Ideation Corporation: If you can change your mind, you can change the world

But how do you change your mind? By slowing down long enough to think: "Experience the power of a slow company."

When it comes to creativity, Joey Reiman believes that slower is better. Why? "Because of technology and globalization, everyone has been speeding up," he says. "That's fine for everyday problems. But high speeds don't help you crack big problems. For that, you need a deliberate thinking process. It's not about doing things faster -- it's about doing them better. And in this case, 'better' means 'slower.' "

Reiman has lots of other ideas about how to generate big ideas: "If your self-worth is high, your net worth will be high." So he urges people to create -- as he has done -- an "anti-bummer squad," consisting of friends and mentors. "When you're feeling uncreative, call the people on your anti-bummer squad and take them out to dinner," says Reiman. "They'll tell you how wonderful you are and how much they love you."
Creativity also requires comfort, Reiman argues. That's why, when he and his staff hosted a brainstorming session for Inter-Continental Hotels and Resorts, they held it on a yacht. "I thought that being on a yacht would increase people's self-esteem -- which would in turn produce a much more creative atmosphere."
Reiman also recommends doing something new every day. "Instead of telling people to grow up, I tell them to grow down," he says. "All kids, when asked to sing or dance, will do it. But when I ask groups of people in their forties and fifties, 'Will anyone get up and dance?' they all dive under the table. If you want to be creative, you've got to be able to dance."

http://www.thinkbrighthouse.com/

Fast Company: Issue 26 June 1999 Page 58 By: Curtis Sittenfeld