100 Lame Excuses for Not Innovating
Do you have a great idea you want to manifest, but... er... uh... um... just can't seem to get things rolling? Chances are good your reasons why are on the list below. No problem. Join the club. Without making yourself wrong, simply note the ones that show up the most for you, then try the simple "go beyond excuses" exercise at the end of the list. Hey, it's time to get unstuck...
1. I don't have the time.
2. I can't get the funding.
3. My boss will never go for it.
4. We're not in the kind of business likely to innovate.
5. I've got too much on my plate right now.
Continue reading "100 Lame Excuses for Not Innovating "
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:53 AM | Comments (0)
September 19, 2018A Revolutionary New Book for Corporate Storytellers
BIG THANKS TO JOHN GLINDEMAN, Manager of Product Development and Wellness for United Concordia, for his very supportive review of my new book, Storytelling for the Revolution.
"My job is as a corporate storyteller. That job has had titles ranging from Actuarial Associate to Manager of Product Innovation. But my role in corporate America has always been to take complex things and tell stories about them so executives can make decisions.
Storytelling for the Revolution is a great resource for anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation. The book does not assume that you like, desire, or have an innate gift for storytelling. It simply provides examples and then shows the inner workings of why these stories resonate with an audience. But beyond explaining the art, it showcases the power that storytelling has in the short attention span theater that is modern business. I see myself going back to this book many times as I craft the next big vision of the future my company should consider."
The introduction to the book
11 more Amazon reviews
MitchDitkoff.com
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:58 PM | Comments (0)
September 17, 2018How to Attract a Big AHA!
What is it that allows some people to get creative breakthroughs while others get only creative breakdowns -- alternately blaming themselves, society, their company, and their increasingly suspect astrological configurations?
Is it true that people who experience breakthroughs are "gifted"? Or are there other factors at work -- factors that we (the people) have more control over than we might think?
While nobody can deny that some people seem to be blessed with "creative leanings" (i.e. Mozart at 4), research has shown that anyone can have the much sought after AHA! experience -- that is, IF they immerse themselves in the little understood process of creation.
Time and again, the literature bears this out: great creative breakthroughs usually happen only after intense periods of intention, immersion, struggle -- even madness.
Continue reading "How to Attract a Big AHA!"
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:08 PM | Comments (0)
September 06, 2018A Big Shout Out to All of the Teachers on the Planet
In the past 12 months I have spent 90 days working very closely with Al Siraat College, an Australian school in the Islamic tradition, located in the suburbs of Melbourne. Working at the school for a month at a time, I've had an extraordinary opportunity, to see, first hand, up close and personal, both the glory and the challenge of what it takes be a teacher in 2018 and also what's required to establish the kind of school culture that is conducive to real learning.
Continue reading "A Big Shout Out to All of the Teachers on the Planet"
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 02:52 AM | Comments (0)
September 03, 2018There Is Wisdom Inside You (and it is hiding in your stories)
All 7.6 billion people on planet Earth are composed of the same six elements: hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorous. And all 7.6 billion people, no matter where they were born or what language they speak, are composed of 75% water, 23 pairs of chromosomes, and approximately 37.2 trillion cells.
Continue reading "There Is Wisdom Inside You (and it is hiding in your stories)"
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:39 AM | Comments (0)
August 31, 2018Mean Business?
Illustration: gapingvoid
Idea Champions
Storytelling for the Revolution
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 12:02 AM | Comments (0)
August 29, 201810 Tips for Giving a Great Keynote
Actors want to direct. Directors want to produce. And consultants want to deliver keynote presentation. And why not? The pay is good. It doesn't take much time. And it's a lot less heavy lifting than most consulting gigs.
Easier said that done, however. Delivering an impactful keynote is not as easy as it looks. If you want to get into the game, begin by reviewing the following guidelines to see if you have what it takes.
Continue reading "10 Tips for Giving a Great Keynote"
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 10:04 PM | Comments (2)
August 28, 2018Be Yourself!
Your company is unique. Honor that uniqueness. While there is nothing wrong with benchmarking other company's best practices, be mindful not to mindlessly graft them on to your company's culture. Be who you are!
Illustration: gapingvoid
Idea Champions
Help for being who you truly are
The author of the book
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 06:15 PM | Comments (0)
Why Nothing Happens After a Brainstorming Session
How many times have you participated in a brainstorming session, only to be underwhelmed by the utter lack of follow up? Unfortunately, in most businesses, this is often the norm. Here's why:
1. The output of the session is underwhelming.
2. No one has taken the time, pre-brainstorm, to consider follow-up.
3. No criteria is established to evaluate output.
4. No next steps are established at the end of the session.
5. No champions are identified.
Continue reading "Why Nothing Happens After a Brainstorming Session"
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:04 AM | Comments (11)
August 23, 2018A Brainstorm Facilitation Training that Works (and is enjoyable!)
What follows is some juicy feedback we received from Blue States Digital, a client of ours who participated in our Conducting Genius brainstorm facilitation training:
"The three-day Conducting Genius training was engaging, fun and informative. I feel empowered as a facilitator and confident in my skills and ability. Mitch and Val were fantastic teachers -- I was sad when it was over!"
"We did the three-day version of Conducting Genius, and I wish it could've been even longer! By far the most fun, useful, productive, and engaging training I've ever attended."
"It felt like summer camp for creative nerds."
"After the session, I felt energized and empowered -- ready to lead a brainstorm, boss a meeting, and infuse my work with more creativity and thought. Val and Mitch are magicians -- and they passed some of that magic on to us."
The website
What other clients say
About the training
Tell us about your need
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 01:30 AM | Comments (0)
August 22, 2018Creativity and the Play Instinct
Quotes on humor and playfulness
Idea Champions
A playful book about storytelling
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 02:50 PM | Comments (0)
August 21, 2018How to Authentically Brand Yourself in a Crowded Marketplace
If you have 30 minutes, click here to listen to an interview of me waxing on about how you can better brand yourself and your company. Includes some useful tips about how to use storytelling towards that end. No brand strategists died in the taping of this interview.
PS: The link is only good until 4:00 pm EST on August 2nd.
MitchDitkoff.com
Storytelling for the Revolution
Idea Champions
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 06:49 PM | Comments (0)
August 20, 2018Hiding in Plain Sight?
Big thanks to Scott Cronin for the heads up
More about the power of context
Storytelling for the Revolution
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:08 PM | Comments (0)
August 18, 2018Tips, Tools, and Techniques to Build Your Business and Your Brand
If you are available on August 20th at 4:00 pm PST and want to learn more about the power of storytelling to help build your business and your brand, click here. Nicolette Stinson will be interviewing me on the topic for 30 minutes. It's free. And if you register now, you will also have access to another 30 interviews with thought leaders in the realm of entrepreneurship, brand strategy, and healing.
MitchDitkoff.com
Storytelling for the Revolution
Idea Champions
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 06:08 PM | Comments (0)
August 17, 201850 Awesome Quotes on Vision
1. "If you can dream it, you can do it." - Walt Disney
2. "Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, and magic and power in it. Begin it now." - Goethe
3. "The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." - Michelangelo
Continue reading "50 Awesome Quotes on Vision"
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 02:34 PM | Comments (6)
August 15, 2018The Syndrome Syndrome and the Rise of the New World Disorder(s)
Here's a fun test for you: If you can read the rest of this paragraph without logging onto Facebook, tweeting, or thinking about crop circles, there's a good chance you do not have ADD, ADHD, or any other recently-identified medical condition.
Continue reading "The Syndrome Syndrome and the Rise of the New World Disorder(s) "
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 03:34 PM | Comments (1)
August 13, 2018THE INSIDE STORY on a Fantastic, New National Holiday!
I am happy to announce that today has been declared "INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DOWNLOADING MITCH DITKOFF'S NEW BOOK ON STORYTELLING." I am both humbled and honored that this is now official, even, of course, if I was the one to have declared it. A minor detail. If you are interested in the power of storytelling to build community, inspire, transmit wisdom, elevate the conversation, and spark action, this book is most definitely for you. The Kindle version is a mere $9.99 -- the price of three cappuccinos. If you are old school, the paperback version is $19.95.
StorytellingForTheRevolution.com
11 Amazon Reviews
Radio interviews, videos, and cool stuff
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:38 PM | Comments (0)
August 10, 2018What Business Leaders Can Learn from Sitting in an Orchestra
Roger Nierenberg - Living the Classical Life: Episode 47 from Elyria Pictures on Vimeo.
This is brilliant stuff. As it turns out, the creator of the Music Paradigm (Roger Nierenberg) and I went to elementary school, junior high school, high school, and summer camp together. We reconnected a few years ago after a long hiatus. If you are looking for a way to help the leaders in your organization make a quantum leap, consider The Music Paradigm.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 03:24 PM | Comments (0)
STORYTELLING FOR THE REVOLUTION available as an ebook
GOOD NEWS! My new book, Storytelling for the Revolution, is now available for downloading as an ebook from Amazon. $9.99. Paperback also available.
If you are interested in the power of personal storytelling to build community, open minds, transmit wisdom, and elevate the conversation on planet Earth, this book is for you.
#1 rated in Kindle books for Performing Arts
The book website
11 Amazon Reviews
The media weighs in
A fun excerpt
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 02:11 PM | Comments (0)
August 09, 2018The Power of Context and Timing to Deliver a Memorable Message
So much of our experience of life depends on context and timing. The above video is a delightful, surprise performance of Ravel's Bolero in a shopping mall. Even for shoppers who are not aficionados of classical music, the experience was a positive one. My first experience of Bolero was not a positive one -- mainly due to the fact that I was forced to listen to it blindfolded, for 14 hours in a roomful of sweaty 18-year old boys. Here's the story.
What are you attempting to communicate these days that can be accomplished with greater impact if you tweak the context and timing of your expression of it?
Another example of the impact of context
The full story + video + Joshua Bell playing
My Bolero story excerpted from this book
About the author
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 07:21 PM | Comments (1)
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