Who do you report to when you are
the boss? How do you deal with unmotivated days, or those times when you
feel overwhelmed?
Successful people have known the key
to dealing with these pressures for a long time.
In the early 1900s Napoleon Hill
studied first-hand the high achievers of the day - names that we still
recognize, like Carnegie, Rockefeller, and Edison - and discovered their secret:
a network of other success-oriented people who kept them focused and on track.
He called this phenomenon the
"Master mind" because the calibre of ideas produced by the group as a whole were
greater than the ideas produced by the same individuals on their own. If you've
experienced being in a group of people who take build on the ideas pitched by
others and take them to the next level, then you know how it works.
Corporations, especially creative
ones, use this philosophy in brain storming sessions, and you too can use
creative intelligence to help grow your business.
Benefits of a Creative
Intelligence Alliance
A "Creative Intelligence Alliance"
is a group of like-minded people who meet on a regular basis to generate truly
creative ways to reach a specific goal. In business, this can be a vital
resource, and even more so for small business owners.
Feedback and Brainstorming
It's always easier to come up with ideas for someone other than yourself. Your
alliance can help you come up with ideas to push you forward that you may not be
able to see.
Accountability
When you say, "This week I am going to finish up the copy for three brochures,"
you should expect to tell your team members that you are finished by the next
meeting. They will hold you accountable to deadlines that you set for yourself,
and push you to put a time-frame on your plans and ideas to make them happen.
Support
Your meetings will get you out of your workspace on a regular basis, improve
your morale and renew your sense of commitment. They will also expose you to
people who have gone through many of the same experiences and who can provide
advice and reassurance.
Networking
Sometimes you will find that you need an introduction to a person at a
particular company, and the best way to get that introduction is to find someone
who knows that person. Don't forget to tell your alliance members who you need
to meet, either specific names, or the type of person - their position, their
lifestyle and goals. Even if they may not be able to get you a name immediately,
letting them know helps them to keep an eye open for people they run into that
meet your needs.
Testimonials
Nothing carries more weight to a potential customer than the positive opinion of
someone they know and trust. Demonstrate your services or products to your
alliance partners, and let them become champions of your cause.
Types of Creative Intelligence
Alliances
Your alliance can be structured in a variety of ways - each having different
names depending on the format.
Master minds are the original
Creative Intelligence Alliance. Usually, people building a master mind try
to assemble a group of people who are already at the level of success they are
aiming to achieve, because they can give them a "hand up." Of course, if you are
going to invite very successful people to join your master mind, you will have
to figure out what it is you are offering them in return, other than just the
flattering sense that you value their opinion.
Other people prefer to have an
Advisory Board. This tends to a group that focuses on one specific business in
the group, though if all the members are in complementary fields, they will all
benefit from participation.
Success Teams - these groups are not
always focused on business; they are about the unique goals of the members.
"Success Teams" usually use the Barbara Sher principles, explained in the book
Wishcrafting.
Other types include: Neural Nets,
Brain Trusts, and Referral networks.
Getting Started
Once you know what you want to gain from belonging to a Creative Intelligence
Alliance, you can match the people to the team. Send invitations to join you in
an exploratory meeting to see how well the personalities mesh, and go from
there. YOu can find many tools online that will help you set up the right kind
of alliance for you and the other team members - simply do a quick search at any
search engine for "starting a creative intelligence alliance" and you will get
the help you need.
Don't delay- imagine what could you
achieve with the power of a Creative Intelligence Alliance behind you!
Gisela is the Director of Business
Partnerships Canada -
http://businesspartnerships.ca - where you can find more information about
Creative Intelligence Alliances and tools to help you get yours working for you!
