Creativity at Work Blog

Invoking Change: The Fun Theory

Linda Naiman — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:00:52 +0000

Volkswagen has a great idea: “We believe that the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better is by making it fun to do. We call it The fun theory.” Works for me! Do you have an idea that uses fun to change behaviour? Enter now for the chance to win €2500. http://www.thefuntheory.com

Fall Leadership Seminars at Royal Roads University: Leading with Creativity

Linda Naiman — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:32:19 +0000

Solution Finding: Leading with Creativity With Linda Naiman Feb 9 +10, 2010 Attend 1 or 2 days. Royal Roads University Management Certification Program Description: Creativity is a core competency for leaders and managers and one of the best ways to set your company apart from the competition. Becoming a skilled solution-finder will make you indispensable in today’s marketplace. [...]

Creativity at Work Newsletter: Oct 2009, Career Resilience

Linda Naiman — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:04:54 +0000

I was interviewed by Lori Bamber for a Globe and Mail feature on career resilience. She did a great job capturing the essence and nuances of the message I wanted to convey to readers. Here is an excerpt: In today’s environment, career resilience is an essential attribute for success, even for survival. “If you identify with your [...]

The Sound of Passion

Linda Naiman — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:05:28 +0000

New research shows musical training sharpens the ability to sense emotions. Makes sense to me. Music, especially classical, conveys many subtle emotions. Music and other arts help us develop our sense perceptions. Our perceptions shape our perspective and vice versa. According to Dana L. Strait and a team of researchers at Northwestern University in Illinois, years of musical [...]

Come to Your Senses Through Music and Art, and Liberate Your Creativity

Linda Naiman — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:43:21 +0000

Composition 10 by Kandinsky Saturday Nov 28, 2009 Time: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm Venue: Unity Church, 5840 Oak Street, Vancouver Cost: $79.00 each day (includes art supplies, tea, coffee and cookies ) Please bring a lunch. Registration: Please contact Bob Gault at ergault@telus.net or call 604.941.2770 Facilitated by Linda Naiman Explore the process of painting as a means of slowing down, becoming present to the [...]

Globe and Mail Interview on Career Resilience

Linda Naiman — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:30:57 +0000

In today’s environment, career resilience is an essential attribute for success, even for survival. “If you identify with your job or career, you’re in trouble, because that changes,” says Ms. Naiman. “But if you know who you are and can take a stand for what you believe in – your values – you have a ‘north star’ to guide you.”

Alchemy of Leadership HCLABC Conference Presentation

Linda Naiman — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:07:19 +0000

Alchemy of Leadership: Going for the Gold By Linda Naiman Some of the greatest difficulties leaders face today revolve around the need to instill passion, mobilize teams toward achieving a common vision, and motivate change in employees. Organizations led by creative leaders have a higher success rate in innovation, employee engagement, change and renewal. How do you transform [...]

Innovation to the Rescue

Linda Naiman — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:22:34 +0000

Leslie Stevens-Huffman interviewed me and other industry leaders for an HR Executive Online story on creativity training in a recession. She says “Training may have taken a backseat during the downturn, but some HR executives are looking to add courses in creativity and innovation to drive their companies out of the recession. Such training won’t work, [...]

Eric Schmidt, CEO, Google says everyone needs a coach

Linda Naiman — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:37:00 +0000

What a surprise to learn that Eric Schmidt has a coach. In “The Best Advice I Ever Got” a feature by Fortune Magazine, Schmidt explains why having a coach is so important: A coach is crucial to giving you perspective. Watch the video: Schmidt: Everyone needs a coach(0:41) Find inspiration, renewed confidence, and the empowerment to make positive [...]

Creativity at Work Newsletter: September 2009

Linda Naiman — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:25:31 +0000

Time to evolve. Doesn’t September feel more like the New Year than January? September is the time to complete projects, clear out the old, harvest the fruits of your labours, and prepare the ground for the new. If we are tuned in to the cycles of nature, then we will want to create order and balance [...]

Global Conversations about Creativity, Innovation and Leadership

Linda Naiman — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:55:56 +0000

I’ve started hosting monthly conference calls for members of the Creative Skills Training Council, focused on conversations that matter about our praxis. We have had amazing interviews from thought leaders on various topics, and have decided to make the recordings available to the public. The calls take the form of an introduction and informal chat amongst [...]

Sustainable Arts Funding

Linda Naiman — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:12:09 +0000

Have you got a solution for arts funding in your community? If so, I’d like to hear from you. I’m looking for solutions that help foster the arts in communities, (beyond government grants and traditional corporate funding) that I hope will inspire my government, and yours, to take action, and contribute in innovative ways to [...]

Alchemy Of Leadership: Going For The Gold

Linda Naiman — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:03:05 +0000

I’ll be speaking at the upcoming HealthCare Leaders’ conference, October 20, in Vancouver BC. Here’s my topic: Some of the greatest difficulties leaders face today revolve around the need to instill passion, mobilize teams toward achieving a common vision, and motivate change in employees. Organizations led by creative leaders have a higher success rate in innovation, employee [...]

Come to Your Senses through Music and Art

Linda Naiman — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:10:30 +0000

Saturday Nov 28, 2009 Time: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm Venue: Unity Church, 5840 Oak Street, Vancouver Cost: $79.00 each day (includes art supplies, tea, coffee and cookies ) Registration: Please contact Bob Gault at ergault@telus.net or call 604.941.2770 Facilitated by Linda Naiman Explore the process of painting as a means of slowing down, becoming present to the moment, listening to music with all [...]

Fall Leadership Seminars at Royal Roads University: Putting Passion to Work

Linda Naiman — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:44:52 +0000

Putting Passion to Work: Potent Leadership With Linda Naiman Nov 19, 2009 Royal Roads University Management Certification Program Description: Some of the greatest difficulties leaders face today revolve around the need to instill passion, mobilize teams toward achieving a common vision, and motivate change in employees. The mark of authentic artful leaders in any organization is how well they are [...]

Creativity at Work Newsletter, July 2009

Linda Naiman — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 23:16:38 +0000

/h2> Alchemy When I tell people I am a Corporate Alchemist, I get some interesting responses, and none of them are neutral. People are either incredulous, excited or curious. Most Americans I talk to don’t know what alchemy is, and Canadians often reference “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho. So what is Alchemy? The word alchemy was derived from the [...]

Taking Responsibility for the Whole

Linda Naiman — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:06:18 +0000

A conversation yesterday with colleague Bob Eckert about creativity, innovation and commerce, got me thinking about the visionary thinking of Willis Harman (1918-1997) founder of the World Business Academy. Harman said, ”Business has become, in this last half century, the most powerful institution on the planet. The dominant institution in any society needs to take responsibility for [...]

Idriart lives at Borl August 28-30, 2009

Linda Naiman — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:29:38 +0000

I’m so happy to hear that Idriart, the Arts and Business Conference founded by Miha Pogacnik will take place once again at the Castle Borl, in Slovenia. I was a presenter and resident artist at Borl conferences from 2000-2005 and wrote about my first experience at IDRIART here. Miha is a master at bringing together stellar [...]

Hear the Music From Your Brain

Linda Naiman — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:32:33 +0000

This reminds me of the work of Dr. Linda Long, a biochemist and musician, who develops Molecular Music from plant and human protein molecules. She uses the results for therapeutic purposes and to increase understanding of science and the human body. From Utne: Using people’s brain waves as the notes, scientists have created music. The researchers from China [...]

Will Work for… Free?

Linda Naiman — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:49:26 +0000

Tim Eavenson has written a thought-provoking blog about working for free, based on a story on NPR this morning profiling Ariel Horn, the head of a small ad agency in New York, who thinks he’s come up with a novel model for riding out the recession. Horn has opened his doors to out-of-work execs to come [...]