Zenzi Client, AmyK, has made 600+ presentations worldwide on leadership and sales.  She draws on Master’s experience at John Hopkins University to help business managers capitalize on how the brain and human perception filters work to be more effective in business and life and offers up these tips for thinking outside of the box.

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Innovation begins with a phenomenon known as the Eureka! effect. When a connection forms between brain cells that have never “talked” before you get a new idea – a Eureka! When this creative moment is nurtured in an environment where free thinking is fostered and disparate connections are encouraged, the result can be game-changing…the result is the Eureka! effect. Think iPod, bio-fuel, and making donations via SMS – these phenomena are complete game-changers. And, the creative ideas behind each of them didn’t simply stay in someone’s head, they were energized in environments of intellectual curiosity.

Ever have a “great idea”, only to have it fade away in the mist of your mind? What would be the power in capturing your great idea and creating a Eureka! moment?

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2 Techniques to Energize Eureka! Moments:

1. 20%. – the amount of time your brain needs to spend in theta mode. What’s theta mode? The opposite of go-go-go mode. Most of us live 80 mph lifestyles, but it’s when we slow down and reflect on what’s going on that we get our best, most innovative ideas. Google allows their employees to spend 20% of their time NOT working on assigned objectives and tasks. So what are these employees doing essentially 1 day out of the work week? Exploring their environment, virtual and real, and “playing” with new ideas together and on their own.  Google’s 20% time culminated in a new $240M division. That’s innovation & productivity!

2. Mix up your brain cells. Literally…sort of.  When you have a challenge or opportunity, first engage your brain by asking it a question. The brain is naturally curious and drives to answer your question.  When you have that BIG question in your head, let it go. Literally…really. Drop the pursuit of an answer and go cycling or surfing (something physical), then read a chapter of a biz book, next spend at least 20 minutes drawing, painting, sketching (with “real” media or with software) and then go back and ask the question again. By forcing your brain to “play” with distinctly different activities, you require different cells to connect creatively. Disparate connections will form and Eureka! moments result.

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Want to move that Eureka from moment to effect?

3 Questions to Grow Your Eureka! to Innovation:
1. What skills, information and knowledge do I need to make this idea happen?
2. Where will I find the resources, help, assistance or collaboration I need to sustain my momentum?
3. What are the first five things I need to do to put this idea in motion?

Crystal Watkins of Torrey Pines Bank features as an expert on what you should know about bank charges in AARP. Check out the article online HERE.

•    Journalists, producers and editors prefer to receive news via e-mail like to be able to verify facts on your web sites or through annual reports.  Put your media materials and/or media kit, news releases, etc. in a special, but easy-to-find section on the site and keep it updated.

•    Journalists use search engines to find stories on topics they are covering.  Post press releases online using key words for your product and industry so that the media can find you as a resource.

•    News is not advertising and promotion and what is important for your business or organization may or may not be important or of interest to the media. Newsworthy information drives the media and story idea is benchmarked against news criteria.

•    Compile a video and photo library that showcases whatever it is you are trying to promote. It will make your story more attractive if you can provide visuals for TV segments or Magazines

•    Develop a creative, attention-getting news hook! Why is this news important to anyone beyond your organization or company? Why is the story significant? How many people does it affect? Timeliness and proximity are important for “ hard ” news stories and novelty and impact are important for feature stories.

•    Avoid hyperbole – Editors and reporters can tell whether your company, product or issue is newsworthy. They don’ t need inflated prose or statements to persuade them.
•    The media is its own machine, you can not control what they say or how they say it…but you can help shape it!

There are many low-cost tactics companies can do right away to improve their visibility to target customers and ensure they don’t get lost in the information abyss. Creativity is getting companies of all sizes out from under the places they were formerly stuck. In this infinite sea of online outlets for entertainment, communication and information, how do companies know where to position themselves to compete? Really anyone on the front page of Google is your competition.