Welcome to The Light Bulb, the official blog of
The Potential Center®
Sign Up for The Light Bulb Blog and receive a downloadable copy of "The Brainstorming Playbook" to move your team's ideating from ‘boring’ to ‘brilliant!'
2024
Outliers in your organization are likely mavericks in hiding. We need mavericks like never before!
Answers to the top 4 questions that new managers ask.
As a new manager, are you feeling unprepared? You’re not alone. Here’s how to feel better about addressing those challenges.
When you’re looking for creative solutions, constraints are your best friend!
Discover how thinking like a child led to building the unique Seattle Central Library
Being able to communicate effectively, and work collaboratively, with a handful of different generations is now a fundamental skill for managers. Here are tips for bridging the generational gap in your team.
Using excuses to avoid delegating will only hold you and your team back from standing out
Join us as Fred Clay of Clay Leadership & Consulting, a company tailored specifically to the needs of Black, Brown, and Native American professionals, is interviewed by Ellia Harris of The Potential Center® about his ideas on fostering creative problem-solving with diversity in mind.
In this second episode of Creativity Conversations, Ellia takes the hot set and is interviewed by Fred Clay of Clay of Clay Leadership & Consulting! They delve into key aspects of creative problem-solving, emphasizing its universal relevance and practical applications.
As a new manager, navigating organizational change can be challenging. Here are some key strategies to help lead your team during these trying times.
One of the most crucial management skills is leading effective team meetings, yet many new managers struggle with this. Here are some tips…
As a new manager, one of your first tasks is to build trust with your team
Human Centered Design pushes the boundaries of User Experience
Neurodiversity shows the importance of recognizing introverts when brainstorming
“Subtraction” can be an effective ideating tool
There’s a strong link between “mistakes” and innovation.
I’m a master at complicating things. Can you identify?
What sets great leaders apart from everyone else? Adam Grant and I explain.
I’ll admit it, preparing for last week’s TEDx talk took its toll.
Constraints and paradoxes form an important part of creative problem-solving and innovation.
You have the tools, now here are the tips (from our Brainstorming Playbook series)
This is a Random question… Are you ready for more brainstorming tools? (from our Brainstorming Playbook series)
What brings you joy at work?
Join us as Nicole Shaia, a seasoned leadership coach, interviews Ellia Harris, the visionary owner of The Potential Center® about creative problem-solving in nonprofits.
Join us as Ellia Harris, interviews Nicole Shaia on her experience with creating a culture of innovation in the non-profit sector.
Even more brainstorming tools to have fun with! from our Brainstorming Playbook series
Find out how to increase the opportunity for fun in brainstorming sessions.
More fun with brainstorming tools! from our Brainstorming Playbook series.
Leaders, build trust in your team. Here are three ways to do this.
2023
High turnover = staff that aren’t engaged. This article breaks down the elements of staff engagement and offers a proven way to get to positive engagement.
Letting yourself be caught off-guard can lead to creative problem-solving and innovation.
Another in a series on creativity, brainstorming & useful tips – this one on how the brain interprets creativity
Who says you can’t be creative when planning? Planning is an essential aspect of creatively solving problems.
Part 2 in a series on creativity and brainstorming; how creative problem-solving is changing the way managers make decisions
It’s easy to confuse ‘persuading’ and ‘influencing’. What’s the difference, and how can I excel?
Welcome to a new series of tips for getting the best out of brainstorming with your team.
GreenBiz ’23 provided much food for thought. Here’s what I heard about creative problem-solving in the sustainability sector.
GreenBiz ’23 provided much food for thought. I’ve “recycled” some of what I heard into this post.
We may be over the worst, but there are still many hurdles to overcome and mistakes along the way. There’s one mistake in particular I want to help you fix.
A positive workplace culture leads to a sense of pride in one’s work. Plus a client success story.
What The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report predicts for business transformation
Squirrel syndrome is real. It’s the need to implement anything that looks shiny and promising, without assessing whether it’s a good idea.
The fun doesn’t have to stop at the end of the summer. One of the greatest opportunities for having fun at work is in solving problems as a team.
When your team is starting out on the collaborative problem-solving path, they may be unsure how to share an idea with someone.
Learning something that has nothing to do with your work can lead to new ideas directly related to your work!
In business, staying safe is the most dangerous thing you can do. What are you feeling safe about right now?
Influencing stakeholders in your first year isn’t easy, but there are ways to help your odds.
The single most important factor for a high-performing team has nothing to do with skills or productivity.
Have you ever made a decision that someone else sold you on, only to feel uncomfortable about it later?
2022
As a manager, should your priority be on learning or on doing?
Are you looking for something a little different to kick off a team meeting?
I’m a bit of a rebel, which has benefits for you.
With so much information available about problem-solving, it’s hard to piece everything together. What can you do to get started?
Do you lead a talented team but feel frustrated about how to unlock their creative thinking?
New managers are under pressure to perform. Does pressure help or hinder the creative process?
There’s plenty of data about skills managers need, but they don’t tell you why you need to be thinking creatively with your team.
When was the last time you intentionally learned something new?
Is your company a turtle or a giraffe?
How are you feeling about the bigger picture? What’s not in your control? What IS in your control?
You know what I’m talking ‘bout? These have come up in the “Can you relate?” category.
Are you a new manager? Looking for advice?
Creative thinking is change.
Does the word “change” scare you? Find out how you can reduce the force of that word.
How can new managers navigate through chaos without the right tools?
Why doesn’t brainstorming work for solving problems?
The Great Resignation: How will you set your new managers up for success?
Are you experiencing 3am sweats from a stressful work environment?
What happens when your usual strategy no longer works?
When is your organization most at risk from your competitors? This may surprise you!
2021
Are you one of those in the Great Resignation who was quickly promoted or moved to a new company and management role? Feeling like you are struggling? You are not alone. Part 1 of 3
As a new leader, you’re under scrutiny. What can you do that will lead to a culture of peak performance and problem-solving in your team?
What is ‘The Lab Researcher’s Pledge’?
This quote reminds us to take responsibility for our thoughts and (in)actions. The same applies to creativity and innovation.
If you’re interested in joining The BETA Leadership Lab but are still on the fence, these FAQs should help you decide
You may be wondering what innovation topics we’ll cover in The Leadership Lab. These are areas in which participants will likely be seeking solutions…
I believe the fastest path to solving some of our most pressing issues is by operating from a mindset of innovation; this is why I created The Leadership Lab.
If “The pandemic was a practice run for climate change”, what did we learn from the pandemic that could apply to climate change emergencies?
Human Centered-Design and innovation are not mutually exclusive. Even AI is ultimately designed for the end user, and tech innovation needs to go beyond traditional user experience (UX).
The fun doesn’t have to stop at the end of the summer. One of the greatest opportunities for having fun at work is in solving problems as a team.
I believe we need regular resets from the world; space for ideas in the attic of our mind to seep down into our consciousness. Here’s how I do it…
Following the same routines and strategies, even when they appear to be working, is bad for business.
Why Mavericks are peak performers, plus a brainstorming toolkit
The five keys to unlocking team innovation in a hybrid work environment
It began with an idea: an online coaching forum where leaders could get on-the-spot recommendations for creatively addressing issues. The Leadership Lab was born.
Where some companies suffered a negative impact from Covid, others used those constraints to drive invention. Plus the podcast “Innovation Game Changers”.
There’s a strong link between “mis-takes” and innovation, and possible loss of staff when a mistake remains a mistake.
Constraints and paradoxes form an important part of creative problem-solving and innovation. Plus details of the webinar, Systematic Inspiration.
Wearable technology has exploded in the past decade; here are some new devices. Plus news on our upcoming webinar.
It’s not about the money. It’s never going to be about the money, sweetheart.
Still working with reduced hours in your team? Struggling to meet revenue targets? Frustrated that creative ways of solving problems feels too far out of reach? Here’s what you can do about it.
When you took on this leadership role you probably didn’t anticipate the challenges presented in the past year. The new reality is that your job is about reducing negativity by leading people to somewhere positive.
2020
MBA programs, B-schools, and entrepreneur coaching programs hardly spend time teaching leaders creative problem-solving.
Leaders, this is a great time to get re-acquainted with your team. There are two ways to do this, and they go hand-in-hand.
I used to be a master at complicating things. It’s still the way I lean, given half a chance. Can you identify?
As the future remains uncertain, keeping your remote team focused on creative problem-solving can be challenging.
As the future remains uncertain, keeping your remote team focused on creative problem-solving can be challenging.
As the future remains uncertain, keeping your remote team focused on creative problem-solving can be challenging.
What should you look for in an executive coach?
What’s the “breakdown” in your organization, and what’s the impact?
66% of US employees are bored and unhappy in their jobs
These are the five keys to creatively solving problems together while working separately from home.
If you heard, “Plan for creativity” you’d probably say, “Who does that??” Quite frankly, you should. Planning makes the space for those creative sparks to come through.
Did you do a wholesale transfer of meetings to a virtual format? It’s important to question the purpose of everyday events such as update meetings – here’s how…
In a few short weeks your life has changed dramatically. As a business leader, what are you doing NOW to get creative about the future?
High turnover often means having staff that are not engaged. Why this is a problem, and how to get to engagement.
According to the WEF, complex problem-solving is THE top required skill for meeting the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)
How one company made the choice between immediately implementing a new idea and making the effort to create an innovation.
Letting yourself be caught off-guard can lead to creative problem-solving and innovation.
Put yourself in the shoes of the Gorilla Glass development team and imagine what went into their decision-making.
Just because the holidays are over, it doesn’t mean the fun has to stop there. One of the greatest opportunities for having fun at work is in solving problems…
Welcome to The Light Bulb, the official blog space for the Potential Center! I’m so glad you are here.
Is your organization going through a breakdown?
What’s the “breakdown” in your organization, and what’s the impact?
66% of US employees are bored and unhappy
66% of US employees are bored and unhappy in their jobs
Planning to Creatively Solve Problems
If you heard, “Plan for creativity” you’d probably say, “Who does that??” Quite frankly, you should. Planning makes the space for those creative sparks to come through.
Complex Problem-Solving: THE Top 4IR Skill
According to the WEF, complex problem-solving is THE top required skill for meeting the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)
When Having Fun is a Strategy
Just because the holidays are over, it doesn’t mean the fun has to stop there. One of the greatest opportunities for having fun at work is in solving problems…
Welcome to “The Light Bulb”
Welcome to The Light Bulb, the official blog space for the Potential Center! I’m so glad you are here.
Coaching is one of the most powerful leadership tools. Sadly, many managers don’t see coaching as a key part of their role.