"If I Ran the Office" - a story in rhyme

"I love my new job," the new graduate said.
"And not just because it is keeping me fed.
I love it because of the things that I do,
Like design ads, write copy, and have meetings, too.

And the people I work with are simply quite grand.
They like to include me in things they have planned.
They're nice to each other, and nice to me, too.
I think that, together, we're quite a great crew!

Unlimited coffee is another great thing
We have in supply while we are working.
I didn't drink it so much before, but, you see,
The coffee we have in our office is free!
And getting more coffee is an excuse I have found
For leaving my desk some, and walking around.

Yes, I love my new job," the young graduate said,
"but every day after work, I am ready for bed.
I think the caffeine crash is zapping my powers,
Or maybe it's the staring at a computer for hours.

Whatever the reason, the caffeine or screen,
The tiredness I feel after five is obscene.
But I've noticed a few little things I would change,
If I ran the office, to make me not feel so strange.

For one, I would insert a full beverage bar
Right next to the coffee; that's not going too far.
With waters, and juices, and nice decaf tea -
Things that won't start a great big caffeine spree.

And instead of just chocolates on each desk in a dish,
Some healthier snacks are some things that I'd wish.
Popcorn, and pretzels, and yummy trail mix,
Dried fruits and Fig Newtons might be just the tricks.

And for a break from the screen, to give one's eyes a rest,
A modest solarium, I think, would be best.
With benches and trees and green, leafy plants,
Closed in from the rain and the wind and the ants.

And to refresh at the times when the work can be draining,
Employees should have something that's quite entertaining.
But it ought to be something that requires some thinking,
Not mindless tv that makes brain cells start shrinking.

There ought to be rooms full of creative fun,
A place you can go when your mind feels undone.
One room full of Legos, for the construction geek;
Folks can work on a sculpture - a new one each week.
One room should be filled with play-dough and paint
So the staff can be artists when they're feeling faint.

And a room full of exercise balls would be neat,
For folks to use them - and not chairs - for their seats.
They could sit there and balance and bounce while they talk;
It's almost as healthy as taking a walk.

And whiteboards with markers would be great fun for all;
That's something to hang on the walls of each hall.
On the whiteboards, co-workers could generate fame
For their riddles, jokes, puzzles, and collaborative games.

Artistic folks, at the bit, would be gnawing
To use the whiteboards to do some quick drawing.
Others could scribble some words in thought bubbles,
Giving speech to cartoons like Flintstone and Rubble.

The whiteboards would also be a wonderful way
To start new traditions, like the "Joke of the Day."
Or to get folks' opinions on serious stuff,
Like which ice cream goes best with marshmallow fluff.

Co-workers could use the whiteboards to compete,
To see who can best do a mind-bending feat,
Like solving, the quickest, an expert Sudoku
Or figuring the speed at which Hindenburg's smoke flew.

These things would be great for when folks need a break
From the quite intense work that makes the mind ache.
'Cause the mind, like the body, sometimes needs a stretch,
Like the fun, friendly dogs that enjoy playing fetch.

Creative spaces like these are what we need, so I say,
To refresh the mind in a few minutes a day.
Quick breaks such as these will produce better work;
It isn't my job that I'm trying to shirk.

These will wake up the brain so much better than coffee,
Or YouTube, or Halo, or bowls full of toffee.

And so," the grad said, "that would be just my plan,
If I were the one through whom the office ran."

Lame Excuses for Being Boring - #2

Excuse #2:

"We've always been this way. This is who we are."

Being creative in your work does not mean departing from your identity as a company or as a brand. Being creative does not mean that you must become Apple, or 3M, or Southwest Airlines, or Starbucks, or Procter & Gamble. In fact, imitating other "innovative" companies is not "innovative" at all.

Being creative means proactively looking for ways that your brand can be even better at who your brand is supposed to be. Becoming even more aligned with your corporate identity, by creating greater value for your customers within that context. Be creative within the boundaries of who your brand is.

So who is your brand? What is your brand promise? Is your brand about luxury and status? Then find ways to pamper your guests in even better, more serving, more extravagant ways than before. Is your brand about family fun? Then spur on your imagination - and create amazingly fun products and environments that encourage kids (and their parents) to use theirs, too. Is your brand about bare-bones, no-frills, low-cost? Then be innovative about how you can cut non-necessities to help your customers save money. Is your brand about customer service? Then bend over backwards for your customers. Is your brand about drawing people together? Then probe for ways in which your products and locations invite people to share life.

Let your brand be itself. But make it the absolute best self it can be.

Lame Excuses for Being Boring - #1

I'm starting to collect a series of lame excuses for why a company doesn't have creative products, services, marketing, or marketing communications.

Here's the first:

"We can't afford to hire the top creative minds."

Then cultivate creativity among the team you already have. Research shows that for persons with enough intelligence to have attended college (an IQ of about 115 or higher), success is less a product of innate talent than of preparation, practice, and opportunity. (Read Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers for more information on this.)

Your marketing department, or product design team, or logistics personnel, or supply chain managers, have the capacity to think of creative ways to better serve your customers. To communicate better, to design better products, to reach them better, to provide better value (greater quality or less expense). You need to inspire them.

How do you inspire their creativity? Give them an afternoon at the movies - watching YouTube videos of excellent tv commercials and human zaniness. Send them to a park, or museum, or art gallery for the morning. Take them to lunch at a themed restaurant. Hold your next brainstorming session in a lime green room full of bean bag chairs, playdough, and whiteboards. Confiscate all pens - write with crayons instead. Have everyone name the most creative thing they've seen this week, then free associate to think of creative things that could work for your brand. Make your team act out a story using puppets (a story they make up as they go along, not one they know already).

Inspire creativity. Expect creativity.

A Burst of Creativity

Customers are tired of boring. They are tired of mediocre, status quo products, services, and marketing. Successful brands are those that are remarkable, creative, and exceptionally good at something. Because people are attracted to great work. And consumers want to identify themselves with something outstanding.

So, is your brand exceptionally good at something? Does your design team (or supply chain management, or finance department, or HR) exhibit superb innovation? Are your marketing communications creative, reaching customers in a fun way?

Or does it seem that your creativity has dried up?

Perhaps your company is like many - it's a good company. But not exceptionally good. Not great at anything. Not noted for creativity or innovation or the pursuit of excellence.

Do you need a boost to get those creative juices flowing again?

While it may be difficult to teach someone how to be creative, it seems to me that one of the best ways to stir up creativity is to immerse oneself in the creativity of others. Surround yourself with creative people and creative work.

Visit websites that showcase creative advertising, design, and marketing - try creativity-online.com, www.luerzersarchive.us, www.oneclub.org, and adsoftheworld.com for starters. Check out what innovative companies are doing - and not just in your own industry. Look at artwork - on Flickr, at artists' studios, in art museums. Search YouTube for old Super Bowl ads, funny videos, and top-rated tv commercials. Ask your friends to tell you the funniest thing they've seen, heard, or experienced recently. Read the comics. Tour a cathedral or historic mansion. Sit at a park and watch children playing. Lie on the grass and look at cloud shapes.

Surround yourself with creativity and excellence. Be inspired. Pursue greatness.