Entrepreneurs as Creative Generalists

Where to start? What is the big picture? This is the beginning point for all creative scenarios. And to see the big picture one first has to understand a lot of different variables – most of which we are not well versed in and may very well not be aware of at all. Entre...preneurs should also be Generalists who are best at observing everything and seeking out a particular something that is most relevant for specialists to pursue. An Entrepreneur should be divergent thinker who is in touch with a large realm of possibilities.

Role Model?

When I was in my teenage, I heard so many people talking about their role models. I never had one and use to create fictitious characters. At that time it was like if I do not have role model then people might think I am stupid. And surprisingly, I do not have any role ...model even today. I have created my own rules and path which I call NO GYAN. I believe it’s a gimmick to search role models outside and not within ourselves. Every one of us carries whole universe inside us and we actually follow our-self and nobody else.

Time to change

Sales Manager: Where are the numbers?
Sales Man: Sir, I am making 30 calls a day but not getting any appointment.
Sales Manager: You will never get appointment like this you should make at least 80-100 calls every day or pick-up your bag and go on the field do not come to office and if you have any respect for yourself promise to yourself you will not go home without selling something ... otherwise you are useless.


This is a typical conversation in most of the sales departments of the company. Cold calling was... sorry still is, the preferred method of generating new business for salespeople worldwide. Not for me. I really hate cold calling.

Where the ideas and innovation? As in all areas of life, ideas come and go.

Because something worked yesterday does not mean it's a good option today. The effectiveness of this traditional legend exercise has gone down more than fifteen years ago or more.

Still, there are sales managers and sales trainers keep insisting that a large part of money and education should include spending time making these dreaded calls. Instead of using more effective methods to meet qualified prospects.

When sales go down, there is a shout from the cubical "get on the phone and make more calls" or "you need to increase your activity or go".

Sales people are being mis-trained and mis-led by none other than so-called corporate trainers and sales managers. "Cold calling works and is the only way" has been so drilled into the minds that some still continue to do it in the traditional way.

I feel Cold calling is the least efficient way to find new business. Soon most of the sales people doing it get frustrated. How many sales people you know who likes cold calling? I know of none.

If you keep doing what you've always done, and the result is failure, you're going to become frustrated and worse...go broke.

Why Cold Calling Doesn't Work...Cold Calling Destroys Your Status as a Business Equal. Destroys attitudes. And it actually works against you.

Now how to generate leads... I strongly believe that everyone is creative and innovative; everyone can find their own way to generate leads, they will be at their best. It has always worked for me; just give space and ear to what they say.
Try this, brainstorm with your sales team “if the world is without phones, how you would generate leads”.

All the best for the new beginning.

Creativity in Education

What comes to mind when you think of creativity? Imaginative, challenging, inventive and original and the value other people produce? Or do you think one can be creative only if person is artistic?

A good starting point for defining creativity is by bringing ‘Creativity in Education' as stated by Sir Ken Robinson . This article is an attempt to take the message that we all are, or can be, creative if we are given the right opportunity. Creativity should be treated with the same dignity as arts or science. One Scottish journal says;

“Although creativity is not amenable to being described neatly, it does have a number of important facets or characteristics:

1. it is always about originality, the forming or making of something new
2. it involves purposeful application of knowledge and skills
3. it includes various ways of thinking, doing and communicating
4. it is evident in the thinking and actions of individuals and communities and finally
5. it is not of itself a good thing - it must be values driven.

Debating the characteristics highlighted by this definition can be a helpful starting point for agreeing what your school actually means by creativity.”

So coming back to the definition given by Sir Ken Robinson” Creativity is an process of generating original ideas which has value”.

It is a big task for teachers as they would reshape the curriculum at all stages in order to better enable young people to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.

There is an increasing recognition that creativity improves the self-esteem, motivation and achievement of learners. Pupils should be encouraged to think creatively because then they would be more interested in discovering things for themselves, open to new ideas and challenges, able to solve problems, able to work well with others, effective learners and greater ownership over their learning.

Young people who have the opportunity to develop their creative skills will be better prepared for life after school. In this rapidly changing world, it is almost certain that most people will have to adapt to several careers in the course of a lifetime. In the times to come most employers would want to recruit people who see connections, have bright ideas, are innovative, communicate and work well with others, and are able to solve problems. Confident, creative individuals will always be in demand.

How to build innovative companies?

Its now few years, everyone is hearing the conversation across globe (especially in America & Japan) the future is about to change... The Knowledge Economy as we know it is being eclipsed by something new -- call it the Creativity Economy.

What was once central to corporations -- price, quality, and much of the left-brain, digitized analytical work associated with knowledge -- is fast being shipped off to lower-paid, highly trained Chinese and Indians, as well as Hungarians, Czechs, and Russians. Increasingly, the new core competence is creativity -- the right-brain stuff that smart companies are now harnessing to generate top-line growth. The game is changing. It isn't just about math and science anymore. It's about creativity, imagination, and, above all, innovation.

BUT THERE IS A HITCH.... No one can doubt the impact of the "Innovation Revolution" or its successes. But the main ingredient remains, even in the most exacting researches. The science behind innovation, remain undeveloped, problematic, controversial. How to solve this puzzle?

Everybody understands today the key words: Innovate or Perish.

Recently I read a book called Eightstorm: 8-Step Brainstorming for Innovative Managers that throws even more light on the topic. This book by Kishore Dharmarajan is suppose to be getting popular in Japan.

Hmmm, that's interesting, isn't it!