Call 1-800-393-0509
The Retail Observer
  • Home
  • Magazine
    • Features
    • Writers
  • News
    • Daily News
    • Heart of the Industry
    • Voice of the Servicer
  • Partners
    • Buying Groups
    • Distributors
    • Manufacturers
    • Trade Associations
  • Blog
  • Events
    • 2019 Year at a Glance
  • Subscribe

​CULTIVATING CREATIVITY: The skill of the future

2/1/2019

0 Comments

 
By Eliana Barriga
Publisher and Managing Editor for The Retail Observer

PictureEliana Barriga
I loved the topic of Vital Germaine's new book, Imagination Will Take You Everywhere. In his book, Germaine describes how he, as a young acrobat, joined Canada’s renowned Cirque du Soleil, climbed a steep learning curve, and learned priceless secrets about releasing the power of creative imagination to solve problems quickly and efficiently. Today, Germaine teaches leaders to open their imagination and recognize fresh pathways to success. (See our review of his inspiring book on page 14.)

Germaine makes a very good point about using imagination to develop one's mindset in order to drive innovation for a competitive market edge. That concept was amplified for me after attending the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) here in Las Vegas. Talk about the hub of creativity... CES is where the ideas of the imagination meet creativity and manifest the future of technology and the world as we know it to be.

Imagination and creativity may be Job One for acrobats and artists – but do they work in the non-artistic fields? They most certainly do.

Consider former U.S. Navy Captain D. Michael Abrashoff. In is book, It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy, he describes when the Navy gave him command of a troubled ship with bottom-scraping efficiency ratings.

When Abrashoff took over Benfold, most of the crew told him they couldn’t wait to leave the ship and get out of the Navy. Abrashoff decided to apply the leadership principles he’d learned during a stint as an aide to Secretary of Defense William J. Perry. He would put the crew’s welfare first.

Abrashoff talked with each of Benfold’s 310 crew members, and invited their suggestions – and implemented them, even if it meant bending the Navy’s rules. He respected them and tapped their creativity, imagination and enthusiasm.

Morale soared and success came quickly. How did Abrashoff turn his ship around? By releasing the creative enthusiasm of the individual.

The answers you need are there. Do your research, then let the ideas incubate. Finally, go for a walk and let fresh insights bubble up from the creative recesses of your heart and mind.

Time to create and inspire-
Eliana Barriga
eliana@retailobserver.com

0 Comments

THE SOUL OF SUCCESS

1/1/2019

0 Comments

 
​By Eliana Barriga
Publisher and Managing Editor for The Retail Observer

PictureEliana Barriga
Last week I witnessed a deeply moving event at a women’s business conference in New York City. At one point, the leaders invited women to come onstage and share their experiences overcoming obstacles in their lives.

A woman came forward, visibly distraught, and bravely told her story of serious financial and personal challenges. It was moving to witness her vulnerability. Behind me, I heard a woman whisper to her seatmate, “We’ve got to do something. Let's raise some money for her–here, I’ll give $50.” Moved by her gesture, I turned and said, “I’m in–here’s $100.” Other women sitting nearby opened their hearts and wallets and soon we had $2,400.

I said, “Somebody should go to corporate and tell senior management what we’re doing.” One of the women said, “I’ll go.” Ten minutes later she returned, beaming, and said, “We did it! We’ve got $4,400.”

​I guess it would be reasonable to ask: “What does this story have to do with my success? I’ve earned whatever I have by my own hard work!”

Well, let's consider Joseph and JoAnn Callaway. In their book, Clients First: The Two-Word Miracle, they reveal how they built a hugely successful Phoenix, AZ real estate business by doing the unthinkable: they based every single business decision on the best interests of their clients, regardless of the inconvenience and expense to themselves. While countless other agents were biting the dust during the subprime mortgage debacle, the Callaways were thriving. They encapsulate their philosophy in three simple words: Honesty, Competence, and Caring.

Too often, when contemplating the next bold step to build our business, we look for formulas, hoping that by following the steps others have taken we’ll achieve the same results.

But this is a New Year—let’s honor the spirit as well as the letter of the law. Let’s remember a wise Chinese saying: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.”

To our shared success,
Eliana Barriga
eliana@retailobserver.com

0 Comments
<<Previous

    Categories

    All
    Elle's View
    Moe's Musings

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

Features
Writers
Events
Partners
Blog
Magazine
Subscribe
Advertise
Media Kit
Ad Specs
Heart of the Industry
Voice of the Servicer
Privacy Policy
Contact Us
Copyright@ 2014-2019 The Retail Observer, Inc.