I have been working with sales people and businesses over 16 years in developing the next Big Idea for individual businesses, and I find it humorous on how many ideas are replayed over time. Got me thinking, How far will great ideas go? Can they still change a culture? Have we as a people become more creative or less creative over time?

• Today I read about the Apple I-Pad and how it is helping Newspapers publishers generate increased revenue from marketing on their applications. As a past publisher in the Newspaper business I find myself excited to think of what might be with this new technology.
• John Wooden, the great UCLA basketball coach, today lay’s in a Hospital bed at the age of 99 and fighting for his life. He has claimed to be a peace with life and the legacy he leaves behind. And Mr. Wooden should be at peace. Mr. Wooden brought the idea of greatness to sports, the pyramid of success. He revolutionized the game of basketball and how coaches, teachers and managers operate their teams in competitive situations. His ideas on leadership and character I believe changed generations of people.

History provides us with hind sight, and that hind sight inspires us because of simple but great ideas that work.

• Recently I was watching Disney Channel with my youngest son and was struck by the teen stars and the PSA they developed for changing our world. Not just Green but just doing what is right for the future of our planet.  (Don’t get me wrong, I probably don’t qualify as an environmentalist, dad was a logger and I hate spotted owl.) Can today’s Teens provide us with the next great idea? The great Motivation to change?
  • In the 1980’s Michael J. Fox took us on a journey in time with the movie “Back to the Future”. Do you remember the gadgets he found in the future? Tell me the I-Pad doesn’t remind you of that movie. When did the I-Pad Idea start? Was today’s genius struck by the power of the Flux Capacitor?

Big ideas, half Baked ideas, creative concepts, visions for the future… They are the life blood of our nation.  Where the next one comes from is a mystery to most. We know that there are R&D groups all over the planet hard at work in developing the next great something.

What about you? Can you create one today in your office? Do you need to be the next great something to create a great idea? I don’t think so; I think you just have to decide to take a different path. Take a look at something just a little different.

How do you create a great idea today?

1. Find a comfortable, yet stimulating environment.
2. Invite two or three people you trust for a small brainstorming session. (important to note that these people don’t need to be affiliated with your business in order for this to work)
3. Identify a subject or problem you are looking to solve.
4. Start discussion with a little stimulation exercise. Something to make participants verbalize something a little out of the ordinary. (What color is your favorite and how does that color resemble who you are in business.)
   1. Keep it simple
   2. Make it fun
   3. Keep it short.
5. Start Brainstorming with simple rule that nothing is out of bounds. All ideas should go on the board. Participants should feel free to say any thing at all and know that they will not have to defend themselves.
6. Once you have run the course of ideas, go back and discuss each item, especially ones that stick out as different. Talk about nothing but the great points of the idea.
7. Identify two or three ideas from first list to dig deeper on.
8. Start brainstorming discussion on how those ideas might work how they might develop and how they will be successful.
9. Implement your favorites…. That is the key. We see or hear great ideas everyday yet often we have no action and the idea fades away. ACTION is the key to great ideas.
   1. John Wooden did not just right a book about coaching, put his words to action.
   2. I-Pad developers acted on an idea. Maybe it came to them during a movie.
   3. Disney is making waves with the youth of our nation because they acted on an idea or passion.

I believe there are millions of new great ideas out there. Question is who will ACT!

I hope that I am one which will act on ideas and not let the next one pass me by.