Please click on the image to play the videos I recently recorded a number of short videos that I have grouped together as a playlist entitled Rough Cut Creativity. They are short and recorded on an adhoc basis. They are not meant to be showreels or a tv production, just my thoughts and musings on using Creativity and Innovation in a business context. The playlist will very shortly feature on my speaker website www.derekcheshire.com but for now, you can view them by clicking on the image above. There are 4 titles currently with more to come shortly. If you have any ideas for future topics then ..read more

Often used to hide embarrassment, many people will recognise the phrase ‘My other car is a Porsche’. It was mostly found scribbled on the back of a dirty old rust bucket or on a car sticker that had been given to a husband or boyfriend by a well-meaning partner. Maybe some people really did have another car that was a Porsche but aside from the humour factor, many people were actually ashamed of the car they did have. Some may think that this is peculiarly British but many of the examples (and variants) that I have seen come from the USA. It does not matter what the origin is, we all do someth ..read more

I must admit that I do have an aversion to control and authority so when people ask ‘do we have to measure things?’ I like to say no without thinking. Common sense dictates the opposite. We are all familiar with the adage ‘you can only manage what you can measure’ so then one would think that we do need to measure things. Is it that simple though? There has also been a huge outburst in the media about draconian monitoring of the productivity of warehouse workers. We now have the ability (but more worryingly the desire) to see how fast our employees walk, how long their toilet breaks are and ho ..read more

What does being better actually mean? Is there a concept of betterness? Many readers will be familiar with the BBC mockumentary series W1A that pokes (considerable) fun at the BBC itself. It is full of things that make you wince, mainly because they are so near the truth. Daily goings-on are punctuated by gobbledygook and job titles are impossibly vague. Below is the introduction used for the mock advertisement for the position of Director Of Better. The establishment of a Director of Better represents a turning point for the BBC by placing the idea of betterness at its core going forward and ..read more

There are many facts that were never taught to us at school about creative thinking and the list could continue to be extended for years (or maybe hundreds). However I have chosen here just 5 of the many that I could think of. Here they are in no particular order of importance. Everyone is creative Each of us is a creative individual. We can all tell stories and think in different ways its just that some of us find it easier than others. Also we are conditioned to pass exams at school and so some of us begin to believe that we are not creative. Train yourself to think that you are creative the ..read more

Make The Best Use of Your Environment – Researchers at University of Minnesota proved that an untidy or messy environment can actually improve our creativity. So, start with your desk. Put on it some objects that  bring back good memories or that you really like. Now move away from your desk and think about your actual place of work (which could still be home). You need an area to chill out when you are taking a break from work. What would give you some stimulation if you were to say, grab a cup of coffee? Maybe step outside into the garden or stretch out on a comfy bean bag. You get the idea ..read more

This is not a trick question. Many of us have undergone change programmes over the years and many have not worked or had no effect. Why is this? The answer is quite simple, the initiatives have not been Change programmes, they have mostly been renaming exercises. The phrase ‘rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic’ springs to mind here and it is most unfortunate that such exercises have largely been carried out in the public sector in the UK since the economic downturn began to bite. So what has actually been happening, particularly in our councils and Civil Service? Luckily for employees, the p ..read more

We now have the ability (but more worryingly the desire) to see how fast our employees walk, how long their toilet breaks are and how many widgets they can carry per hour. This sort of measurement focuses only on actions that the employer has previously determined will help the business, not on actions that the employer has forgotten about (productivity failure there for the board) or on problem-solving and thinking. What should happen if an employee takes the time to stop and think (and possibly find an improved way of doing things) in a warehouse? What if he or she could suggest moving the r ..read more