State of peace 2008

GRI News Update May 2008

Guest Editor’s
letter

Conference in Review
The second Amsterdam Global Conference on Sustainability
and Transparency co-hosted by GRI and the City of Amsterdam proved to be a spectacular
and memorable event. more…

News, Services and Resources

Jordan’s Queen Rania
announces Arab Sustainability Leadership Group at GRI conference
While delivering the keynote address at the Amsterdam
Global Conference on Sustainability and Transparency, Her Majesty Queen Rania
Al-Abdullah of Jordan more…

GRI announces winners
of inaugural Readers’ Choice Awards
The winners of the GRI Readers’ Choice Awards for
sustainability reporting were announced at the Amsterdam Global Conference on
Sustainability and Transparency. more…

Readers agree: sustainability
reporting enhances brand reputation – new proof from GRI survey
Ninety percent of sustainability report readers agreed
that their views of a company had been influenced by reading its report – of
these, 85% reported a more positive perception of the company, according to a
new report released today by GRI at The Amsterdam Global Conference on Sustainability
and Transparency. more…

BBC World Debate: How
Accountable is business?
In a first for GRI, a BBC World Debate was filmed
at the Amsterdam Global Conference on Sustainability and Transparency. The program
was broadcast internationally seven times on BBC World News, over the weekend
of 17 – 18 May 2008. more…

The Amsterdam Global
Conference on Sustainability through the lens
View pictures of this global gathering of the
great and the good in the fields of sustainability and transparency via GRI’s
online photo gallery. To request pictures from this event for your own organization’s
communications outreach, contact GRI. more…

Your feedback wanted
- Participants’ Survey
Did you attend GRI’s second global conference
in Amsterdam? Let GRI know your feedback about this international gathering of
sustainability practitioners and experts more…

Podcasts of all conference
sessions now online
Perhaps you were in one of the main arena debates
and so missed one of the parallel sessions or the chance to sit in on the academic
conference? Maybe you just want the opportunity to listen again to the engaging
and inspirational presentations and discussion that took place over the 3 day
Amsterdam Global Conference on Sustainability and Transparency? Fear not. more…

GRI provides input to
new guide to sustainability reporting in Europe
The effectiveness of European countries in encouraging
sustainability reporting can now be judged at a glance with the launch of a new
website from The European Sustainability Reporting Association (ESRA). more…

Reporting Framework

Boarding-call for the
GRI Airports Sector Supplement
As air traffic increases each year, getting people
to and from their respective destinations while keeping sustainability impacts
low presents a major challenge for airports around the globe but one that is
foremost on their radar screens. more…

Get Involved in a North
American Regional Workshop on Community Indicators
Communities represent one of the key stakeholders
for any organization seeking to assess its impacts on and contributions to sustainable
development. Ways to go about reporting community performance, however, are not
immediately obvious, and reporting on community impacts still remains weak and
unsatisfactory to many stakeholders. more…

First group of GRI trainers
attended the conference
GRI training partners in Brazil, India, Korea and
The USA were invited to nominate trainers to attend the international conference
and the first “Train the Trainers” specially prepared for them. more…

Brazilian Journalists
to receive GRI training
GRI training partner ABERJE is offering the GRI
certified training course for journalists based in 5 Brazilian cities, courtesy
of the Brazilian cosmetics company Natura. more…

GRI Learning Services
launches two new Starting Points publications
GRI Sustainability Reporting: A common language
for a common future and GRI Sustainability Reporting: How valuable is the journey?
Are the latest additions to the valuable GRI Learning Services publications list.
more…

On the “small side” of
the Amsterdam Global Conference on Sustainability and Transparency
Small, Smart and Sustainable a publication detailing
the results of the first year of the GRI/GTZ Transparency in the supply chain
project was launched during the SME and Supply Chain Forum. more…

Sustainability Reporting Central

Stakeholder Council:
Call for nominations
A call for nominations for GRI’s Stakeholder Council
opened on 19 May 2008 as part of the annual GRI Stakeholder Council members’
rotation process. Interested parties can send in their nominations until 11 July.
more…

Organizational Stakeholders
meet in Amsterdam
The first ever Organizational Stakeholder (OS) General
Assembly was held on the opening day of The Amsterdam Global Conference on Sustainability
and Transparency. more…

GRI Outreach this June
With the Amsterdam Global Conference on Sustainability
and Transparency over, GRI Secretariat staff are once again back on the road
promoting GRI and sustainability reporting around the world. more…

Online Energy Event

The Virtual Energy Forum, a first of its kind, event connecting thousands of
corporate executives with sustainability experts in energy efficiency and
conservation, as well as providers of alternative energy products and services --
through a online onlylive, interactive environment
Access the event from your computer June 10th and 11th online - from 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM, Eastern
 Registration is FREE.Click here to register

BP Report

The new BP Sustainability Report 2007 is available to download at

<tt><tt> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ethicalperformance.net/BP_SustainabilityReport07.html"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1211368151_0">http://www.ethicalperformance.net/BP_SustainabilityReport07.html</span></a></tt></tt>

Starbucks

Starbucks has just published its seventh annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report online at http://www.reportalert.info/ra/profiles/Starbucks/2008/?ID=21424

The green line

1. CHANGE YOUR LIGHT
If every household in the United State replaced one regular lightbulb
with one of those new compact fluorescent bulbs, the pollution
reduction would be equivalent to removing one million cars from the
road.

Don’t like the color of light? Use these bulbs for closets, laundry rooms and other places where it won’t irk you as much.

2. TURN OFF COMPUTERS AT NIGHT
By turning off your computer instead of leaving it in sleep mode, you
can save 40 watt-hours per day. That adds up to 4 cents a day, or $14
per year. If you don’t want to wait for your computer to start up, set
it to turn on automatically a few minutes before you get to work, or
boot up while you’re pouring your morning cup ‘o joe.

3. DON’T RINSE
Skip rinsing dishes before using your dishwasher and save up to 20
gallons of water each load. Plus, you’re saving time and the energy
used to heat the additional water.

4. DO NOT PRE-HEAT THE OVEN
Unless you are making bread or pastries of some sort, don’t pre-heat
the oven. Just turn it on when you put the dish in. Also, when checking
on your food, look through the oven window instead of opening the door.

5. RECYCLE GLASS
Recycled glass reduces related air pollution by 20 percent and related
water pollution by 50 percent. If it isn’t recycled it can take a
million years to decompose.

6. DIAPER WITH A CONSCIENCE
By the time a child is toilet trained, a parent will change between
5,000 and 8,000 diapers, adding up to approximately 3.5 million tons of
waste in U.S. landfills each year. Whether you choose cloth or a more
environmentally-friendly disposable, you’re making a choice that has a
much gentler impact on our planet.

7. HANG DRY
Get a clothesline or rack to dry your clothes by the air. Your wardrobe will maintain color and fit, and you’ll save money.

Your favorite t-shirt will last longer too.

8. GO VEGETARIAN ONCE A WEEK
One less meat-based meal a week helps the planet and your diet. For
example: It requires 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of
beef. You will also also save some trees. For each hamburger that
originated from animals raised on rainforest land, approximately 55
square feet of forest have been destroyed.

9. WASH IN COLD OR WARM
If all the households in the U.S. switched from hot-hot cycle to
warm-cold, we could save the energy comparable to 100,000 barrels of
oil a day.

Only launder when you have a full load.

10. USE ONE LESS PAPER NAPKIN
During an average year, an American uses approximately 2,200
napkins—around six each day. If everyone in the U.S.
used one less napkin a day, more than a billion pounds of napkins could
be saved from landfills each year.

11. USE BOTH SIDES OF PAPER
American businesses throw away 21 million tons of paper every year,
equal to 175 pounds per office worker. For a quick and easy way to
halve this, set your printer’s default option to print double-sided
(duplex printing). And when you’re finished with your documents, don’t
forget to take them to the recycling bin.

12. RECYCLE NEWSPAPER
There are 63 million newspapers printed each day in the U.S. Of these,
44 million, or about 69%, of them will be thrown away. Recycling just
the Sunday papers would save more than half a million trees every week.

13. WRAP CREATIVELY
You can reuse gift bags, bows and event paper, but you can also make
something unique by using old maps, cloth or even newspaper. Flip a
paper grocery bag inside out and give your child stamps or markers to
create their own wrapping paper that’s environmentally friendly and
extra special for the recipient.

More ideas: HGTV, Martha, DIY Network

14. RETHINK BOTTLED WATER
Nearly 90% of plastic water bottles are not recycled, instead taking
thousands of years to decompose. Buy a reusable container and fill it
with tap water, a great choice for the environment, your wallet, and
possibly your health. The EPA’s standards for tap water are more
stringent than the FDA’s standards for bottled water.

15. BAN BATHTIME!
Have a no-bath week, and take showers instead. Baths require almost
twice as much water. Not only will you reduce water consumption, but
the energy costs associated with heating the water.

16. BRUSH WITHOUT RUNNING
You’ve heard this one before, but maybe you still do it. You’ll
conserve up to five gallons per day if you stop. Daily savings in the
U.S. alone could add up to 1.5 billion gallons–more water than folks
use in the Big Apple.

17. SHOWER WITH YOUR PARTNER
Sneak in a shower with your loved one to start the day with some zest
that doesn’t come in a bar. Not only have you made a wise choice for
the environment, but you may notice some other added…um…benefits.

18. TAKE A SHORTER SHOWER
Every two minutes you save on your shower can conserve more than ten
gallons of water. If everyone in the country saved just one gallon from
their daily shower, over the course of the year it would equal twice
the amount of freshwater withdrawn from the Great Lakes every day.

19. PLANT A TREE
It’s good for the air, the land, can shade your house and save on
cooling (plant on the west side of your home), and they can also
improve the value of your property.

Make it meaningful for the whole family and plant a tree every year for each member.

20. USE YOUR CRUISE CONTROL
You paid for those extra buttons in your car, so put them to work! When
using cruise control your vehicle could get up to 15% better mileage.
Considering today’s gasoline prices, this is a boon not only for the
environment but your budget as well.

21. SECOND-HAND DOESN’T MEAN SECOND-BEST
Consider buying items from a second-hand store. Toys, bicycles, roller
blades, and other age and size-specific items are quickly outgrown.
Second hand stores often sell these items in excellent condition since
they are used for such a short period of time, and will generally buy
them back when you no longer need them.

22. BUY LOCAL
Consider the amount of pollution created to get your food from the farm
to your table. Whenever possible, buy from local farmers or farmers’
markets, supporting your local economy and reducing the amount of
greenhouse gas created when products are flown or trucked in.

23. ADJUST YOUR THERMOSTAT
Adjust your thermostat one degree higher in the summer and one degree
cooler in the winter. Each degree celsius less will save about 10% on
your energy use! In addition, invest in a programmable thermostat which
allows you to regulate temperature based on the times you are at home
or away.

24. INVEST IN YOUR OWN COFFEE CUP
If you start every morning with a steamy cup, a quick tabulation can
show you that the waste is piling up. Invest in a reusable cup, which
not only cuts down on waste, but keeps your beverage hot for a much
longer time. Most coffee shops will happily fill your own cup, and many
even offer you a discount in exchange!

25. BATCH ERRANDS
Feel like you spend your whole week trying to catch up with the
errands? Take a few moments once a week to make a list of all the
errands that need to get done, and see if you can batch them into one
trip. Not only will you be saving gasoline, but you might find yourself
with much better time-management skills.

26. TURN OFF LIGHTS
Always turn off incandescent bulbs when you leave a room. Fluorescent
bulbs are more affected by the number of times it is switched on and
off, so turn them off when you leave a room for 15 minutes or more.
You’ll save energy on the bulb itself, but also on cooling costs, as
lights contribute heat to a room.

27. GREENER LAWN CARE
If you must water your lawn, do it early in the morning before any
moisture is lost to evaporation. Have a few weeds? Spot treat them with
vinegar. Not sure if you should rake? Normal clippings act as a natural
fertilizer, let them be. If you’ve waited too long, rake by hand
— it’s excellent exercise.

28. PICNIC WITH A MARKER
Some time in between the artichoke dip and the coleslaw, you lost track
of your cup, and now there are a sea of matching cups on the table, one
of which might be yours. The next time you picnic, set out permanent
marker next to disposable dinnerware so guests can mark their cup and
everyone will only use one.

29. RECYCLE OLD CELL PHONES
The average cell phone lasts around 18 months, which means 130 million
phones will be retired each year. If they go into landfills, the phones
and their batteries introduce toxic substances into our environment.
There are plenty of reputable programs where you can recycle your
phone, many which benefit noble causes.

30. MAINTAIN YOUR VEHICLE
Not only are you extending the life of your vehicle, but you are
creating less pollution and saving gas. A properly maintained vehicle,
clean air filters, and inflated tires can greatly improve your
vehicle’s performance. And it might not hurt to clean out the
trunk—all that extra weight could be costing you at the pump.

31. RECYCLE UNWANTED WIRE HANGERS
Wire hangers are generally made of steel, which is often not accepted
by some recycling programs. So what do you do with them? Most dry
cleaners will accept them back to reuse or recycle. (Cue Joan Crawford.)

32. RECYCLE ALUMINUM AND GLASS
Twenty recycled aluminium cans can be made with the energy it takes to manufacture one brand new one.

Every ton of glass recycled saves the equivalent of nine gallons of fuel oil needed to make glass from virgin materials.

33. TELECOMMUTE
See if you can work out an arrangement with your employer that you work
from home for some portion of the week. Not only will you save money
and gasoline, and you get to work in your pajamas!

34. KEEP YOUR FIREPLACE DAMPER CLOSED
Keeping the damper open (when you’re not using your fireplace) is like
keeping a 48-inch window wide open during the winter; it allows warm
air to go right up the chimney. This can add up to hundreds of dollars
each winter in energy loss.

35. CUT DOWN ON JUNK MAIL
Feel like you need to lose a few pounds? It might be your junk mail
that’s weighing you down. The average American receives 40 pounds of
junk mail each year, destroying 100 millions trees. There are many
services that can help reduce the clutter in your mailbox, saving trees
and the precious space on your countertops.

36. CHOOSE MATCHES OVER LIGHTERS
Most lighters are made out of plastic and filled with butane fuel, both
petroleum products. Since most lighters are considered “disposable,”
over 1.5 billion end up in landfills each year. When choosing matches,
pick cardboard over wood. Wood matches come from trees, whereas most
cardboard matches are made from recycled paper.

37. LET YOUR FINGERS DO THE WALKING—ONLINE
Consider if you really need a paper phone book. If not, call to stop
phone book delivery and use an online directory instead. Some estimate
that telephone books make up almost ten percent of waste at dump sites.
And if you still receive the book, don’t forget to recycle your old
volumes.

38. GIVE IT AWAY
Before you throw something
away, think about if someone else might need it. Either donate to a
charitable organization or post it on a web site designed to connect
people and things, such as Freecycle.org.

39. GO TO A CAR WASH
Professional car washes are often more efficient with water
consumption. If everyone in the U.S. who washes their car themselves
took just one visit to the car wash we could save nearly 8.7 billion
gallons of water.

40. PLASTIC BAGS SUCK
Each year the U.S. uses 84 billion plastic bags, a significant portion
of the 500 billion used worldwide. They are not biodegradable, and are
making their way into our oceans, and subsequently, the food chain.
Stronger, reusable bags are an inexpensive and readily available option.

41. FLY WITH AN E-TICKET
The cost of processing
a paper ticket is approximately $10, while processing an e-ticket costs
only $1. In the near future, e-tickets will be the only option, saving
the airline industry $3 billion a year. In addition to financial
savings, the sheer amount of paper eliminated by this process is
commendable.

42. DOWNLOAD YOUR SOFTWARE
Most software comes
on a compact disc, and more than thirty billion compact discs of all
types are sold annually. That’s a huge amount of waste, not to mention
the associated packaging. Another bonus to downloading your software is
that it’s often available for download at a later date when you upgrade
to a new computer or are attempting to recover from a crash.

43. STOP YOUR ANSWERING MACHINE
Answering machines use energy 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And
when they break, they’re just one more thing that goes into the
landfill. If all answering machines in U.S. homes were eventually
replaced by voice mail services, the annual energy savings would total
nearly two billion kilowatt-hours.

44. SKIP THE COFFEE STIRRER
Each year, Americans throw away 138 billion straws and stirrers. But
skipping the stirrer doesn’t mean drinking your coffee black. Simply
put your sugar and cream in first, and then pour in the coffee, and it
should be well mixed.

Determined
to stir? Break off a piece of pasta from the cupboard. You can nibble
after using it, compost, or throw away with less guilt.

45. FIND A BETTER WAY TO BREAK THE ICE
When a big winter storm heads our way, most of us use some sort of ice
melter to treat steps and sidewalks. While this makes the sidewalks
safer for people, it may pose a hazard for pets who might ingest these
products. Rock salt and salt-based ice-melting products can cause
health problems as well as contaminate wells and drinking water. Look
for a pet-safe deicer, readily available in many stores.

46. USE COTTON SWABS WITH A PAPERBOARD SPINDLE
Some brands of cotton swabs have a paperboard spindle while others are
made of plastic. If 10% of U.S. households switched to a paperboard
spindle, the petroleum energy saved per year would be equivalent to
over 150,000 gallons of gasoline.

47. PAY BILLS ONLINE
By some estimates, if all households in the U.S. paid their bills
online and received electronic statements instead of paper, we’d save
18.5 million trees every year, 2.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide and
other greenhouse gases, and 1.7 billion pounds of solid waste.

48. STOP PAPER BANK STATEMENTS
Some banks will pay you a dollar or donate money on your behalf when
you cancel the monthly paper statements you get in the mail. If every
household took advantage of online bank statements, the money saved
could send more than seventeen thousand recent high school graduates to
a public university for a year.

49. USE RECHARGABLE BATTERIES
Each
year 15 billion batteries produced and sold and most of them are
disposable alkaline batteries. Only a fraction of those are recycled.
Buy a charger and a few sets of rechargeable batteries. Although it
requires an upfront investment, it is one that should pay off in no
time. And on Christmas morning when all the stores are closed? You’ll
be fully stocked.

50. SHARE!
Take what you’ve learned, and pass the knowledge on to others. If every
person you know could take one small step toward being greener, the
collective effort could be phenomenal.

ShareThis

The Zen Of Attraction

Ten Principles To The Zen Of Attraction

1. Promise Nothing
   Just do what you most enjoy doing.
   Hidden benefit: You will always over-deliver.
2. Offer Nothing
   Just share what you have with those who express an interest in it.
   Hidden benefit: Takes the pressure off of wanting other people to see you as valuable or important.
3. Expect Nothing
   Just enjoy what you already have. It’s plenty.
   Hidden benefit: You will realize how complete your life is already.
4. Need Nothing
   Just build up your reserves and your needs will disappear.
   Hidden benefit: You boundaries will be extended and filled with space.
5. Create Nothing
   Just respond well to what comes to you.
   Hidden benefit: Openness.
6. Hype Nothing
   Just let quality sell by itself.
   Hidden benefit: Trustability.
7. Plan Nothing
   Just take the path of least resistance.
   Hidden benefit: Achievement will become effortless.
8. Learn Nothing
   Just let your body absorb it all on your behalf.
   Hidden benefit: You will become more receptive to what you need to know in the moment.
9. Become No One
   Just be more of yourself.
   Hidden benefit: Authenticity.
10. Change Nothing
    Just tell the truth and things will change by themselves.
    Hidden benefit: Acceptance.

Becoming the Boss

by Linda A. Hill

Ask new managers about their early days as bosses, and you’ll hear
tales of disorientation, even despair. As Hill points out, most novice
bosses don’t realize how sharply management differs from individual
work. Hampered by misconceptions, they fail the trials involved in this
rite of passage. And when they stumble, they jeopardize their careers
and inflict staggering costs on their organizations.

How to
avoid this scenario? Beware of common misconceptions about management:
For example, subordinates don’t necessarily obey your orders, despite
your formal authority over them. You won’t have more freedom to make
things happen—instead, you’ll feel constrained by organizational
interdependencies. And you’re responsible not only for maintaining your
own operations—but also for initiating positive changes both inside and
outside of your areas of responsibility.

Armed with realistic
expectations, you’ll more likely survive the transition to
management—and generate valuable results for your organization.

To succeed as a new manager, Hill suggests this approach:

Myth Reality To Manage Effectively Example Managers wield significant authority and freedom to make things happen. You are enmeshed in a web of relationships with people who make relentless and conflicting demands on you. Build relationships with people outside your group that your team depends on to do its work. A U.S. media-company manager charged with setting up a new venture in Asia initiated regular meetings on regional strategy between executives from both businesses. Managers’ power derives from their formal position in the company. Your power comes from your ability to establish credibility with employees, peers, and superiors. Demonstrate character (intending to do the right thing), managerial competence (listening more than talking), and influence (getting others to do the right thing). An investment bank manager won employees’ respect by shifting from showing off his technical competence to asking them about their knowledge and ideas. Managers must control their direct reports. Control doesn’t equal commitment. And employees don’t necessarily always follow orders. Build commitment by empowering employees to achieve the team’s goals—not ordering them. Instead of demanding that people do things her way, a media manager insisted on clarity about team goals and accountability for agreed-upon objectives. Managers lead their team by building relationships with individual members of the team. Actions directed at one subordinate often negatively affect your other employees’ morale or performance. Pay attention to your team’s overall performance. Use group-based forums for problem solving and diagnosis. Treat subordinates in an equitable manner. After granting a special parking spot to a veteran salesman—a move that ruffled other salespeople’s feathers—a new sales manager began leading his entire team rather than trying to get along well with each individual.

Don’t Go It Alone

• Recognize that your boss is likely more tolerant of your questions and mistakes than you might expect
• Help
  your boss develop you. Instead of asking your boss to solve your
  problems, present ideas for how you would handle a thorny situation,
  and solicit his thoughts on your ideas
• Find politically safe sources of coaching and mentoring from peers outside your function or in another organization

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James Freund: 10 Rules of M&A Bargaining by Geoffrey James

1. Do your homework beforehand.

Collect and
evaluate information on leverage, values, sale prices, competition and
other factors that will have an effect upon the negotiation. Work out a
defensive plan to protect sensitive information that the other side
might inquire about but isn’t entitled to know. Keep your eyes and ears
open for additional helpful information that can assist you in the
bidding process.

2. Set realistic expectations.

Determine your
“aspiration” by combining an “objective” valuation of what you’re
acquiring (use an expert if necessary) and the “subjective” worth to
you. Temper that aspiration with “feasibility,” a combination of what
your counterpart has in mind and the leverage of both parties. Reassess
your expectations as the negotiating progresses and new information
turns up.

3. Decide whether to “go first.”

When it comes to
price, you should know before bidding what deal you want and be able
justify it as being realistic. Then, put your own number on the table
to take control of the bidding and put your counterpart in your
ballpark.

4. Give yourself maneuvering room.

An offer between 15
and 25 percent below what you’re prepared to pay is a common tactic,
but with a hot property, you might get closer to 10 percent. On
nonprice issues, try to leave yourself some bargaining room, but make
sure that you have a plausible rationale for the positions that you
take.

5. Manage the price concession process.

Don’t be afraid to
make the first price concession, but don’t make it at the same time as
your initial bid, or you’ll sacrifice credibility. When making price
concessions, do so in a few meaningful strokes (rather than multiple
small ones) and make sure that the absolute size of each subsequent
concession decreases.

6. Manage the nonprice concession process, too.

Rank the nonprice
issues in terms of significance and their likely importance to your
counterpart. Determine plausible intermediate steps from the opening
proposal to your expectation of where each issue will end up. Try to
make your concessions do double duty – both resolving the matter in
question and furnishing a trading point for some other issue.

7. Create and sustain credibility throughout the negotiation.

Support any
positions you take with appropriate rationales. Be specific about facts
and stay detached from the emotion of negotiations. Assess the
reliability of what your counterpart says: The more significant the
information, the more skeptical you should be.

8. Keep time on your side.

Be alert for clues
that the other side is feeling heat to get a deal done. Conceal
deadline pressure on your side by moving things along briskly at the
onset. If your counterpart attempts to impose a deadline, test that
it’s real and reasonable.

9. Negotiate until the contract is signed.

Try to be the party
that drafts the contract, and make sure that your interests are
represented. In responding to controversial provisions in the other
side’s draft or introducing your own, consider doing so at a meeting
where you can most effective express your views and rationale.

10. Quit while you’re ahead.

If the negotiation
is going well and you’ve got most of what you want, don’t keep
negotiating endlessly. Close the deal before something negative
unexpectedly crops up – like a surprising new quarterly report.

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Developing New Ways of Thinking by BNET Editorial

    Over the years we tend to develop thinking styles that become

ingrained. People who say, “I’m not creative” or

“I’m not really a thinker” simply have not been made

aware of, or adopted, thinking patterns different from their own. We

are all capable of breaking old habits, and this checklist suggests

various techniques that can help you to develop new ways of thinking.

What You Need to Know

I just can’t come up with good solutions to problems. How can I change this?

You

are probably stuck in your habitual mode of thinking. Thinking styles

become automatic over the years, and because for the most part they

work well for us, we have no incentive to change them. But when your

thinking patterns limit your ability to approach problems creatively,

it is time to challenge old habits. You might start with some of the

techniques outlined in this checklist.

In

our meetings we just don’t have time to indulge people’s

creative flights. How can I control coworkers who refuse to focus on

the issue at hand?

It’s likely that your more

imaginative coworkers are simply being themselves. It might be useful

to explain the kind of thinking you are looking for and explain why it

is more productive in the context of a meeting. Perhaps you can steer

them into other settings in which their thinking style will make a real

contribution, such as marketing, or research and development.

How can I tap into the creative energy of someone who has great, off-the-wall ideas, but who is very impractical?

Some

people have an amazing ability to suppress their logical thinking and

let their creativity flow. In order for it to be productive you need to

offer them a framework in which to work. Structure need not inhibit

them if they are really capable of letting their imagination loose. If

you are a logical thinker, you might be the right person to take on the

role of guiding their imagination and harnessing their creative energy.

What to Do

Organize and Prioritize

Detailing

the various thinking techniques requires far more space than is

available here, but it is possible to provide a sampling of the tools

available. Thinking techniques can help you:

• organize and prioritize information;
• generate practical outcomes.

If

you feel overwhelmed by information, a few simple techniques can help

you identify what is important and decide how best to make sense of it.

Understand SWOT Analyses

These

are used to identify strengths and weaknesses and to examine existing

opportunities and threats. Answering questions in each of these four

areas enables you to think systematically about a problem and its

potential solutions. For example:

• Strengths: What

  are some benefits of your new product that consumers are demanding?

  Which features distinguish it from competitors’ products?

• Weaknesses:

  Where are the areas of vulnerability or weakness? Is the price a

  barrier? What could be improved? Would different features improve the

  product’s salability? What are the known vulnerabilities in the

  market? Is the time of the product’s launch crucial to its

  success?

• Opportunities: Where do opportunities exist

  in terms of technology, markets, policy, and social trends? Do you have

  a new commercial idea or a new way of doing things? Can you capitalize

  on your competitors’ mistakes?

• Threats: What

  obstacles are in your way? Have you correctly defined your market? What

  is the current regulatory climate? Are any changes being considered?

  Are you in a race with your competitors? Might they be winning? Is your

  financial situation being jeopardized? Should you try to raise money

  now, or wait for a better time?

Learn About Critical Path Analysis

This

is an approach to managing complex projects. It tells you when certain

activities need to be completed in order to bring a project in on time

and on budget. The idea is to determine which activities are dependent

on others being completed first (sequential), and which may be

completed more or less at any time (parallel). The ordering of these

activities creates the critical path through the project.

Investigate Mind Maps

Mind

maps are graphic representations of whatever is on your mind. They help

you get everything on paper without initially having to order or

prioritize it. Like road maps, mind maps give you an overview of a

large area, enabling you to make the connections that allow you to

arrive at your destination.

Start by drawing a circle on a large

sheet of paper. In the center of the circle put the word or image that

best represents the idea you wish to explore. Then, using free

association, place any words and images that come to mind in smaller

circles around the hub. Finally, connect the circles with lines, using

colors or symbols to highlight similar themes. The finished diagram

should reveal unexpected connections between the outer elements and the

central idea. Consider how you might use these connections to further

your goals.

Be Aware of Force Field Analysis

This

is a useful technique for examining the variables in a given situation.

Draw three columns; place the issue under consideration in the center

column. List the driving forces in one remaining column and the

restraining forces in the other, assigning each of these forces a score

between one and five representing its relative strength. Then total the

scores in these columns. If the driving and restraining totals are

equal, the situation is in equilibrium. Once you understand the forces

that drive or restrain an issue or decision you will be able to

strengthen the drivers, minimize the negatives, and maintain

equilibrium as circumstances change.

Think About Decision Trees

Decision

trees allow you to make decisions in situations in which you have a

great deal of information to sift through. They create a framework in

which you can consider alternative solutions and their impact. The

decision tree starts on one either edge of a piece of paper, with a

symbol representing the decision to be made. Lines representing

possible solutions open out like a fan from this nexus. Each line

contains its own sequence of decisions and uncertainties, and each of

these in turn becomes a new decision point and forms the source of yet

another fan of options.

Brainstorm!

Brainstorming

is a well-known technique for generating options. All ideas generated

in a brainstorming session are welcomed and cannot be censored on the

grounds of illogic or impracticability. This “anything

goes” approach often motivates people to contribute creative

ideas that they might otherwise have censored themselves and withheld.

Free association, obscure and esoteric ideas are to be strongly y

encouraged. Only after all the ideas have been collected are they

reviewed and prioritized.

Develop Lateral Thinking Techniques

Lateral

thinking is an unorthodox approach to problem solving. It is concerned

with moving sideways instead of head-on, fostering different

perspectives, concepts, and approaches to resolution. It is usually

done in a team setting, in which participants are provoked to abandon

their preconceptions and usual line of thought. It cuts across patterns

and the status quo, and jump-starts ideas in new territory where they

may flourish unexpectedly.

Learn About the Six Thinking Hats

Six

thinking hats is a powerful technique developed by Edward de Bono for

looking at decisions from multiple perspectives. Each

person—alone or in a group—wears a series of imaginary

hats, each representing a different outlook and symbolized by a

different color. This technique forces people to move from one mode of

thinking to another. White hats focus on the data, look for gaps,

extrapolate from history, and examine future trends. Red hats use

intuition and emotion to look at problems. Black hats look at the

negative aspects, finding the reasons why something may not work. If an

idea can get beyond the black hats, it is more likely to succeed.

Yellow hats think positively. The optimistic view from this perspective

clarifies the benefits of a decision, providing a boost to the thinking

process. Green hats develop creative, freewheeling solutions from a

strictly positive perspective, allowing no room for criticism. Blue

hats orchestrate the meeting—you are in control in this hat. To

keep ideas flowing you can direct everyone to change hats.

Know the Value of Questioning

In questioning, you ask why a problem is occurring, and then ask again—four more times: Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? This

allows you to drill down to the heart of the matter. Or ask the six

universal questions to explore the full extent of a problem: What? Where? When? How? Why? Who?

What to Avoid

You Believe That Everyone Thinks the Same Way As You

Productive

groups encourage their members to contribute in a variety of ways. If

you look at the people around you at work, you will probably recognize

different thinking styles and recall how each of them has contributed

to better clarity, decisions, and outcomes.

You Criticize Others’ Creativity

When

you are under pressure, you may be tempted to think: The last thing I

need is flaky ideas when I’ve got a deadline! But when you have

not been under stress, you have undoubtedly seen the real value that

creativity can bring. Try not to stifle creative thought; instead,

guide and control it openly, alternately encouraging and focusing it as

needed.

You Underestimate the Importance of Structure

Entrepreneurial

businesses are often formed by people with extraordinarily creative

minds. Eventually, all businesses need structure; good decision making

and effective management require systems and focused thinking. For a

business to grow, creative thinkers need to learn to accommodate

practical, analytical thinkers.

Where to Learn More

Books:

Buzan, Tony. The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximize Your Brain’s Untapped Potential. New York: Plume, 1996.

Buzan, Tony. Use Both Sides of Your Brain. 3rd ed. New York: Plume, 1991.

de Bono, Edward. Lateral Thinking: Creativity Step by Step. New York: HarperCollins, 1990.

de Bono, Edward. Six Thinking Hats. Rev. ed. New York: Little, Brown, 1999.

Sternberg, Robert J. Thinking Styles. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 1999.

Web Sites:

Buzan Centers: www.buzancentres.com

Buzan World: www.buzanworld.com

Creative and lateral thinking techniques: www.brainstorming.co.uk/tutorials/creativethinkingcontents.html

Edward de Bono’s Web site: www.edwdebono.com

Innovative thinking resources for entrepreneurs: www.innovationtools.com

The Open Directory Project: http://dmoz.org/Science/Social_Sciences/Psychology/Creativity

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