfort zones to take “the road less traveled” and think of something that may sound ridiculous to other people. They don’t get discouraged when others scoff at their ideas. Instead, they persist through challenging times.

In business, creativity is part of the organization, regardless of whether we like it or not. We need to come up with ideas for business strategies, start-up companies, branding, marketing and the list goes on and on. That is why creativity is such an important asset and skill for businessmen and women.

Here are some things that I found helpful in cultivating creativity:

Brainstorming — When in a large room full of people, we have the opportunity to interact and share ideas with each other. With many working minds, those ideas can lead to something great. Granted, some people are extroverts, while others are introverts and the introverts probably work better when they have some alone time. What they can do is list ideas that they have and bring them to the table during brainstorming sessions. There should not be any judgment during this time and everyone should be allowed to speak freely without any restrictions.

Sleep on it — My “A-HA” moment sometimes comes when I am well rested. When we are too tired, sleepy, hungry, or worse, all of the above, our brains sometimes don’t work, nothing comes to mind and we lack enthusiasm to come up with ideas. It is important to sustain ourselves with adequate food and sleep.

Seek inspiration from your surroundings — There are many things that could spark creativity: the media, the people that we talk to, nature, and even our very own office. We just need to look at things from a different perspective and find things that can benefit others. This can be difficult, even for me, but practice makes perfect.

 An article from entrepreneur.com provides more exercises to boost creativity. 

— Nadiah Johari

Love in the Workplace? Absurd.

Many of us, while we have an appreciation for this day they call Valentine's Day, may not take it quite as seriously as other holidays like Christmas or New Years, because unlike those days, life doesn't stop for this lovey-dovey holiday. Stores don't close down, school is still in session, and work continues onward. Valentine's day is often celebrated outside of these endeavors because at an adult age, celebrating love with your classmates and co-workers just isn't deemed quite "appropriate." 

What many of us fail to understand is that love is actually a vital part of the workplace. Its presence is needed there, as much as anywhere else in our lives, so that we, the workers, can enjoy what we do and feel good about our time there. 

Now, I'm not saying that we all need to skip across the office hugging each and every co-worker while emphatically proclaiming our love, but I am suggesting that we hold a deeper appreciation for those that we work with. 

Dr. Paul J. Zak, a neuroeconomist at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, Calif. suggests in an article on Psychology Today that love should be a management policy. 

"The essence of love is putting another person before oneself," he states in the article. "Think about that for a minute. Do we need to love those we work with? Imagine the CEO of a distressed company who refuses his or her multimillion-dollar bonus so that one thousand employees would not be laid off. That would be love. How about an employee who agrees to work late so someone can go home early to care for a sick child? That would be love. Or, an employee who drops off a forgotten package to a customer's home after leaving work? That would be love."

When we are loved, we naturally love in return, Dr. Zak adds. 

Ok great, but why does this even matter? What does any of this have to do with the actual work that we're all doing? 

Dr. Zak states that "love is the foundation for trust," and companies that manage with love, build better trust, and better trust in the workplace results in higher employee productivity and morale, lower employee turnover, fewer sick days and more returning customers. An overall more profitable company. 

So this Valentine's Day, try implementing a little love into your work and who knows, maybe it will change your world. 

— Allie Jeppson

Becoming Friends With Professors is a Key to Opportunity

I tell my younger sister that the most important thing you should do in college is to become friends with your professors. It is no secret that professors at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business are incredible at research and at teaching. But they are also incredibly friendly and helpful. 

Jeff Parker
Business Senator

Professors can be the most invaluable resource to students. If you know a professor personally, they will introduce and suggest opportunities to you. These could be scholarships, programs, internships, jobs, or research opportunities that are incredibly vital to your education. 

One way to make friends with a professor is to make sure that your professors know you by name. How do you do this? Give intelligent comments in class, ask questions after class, or visit them in during office hours. Having a professor as a friend will make your education phenomenal. 

However, this is a two-way street. I would also recommend that professors make an effort in learning student’s names. Use your vast knowledge and networks to introduce them to education enhancing experiences. You could influence a student's mind for the better. 

As I was thinking back on my time at the Huntsman School of Business,  this is one of the reasons that I started to take advantage of my education. As a sophomore, I was floating through classes, sitting in the back. For some reason, I must have thought of a good question or given a comment because Professor Diana Thomas called after class. After talking for moment, she recommended that I applied for Koch Scholars. From that point on, she knew my name, and I was toast. Every time I would zone out or nod off in class she would call on me. I would startle back to reality and maybe stumble through an answer. It was pretty annoying at the moment but I am really grateful now. 

Although I was never accepted to the Koch Scholars, that initial two-minute conversation was my catalyst for engaging in my education. I switched my major to economics. I applied for study abroad, which I discussed with Professor Thomas during her office hours. I was researching scholarships for the trip when I learned about the Huntsman Scholar program. I applied and connections there lead me to an internship. Friends I made in the program encouraged me to run for Business Senator. Everything has snowballed from that one moment when Diana gave me some friendly advice. I have talked to many students with similar stories. Professors are the channel through which students learn about these vital opportunities. 

I invite professors to recommend to students all of the fantastic opportunities here at the Business School, and I highly recommend to all students the same advice I give me sister: make sure the professors know you by name. 

— Jeff Parker
     Business Senator
    Jon M. Huntsman School of Business 
     jeffrey.parker@aggiemail.usu.edu 

What's in a Name: How to Come Up With a Creative Business Name

Possibly one of the most difficult tasks when starting a business is trying to figure out a unique, memorable and attention-grabbing name for your business. At the same time, the name has to be simple enough for potential clients to remember and pronounce it without any difficulty. It should define and reflect what your company is all about. 

However, when we finally think of a good idea, it is quite likely that another company or person has initiated that idea first. So how do you come up with a fresh, new and creative name for your business? The following articles provide some tips to help you pick and choose a name for your company.  Read on to find out more information about branding, trademark and name evaluation.

 How to Choose the Best Name For Your Business by Inc.

·      How to Name Your Businessby Entrepreneur

       — Nadiah Johari

Lessons From a Piano-Pounding Entrepreneur

Klydi Heywood

With fingers flying across the piano keys and breath-taking videography in the background, Jon Schmidt’s presentation and lecture on Wednesday Jan. 30 was a feast for the senses. Students filled the auditorium in the Ellen Eccles Conference Center 30 minutes before the show started. And when I stood up to take pictures 10 minutes into the presentation, I had to climb over students who were stuffed into the isles.

He began with his story. Schmidt started performing at benefit events and selling cassette tapes whenever he could. Although he was amazed by the fact that people actually wanted to buy his tapes, he said he acted the part. 

“Fake it ‘til you make it,” Schmidt said. “It really works.” As students laughed at this remark, he continued by stating that people’s perception is reality.

“Your image is what people perceive, and that’s what they believe,” he said. With his humility shining through, Schmidt attributed this factor to his early success.

Schmidt’s second entrepreneurial advice for success was to think of, create or do something that has never been done before. When Schmidt met cellist Steven Sharp Nelson, he wanted to create something different. With their first YouTube sensation “Love Story Meets Viva la Vida,” the innovation for creative, classical yet modern music was born.

Schmidt then played the song for the audience, and the goose bumps on my arms started to rise. In addition to being a very talented pianist, Schmidt was an entertainer. He would bob his head to the beat, sway his shoulders to the melody and even spin around and play upside down.

When asked what got him through the tough times of being an entrepreneurial musician, Schmidt gave credit to God and his gut. He stated that in order to feel good about what he does each day, he has to follow his passions.

I left the presentation with a song stuck in my head and a new determination to reach for my dreams. By being creative and “faking it ‘til I make it,” I think I can do just about anything.

“Flack” Shares Five Secrets For Dealing With Reporters

I was raised, by a father who was a journalism professor, to be a newsman. It’s in my blood. When I go into a newsroom I can hear it calling to me. That’s real life. Like a window open on a cold day, I can feel it in my bones. For now, however, I am in public relations. I’m lucky that I get to work at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business where the importance of ethical leadership is emphasized and truth is considered central to any PR strategy. Not all in my profession are so blessed.

Many journalists, however, would still call me a “flack.” It’s supposed to be derogatory but it doesn’t bother me. In fact, I’d have that as part of my title on my business card if I could.

Since I’ve been working in public relations I’ve been to conferences and been involved in situations where people try to figure out formulas or approaches to motivate journalists to behave properly. For those who have never worked in a newsroom on a daily paper, I guess the inexact science of working with reporters can appear baffling.

So, I thought I would share five simple tips that can help you be more effective if you ever need to deal with the press.

1. Realize that you are not at the center of the world. Each day when most reporters get in they are under pressure to deliver two or three stories, regardless of how well they did the day before. If you have news that’s worth covering, it will have to compete with whatever else is on their plate. While it may be true that Normon Foddlebaum has won an award that is in his world is the equivalent of an Oscar, that doesn’t mean that your news won’t be trumped by someone or something else that day that is more pressing or interesting.


2. Overall, journalists don’t have a huge bias to the left or the right. They do, however, have a bias toward the negative. Is that bad? Not necessarily. If they do a big story on someone being mugged on Main Street, be grateful. It means that such a thing is still considered unusual. In New York it probably wouldn’t make the paper. In general, reporters get more reward for unearthing corruption, dirt, and scandal then they do for writing about awards, happy faces, and balloons. And while you may not be willing to admit it, a story about the local principal being arrested is more likely to draw you in than a story about him being named administrator of the year. That’s just life.


3. Don’t even try to manipulate journalists. Treat them with respect and try to understand their world. Don’t think you can trick them into running an inflated story or massage an issue by hiding key facts. They are smart and they have absolutely no use for manipulative, dishonest people as sources.


4. When they call, they need help now, as in within the hour. If they tell their editor that they have a story for the day and then they suddenly can’t get the interview they need, life gets very uncomfortable for them. The rest of us operate in a world where we think up work today and finish it four days or even two weeks from now. They don’t have that luxury. Everything is due now.


5. When you write a press release, write it in news style. Follow Associated Press rules. Make it something they could cut and paste into a story if they wanted to. If you really want Normon Foddlebaum to have his day in the sun, don’t fill your release with fluffy, unattributed statements about how great he is. I have rewritten hundreds of press releases as a reporter and I was shocked at how few even came close to being usable. You know why that is? It’s because PR people write press releases to please their bosses. That’s where the reward is for them but if your release only succeeds in annoying reporters and editors before it is deleted, then you are wasting everyone’s time. 

So, it’s not that complicated. You just have to be honest and treat reporters like real people who are under unbelievable daily stress to find and report the news. Sure they annoy, pester and torment us but that’s part of their job. As humorist Peter Dunne once said of newspapers, they “confront the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” Once you understand that things start to make more sense. Then you’ll begin understand why you can never be completely comfortable when dealing with the press and why that’s okay.

— Steve Eaton