Today we’re joined by Mike Boyle, Sales Scientist from Banjar Group. Mike feels that there is a lack of creativity in the business (and football!) community and shares his thoughts. Welcome Mike. Naomi 
Having read the brilliant book ‘The Element’ by Dr Ken Robinson and wondering if creativity really was dead in Australia, unfortunately the committee for dumbing Australia down proved him right this week.
The book goes into detail on how many people have hidden brilliance, however until they find their perfect ‘element’, or environment, they cannot reach their full potential. Of course, Dr Ken debates that current education systems around the world disable the creative element of our young forcing them into production lines based on the pass or fail concept. Steve Jobs, the Apple leader has proved that failing well can in fact return huge profits.
As 90,000 people prepared to enter the MCG* for the greatest home and away event in the AFL^ calendar, the classic Essendon/Collingwood Anzac day clash the cries of the week minded, unfit, poorly off, what about me brigade gained voice.
Give it to everyone they cried!
This brilliant creative concept was started by Kevin Sheedy, 27 year coaching legend and Alan McAllister, Collingwood president of the time some 18 years ago. It was ‘creatively’ built around the passion of throwing the Anzac Day celebration of lost/returned soldiers at war back into the spotlight through football. It worked and is still working today. Typically the doubters were many back then and not prepared to back the tireless efforts of these two famous clubs so they went it alone.
Those same doubters now want a piece of the action instead of using the power of creativity to come up with something better.
I want Australia to wake up. To create tradition, culture and community some things must remain the same and not change just for change sake. Likewise to create brilliant new things like the Anzac Day game we must encourage dreaming, innovation, risk taking and relentless creativity. Here are a couple of creative ideas for the rest of you:
- Sydney and Melbourne host a rival game in Sydney on Australia Day or Anzac Day in Sydney
- North Melbourne and Western Bulldogs host a western day in Ballarat where thousands saw the dawn service yesterday – they may get more than 20 thousand that way!
- 2 teams go to Turkey and host a Gallipoli Game on Anzac Day every year.
I see this lack of creativity every day. Look at the current retail behaviour in Australia. Just be on sale, all the time, every day so customers just wait for the next sale.
Seriously! It seems that the whole of retail Australia seem to be is on sale all the time. Where is their creativity?
So really respect our Anzacs Australia by having a crack, working with your mates, never giving up and finding creative ways of building a better place for us all, that’s got to be better fun than sitting on your butts and singing ‘what about me’
If I didn’t get creative, have a crack or take risks, I wouldn’t be in business today. What about you?
* Melbourne Cricket Ground
^ Australian Football League
Mike Boyle
Facilitator | Presenter | Coach | Sales Scientist from Banjar Group
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Author
Joanna Maxwell
May 3, 2011 at 9:44 am
Mike, great post, thanks. I agree with your comments about the importance of creativity in business (well, I would, given my Juicy Thinking workshops are at least half about creative thinking…). What I do find, though, when I run a workshop is how easy it is for the participants to tap into their creativity and put it to work. It doesn’t take much before even mainstream corporate types are experiencing the power of creative thinking.
So that gives me hope
Author
Mike Boyle
May 3, 2011 at 9:50 am
joanne
Great one
One business I work with now start all meetings with 5 minute idea sessions
Try it
Mike
Author
leon Noone
May 3, 2011 at 9:59 am
G’Day Mike,
As someone whose family links with the Mighty Bombers go back to the 1880s, I agree with you that Sheeds was highly creative in creating the Anzac Day Event. That’s called “objectivity.”
But I have an extraordinarily creative friend who insists the creativity is “merely inventive plagiarism.”
I’m not quite sure what people mean when they talk about creativity. But after years in business, I’ve learnt two things that seem relevant
* nothing is so important as the proper execution of the fundamentals. The drop punt was created back in the 1930s so that Carlton players who couldn’t stab kick could effectively pass the ball to “Soapy” Vallence.
* The more focussed you are, the more likely you are to be “creative.”
And Graeme Greene said, “heresy is just another name for independent thought.’
Go Bombers!
Best Wishes
Leon
Author
Paul Hassing
May 3, 2011 at 10:02 am
Thanks very much for guesting, Mike. It’s wonderful to get you in our Hall of Fame at last.
I’ve added that book to the list of reader suggestions we’ve been collating over the years.
Here’s the link for anyone who’s interested: http://bit.ly/4GD62g (and with the Aussie dollar fetching US$1.10, who wouldn’t be?!) Best regards, P.
Author
Mike Boyle "the Sales Cat"
May 3, 2011 at 10:12 am
Leon
good call on Sheeds
Lots of people i know say he is ‘crazy’
How often do we see people that are relentless creatives being labeled as silly or crazy
i would love to see the diary that Sheedy used every week in his meetings at the botanical gardens over 27 years!
Mike
Author
Sonia Cuff
May 3, 2011 at 10:19 am
Hey Mike, this reminds me of a conversation I was having afew months ago about the fall of Myer. You used to be able to rely on their twice yearly stocktake sale and their Boxing Day sale. Now I’ve lost count of how many sales they’re having. What a shift in their premium brand this has made – very sad.
Author
Paul Hassing
May 3, 2011 at 10:24 am
For the record, I despise football due to its gross lack of sportsmanship.
I once phoned Mr Sheedy on talkback radio to suggest that a close, thrilling game in which all players shone (but your team lost by a point) was more fun to watch than an evil-spirited bloodbath (in which your team destroyed the other by 100 points).
Mr Sheedy called me ‘a Martian from outer space’. A technically redundant but effective appellation.
Author
Mike Boyle "the Sales Cat"
May 3, 2011 at 12:23 pm
Sonia
ahh Myer. Got all the glitz and glamour but no service, nobody at checkout to take your money once YOU find what you need.
BTW don’t get me wrong on sales as a promo tool sometimes they work.
Look at Rays Ski Centre in Myrtleford for example. Every year they have an Easter Friday huge sale. It is huge, big lines, genuine bargains people come from near and far. Why? Because we trust it! It is always last years stock and they sell at correct price during the year.
They must be going OK as they have been there ever since i have been going to the snow.
We have bought all our ski gear there over the years both at the sales and in peak season. We have a relationship and they communicate with us. In return we are loyal to the partnership.
ahhhhh it will never catch on!
Mike
Author
Daniel
May 3, 2011 at 5:33 pm
Mike great topic and post! It can be so frustrating with people day to day who are too scared to try new things for fear of failure – I guess its related to the ‘tall poppy’ syndrome that plagues our society. It’s a damn shame for our nation that the majority of people are too scared to explore their creativity, ideas and passions for fear of being mocked for it.. I guess it’s in the hands of everyone to change this, and it starts by being supportive of your friends and family when they have new ideas, rather than saying “yeah but…”.
Cheers
Dan
Author
Phil Owens
May 3, 2011 at 9:04 pm
Thanks for the interesting topic – and good book recommendation for people who aren’t sure if they are doing what they should be doing.
Having been named on two patents and leading cross industry innovation and creativity processes, this is a topic which is close to my heart.
Creativity requires a few things which most companies and organisations just dont have:
time to cross-pollinate ideas
non-defensiveness to share ideas (giving away ideas to others)
an internal process rewarding creativity
an openness to accept ideas that succeed and fail
an allowance for being wrong
Support from the top that the ‘known’ is not all that there is.
When people have a chance to interact, are trusting and open to share, they are naturally creative. When they are time poor and resource shy, they do the simplest things to ensure ‘minimum success’ rather than true achievement. Hence, “sale, sale, sale”.
There is another way
resources to pursue crazy ideas – at least as far as needed to see if they make sense (human and financial)
Author
leon Noone
May 4, 2011 at 10:23 am
Mr. Hassing,
Sheeds was paying you a great compliment. He consorts with Martians on his flights of fancy.
A woman once asked famous jazz entertainer Fats Waller, “Mr Waller, what is rhythm?”
Fats replied, “Lady, if you have to ask, you aint got it.”
Now that was genuinely creative.
Oh, to be in Melbourne
Roaring at “The G”
Hoping I don’t miss a goal
While nipping out to pee.
That’s derivative.
To quote Stan Frieberg, “I’m cured; I’m cured. Feel my nose!”
Alright…I’m leaving. Regards
Leon
Author
Paul Hassing
May 4, 2011 at 3:59 pm
Thank you kindly, Mr Noone; I feel better already!
Author
Carbonite Australia
May 5, 2011 at 10:13 pm
Taking risk has all to do with management’s perspective on it. If they are prepared to fail to learn and experiment then the rest of the business can start to think that way too.
Most of the time it is pride that sits in the way of people trying the alternative approach. As a marketer you need to be able to say to yourself that just because you do it this way at your last 2 jobs and it worked, doesn’t mean that it needs to stay the same forever.
Have the guts to experiment so that you learn.
Author
Mike Boyle
May 6, 2011 at 8:40 am
Carbonite
You are so right
I see weekly organizations who sales have slowed since GFC and now cutting costs, reducing staff and slashing marketing spend.
Of course sales will stop if nobody knows about you and your product or service.
creative and cost effective promotions are available if you change thinking.
The great Steve Covey of 7 Habits fame once said:
“To change results you must change your thinking”
relentless creativity, innovation and calculated risks must be taken
mike