Encouraging Creativity: SHSMD Roundtable Preview

We all know that good ideas are what keep top companies on top. And one really, really good idea can change an industry. So how do you become the creative leader in your field?

To answer that, let’s address the issue of creativity as a fundamental philosophy of your organization. How do you do that? It doesn’t happen overnight but there are a few steps you can take to create an environment where ideas flourish 

1. Create processes that foster creativity. If you want great ideas, you need to integrate creative thinking into your daily processes. Google does this amazingly well with a program called 20%-time. 20% of a Google engineer’s time is set aside for exploring an individual’s ideas. It doesn’t need project approval from a manager or a pre-approved job description. This time can be used on a weekly basis or saved up and used in one large chunk in a year. This 20% rule not only keeps employees happy, creative and interested, but also has yielded incredible products including Gmail and Orkut. Smaller companies don’t always have the luxury to allocate a full day per week to idea exploration, but there are measures you can take to encourage this sort of thinking: try 15 minutes a day in the morning of brainstorming, thinking and allowing yourself (and your employees) to find something that drives passion.

2. Encourage creativity in every department. A truly creative atmosphere pushes all employees to think differently. Not just the creative department. You don’t need a mohawk or pierced nose to be creative. Everyone from account managers to IT should be urged to participate in ideation. Creativity shouldn’t be cordoned off to just one group of people. This means keeping an “open mind” policy. It is not often as adults that we are encouraged to use our imaginations. In order to allow the goofy ideas to become amazing ideas, enjoy the moment of “what if.”

3. Be brave. Embrace failure. Daniel Burrus, author of Flash Foresight, says:

“It’s no longer a question of whether you fail: the pace of transformation is so fast, failing is inevitable. The only question is: How fast are you failing? How fast do you recognize failure and regroup? Our biggest lessons come from our biggest mistakes. The organizations that are succeeding today are those that learned how to fail fast - and who do not fail to learn.”

We agree whole-heartedly. To find a great idea, you have to burn through a slew of good ideas first. Failing fast is part of the creative process at Franklin Street. It’s the quickest way to push through the obvious and into the unexpected. A full waste basket doesn’t affect the punch of final product. So weed through the okay ideas. Even toss out the good ideas. Push to those great ideas and take pride in your overflowing recycling bin.

Still have questions? So do we. Where do good ideas come from? How can you foster an environment where good ideas flourish? What policies get in the way of creative thinking?

Join me to discuss these ideas and more at Franklin Street’s Roundtable on creativity at SHSMD 2011.

Google+ Me.

We know you have been bombarded with predictions and tactics for Google+. Everyone has an opinion and it has been posted, tweeted, shared and linked to death. So we will keep this one short and sweet.

First things first, we here at Franklin Street love Google+. It is fun. It has wonderful capabilities. It has a beautifully clean lay out. It can even import your Facebook feed. All in all for personal use, we are drinking the Google+ koolaid.

And yet... Google+ has yet to allow branded pages and it looks as though we will be waiting until February for this feature. In fact, Google is systematically shutting down pages that have been started for hospitals and health systems alike. And no one profits from making Google mad.

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How Searchable Are You?

When was the last time you opened up a phone book to find a local business’s number?

People of all ages are now turning to the Web first to search for information on local business, and they are doing so in overwhelming numbers. According to a study by 15miles and comScore, 70% of respondents in a recent study cited “on-line” as their primary source of this type of information.

In addition to instant access to information, people don’t want to work hard to get it. With that in mind, how easy is your brand to find on the Web? How accurate is your brand's information on-line? Does Google provide the right phone number and address? Are on-line reviews via Yahoo and Angie's List fair and accurate? 

Flowtown has developed a wonderful guide to getting your hospitals optimized on both local search and social media. Here are some highlights:

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