Embracing creativity can help your communications be more attention-getting. It’s one of the best ways to break out of that “rut” of being just like everyone else. Photo by davisuko on Unsplash.
Summer is ending soon (sorry to break the bad news).
Did all the vacations and time off from work re-energize you?
Or do you feel in a bit of a rut?
Maybe this week’s message will be therapeutic for you.
From the late 1970s through the early 1980s, there was a collection of newspaper ads from a long defunct company called United Technologies Corporation (UTC) that appeared in the Wall Street Journal.
If you’re curious, UTC merged with the Raytheon Company in April 2020 to form Raytheon Technologies, which was later renamed RTX Corporation.
Each one of UTC’s ads was an absolute classic.
I stumbled upon one more than 40 years ago.
It was inspiring to me then, and it’s still inspiring to me today.
How to Get Out of Your Rut
Here’s the copy from one of the UTC ads. It’s titled, “Get Out of That Rut.”
Oscar Wilde said,
“Consistency is
the last refuge of
the unimaginative.”
So stop getting up
at 6:05.
Get up at 5:06.
Walk a mile at dawn.
Find a new way
to drive to work.
Switch chores with
your spouse
next Saturday.
Buy a wok.
Study wildflowers.
Stay up alone all night.
Read to the blind.
Start counting
brown-eyed blondes
or blonds.
Subscribe to an
out-of-town paper.
Canoe at midnight.
Don’t write to your
congressman,
take a whole scout
troop to see him.
Learn to speak
Italian.
Teach some kid
the thing you do best.
Listen to two hours of
uninterrupted Mozart.
Take up aerobic dancing.
Leap out of that rut.
Savor life.
Remember, we only
pass this way once.
10 Tips for More Productive Meetings
Now that you’re out of your rut (hopefully), you should be ready to make your upcoming meetings more productive.
Here are 10 do-and-don’t guidelines to follow to make your meetings more productive AND creative:
- Forget the “best” way – Don’t hunt for the one right answer. Look for 100 ways instead, and let the good ideas surface on their own.
- Hold your ideas loosely – Don’t let your idea own you. Listen actively to what others say, even when it stings a little.
- Build, don’t bulldoze – Don’t waste energy criticizing or rejecting. Build on what’s there, or move on to the next idea.
- Speak up early – Don’t be afraid to say the unpopular thing. Every idea worth having began as a minority of one.
- Come ready – Don’t walk in unprepared. Come with a clear definition of the problem you’re trying to solve.
- Don’t quit at the first dead end – Try another approach, or re-analyze the problem before you write it off.
- Get to the point – Don’t be longwinded or apologetic. Say what you mean and move the discussion forward.
- Talk to the issue, not your neighbor – Don’t have a side conversation. Talk to the issue, out loud, where the group can hear it.
- Chase the idea after the idea – Don’t dismiss something because it isn’t practical yet. Think about what new ideas it can lead to.
- Let go of old wins – Don’t let past successes limit your outlook. Remember every success was once a new idea, too.
3 Big Takeaways
- Break out of the norm, it’s boring there.
- When you break out of the norm, you’re more attention-getting.
- Set the example on how to make your meetings more creative.
What are some creativity guidelines you follow to leave the hum drum life behind? Do share!
Stay authentic — and creative.
Jeffery E. Pizzino, APR (seen here in a vintage photo circa 1983 serendipitously doing a Clash impersonation in a since-forgotten location) is a spin-free public relations pro who is passionate about telling the why of your story with clarity, impact and authenticity. He began his PR career in 1987 at Ketchum Public Relations in New York City but has spent the majority of his career as a solopreneur. He’s the Chief Authentic Officer of the Johnson City, TN-based public relations firm, AuthenticityPR. He also functions as the fractional CCO for his clients.
Jeff has an MBA in Management from Western International University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications — with an emphasis in PR — from Brigham Young University (rise and shout!). He’s also accredited in public relations (APR) and an adjunct media and communication faculty at East Tennessee State University. This Milwaukee, Wisconsin native holds an Italian citizenship and plans to live and work there someday. Jeff and his storyteller wife Leticia have four children and four grandchildren. In his extremely limited nonwork hours, he studies Italiano, practices guitar, writes songs, gardens, works out, disc golfs, reads, listens to New Wave music, serves as an assistant communication director in his church, watches BYU football, enjoys watching the original Mission Impossible TV series, and plays board games (mostly Dominion and Seven Wonders). No, this guy’s never bored and looking for something to do. Email Jeff.
