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How to create big, new ideas with Speed Links

Jennifer Turner — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 03:56:48 +0000

Speed Links can be used by an individual and/or a team. It is powerful, quick and a practical tool you can use everyday to generate big, new ideas.

The Speed Thinking System consists of three key elements:
1. A 2 minute, 9 possibility mechanic
2. A 4-step process (Start, evaluate, build, action)
3. A new tool called Speed Links.

I have attached the latest version of Speed Links here.

As you can see it has a number of features:
-          There are nine inner bubbles (reflects the 9 possibilities)
-          Nine outer bubbles (the build stage)
-          There are no numbers (you can start anywhere with Speed Thinking)
-          It is highly visual (more right brain)
-          There is a space in the middle unlike Mindmapping for example, which starts with a central idea and branches out.

How to use Speed Links:
I will show you just one application (there are over 30).
1.       Write you challenge in the top right hand corner.
2.       Now start by creating nine initial thoughts or possibilities in the next 2 minutes (one thought per inner circle). The key here is not to filter or judge your thoughts.
3.       Now select one or more of the inner thoughts that you find the most interesting or surprising (i.e. the evaluate step).
4.       In the next two minutes try and build on this initial thought and make this idea, nine times better.
5.       Repeat this step until you have developed a big new concept.
6.       Now select the most promising idea and write nine ways to you can action or test this new idea (e.g. I could talk to a few customers about it). Make these actions as specific and tangible as possible.
7.       As a further step try numbering your inner circles from 1 to 9 (or how many initial thoughts you came up with). Now at random try and connect your initial idea 2 with the number 5—what happens or emerges?

Give it a go and let me know what you think

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9 ways you can be more productive

Dr Ken Hudson — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:08:22 +0000

I recently visited Singapore to run a number of workshops with Intel and to present at Asia’s largest HR conference. When i was there i noticed that the Singapore Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong issued the following challenge to the country–we must improve our productivity by 2-3% annually for the next 10 years.

I imagine every manager and leader will be thinking along the same lines. To continuously deliver more and more results with less and less resources means that you have to become more productive with your time.

As with any change program it should start with you. So exactly how can you personally achieve an improvement in your productivity.

Here are nine initial thoughts:

1. Reduce the time of your meetings by 15 minutes. Try it–i have tested it with a large company and we achieved the same outcomes but in 25% less time.

2. Don’t drive–catch a train, taxi or bus. This is a simple but powerful suggestion. It may cost you more in fares but suddenly you have extra time to think and work whilst someone else worries about delivering you to your next destination.

3. Try and reduce or get rid of at least one activity that wastes your time. It could be a meaningless report or set of statistics that no-one reads.

4. Set your self a time limit to work on a project e.g. this work-out is always written in 30 minutes or less.

5. Just start. If you want to be more productive you have to stop procrastinating. Even if you start a project (ideally using Speed Thinking) for a few minutes you will have focused and engaged your mind. Even when you are working on another project your unconscious mind is still trying to solve the original problem.

6. Don’t multitask. This does not run counter to the previous point. When you work on a project you should be totally committed to that activity and not trying to do ten things at once. There is more and more research that suggests that multitasking adds time to your projects.

7. Start with the easy things first. From a Speed Thinking point of view you want to create momentum and energy. So just start, get some early wins and move on.

8. Make quick decisions. Unless it is a life-changing decision, most decisions are better being made quicker than not. In a fast-moving environment there is research that suggests that that this leads to higher performance as you can take advantage of opportunities and it speeds up your learning.

9. Conduct or ask for ten minute approval meetings. Say to your boss you need literally 10 minutes to discuss say 2 decisions. as long as you are prepared, your boss will love you as they can keep projects on track and be more productive in the bargain.

What are some of your ways of becoming more productive? I would love to hear from you.

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What is your elevator pitch?

Dr Ken Hudson — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:41:01 +0000

If you run your own business and offer any type of service to a large company in particular you better have a tight, simple but compelling elevator pitch. By this I mean a short description of what you do and why you do it.

This is easier said than done but after playing around with different versions my elevator pitch is as follows:

I can show you and your team how to unlock breakthrough results in minutes!

This elevator pitch promises a benefit, it is intriguing and perhaps most importantly, I can actually deliver it.

The reason why I do what I do is that helping people to improve their performance in time-pressure situations (e.g. an exam, solving a customer problem, running a shorter or a better meeting so that time is saved) can make a real difference to people’s lives.

This is my elevator speech–what is your’s?

best wishes,

Ken Hudson

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The insight behind Speed Thinking

Dr Ken Hudson — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:24:55 +0000

Did you know the insight behind Weight Watchers? In case you have missed it, there were some 50,000 Weight Watcher meetings in 30 countries last year with a turnover of $4billion. What’s more, it actually works according to recent research by the Medical Research Council. Weight Watchers it seems is an effective way of taking and keeping off excess weight.

This is a considerable business based one one insight by the founder Jean Nidetch in the early 1960’s. The insight? Losing weight is easier if you are not doing it alone. This one insight led to her meeting with a group of friends all with the aim of supporting one another as they tried to lose weight. An amazing new business was borne.

Similar to Jean i have had a similar insight although in a quite different field. I noticed in my business or innovation workshops that when i gave managers less time than they were used to or expected they often produced high quality work and they felt more energised.

I became fascinated with this insight and through trial and error and a dollop of imagination I created an entire new thinking system which i have called Speed Thinking. Now I may not have anywhere near the success of Weight Watchers but you can dream. My aim is to build a business but bring my insight to the teachers, trainers, students, managers and coaches of the world because it believe I can make a difference to people’s lives by improving their results in time-pressure situations.

What insights have you noticed? Can you build a business around it?

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What is the biggest problem facing everyone today?

Dr Ken Hudson — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 22:07:29 +0000

Everyone will have their own opinions on this topic but from my experience working with managers, teachers and students I believe the biggest problem is this:

How can we consistently deliver a higher quality and quantity of result (e.g. exam marks, sales, profits) with ever decreasing resources (e.g. people, dollars and time)?

At the moment the only way everyone seem to be coping is by working harder and longer but is this sustainable? People are under pressure and feeling the pinch. They are tired, stressed and risking burn-out.

And who believes the situation will get better? In the UK where I am at the moment, for example, the government has just announced it will cut its department budgets by 40%.

The issue that I am most interested is how we are adapting to this changing environment and in particular how can we be more productive in less time. Time for many people is their most treasured resource.

I believe their are 4 key strategies. We all need to become better at:

1. Managing our Time

Makes perfect sense. We all need to be skilled at organising, prioritising, planning etc.

2. Reduce those practices and behaviours that waste time.

Set yourself a challenge to identify one time wasting policy, proceedure or habit and try and reduce it in the next 30 days. Be ruthless. If something wastes your valuable time and does not add value to your life or to others then stop it.

3. Creating Time

We can create more time for ourselves by working smarter, being more efficient, reducing any tendency to procrastinate and living simpler lives.

4. Performing in Time Pressure situations

Again this makes sense. Because time is short we will face an increasing number of time-pressure situations e.g. exams or solving a customer problem.

My message is this. Relying on time management is not enough. It is a basic starting point. We have to learn a new type of thinking skill which I have called Speed Thinking–it provides a simple, practical tool kit and a 4-step process. It will help you and your team (or group) to become better at the other three time strategies.

This will mean that you will become more energised, creative and have more time for yourself.

I invite you to try it–now, don’t procrastinate just start (this is the first step in the speed thinking cycle).

Yours in Speed,

Dr Ken Hudson.

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How Speed Thinking can improve your job interview success rate

Dr Ken Hudson — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 06:08:34 +0000

Speed Thinking is the ability to think better, faster. It is a skill that with practice anyone can improve. It is the ideal way of thriving in a time-poor , fast moving world that will enable you to perform at a high level when you find yourself under time-pressure. For instance, going for a job interview you need to be able to perform at your best despite sometimes crippling nerves. So how can the principles of speed thinking help you?

Speed Thinking before the interview

Speed Thinking is built around a 2 minute and 9 possibility structure. By this I mean that you must create 9 new ideas or raw thoughts in 2 minutes or less. This challenging target ensures that you do not filter or restrict your thinking.

Try these two exercises before the interview:

1) What are nine interesting questions I could ask the interviewer about their company or organization – do this in two minutes and see what happens, you might surprise yourself.

When I was a senior manager at American Express I was always impressed when the job applicant asked me a question that made me think about my business in a new way. Good, insightful questions impress.

2) Another exercise is to create nine new ways that might benefit the organisation . It could be a new product or process to enhance its customer service. It is not enough just to know what the organisation does. You need to stand out with fresh ideas and observations.

The aim of Speed Thinking is to get out your initial thoughts or ideas as quickly as possible (i.e. nine in two minutes) and then to evaluate these ideas. This is the second step of the Speed Thinking process.

Speed Thinking during the interview

This is the real crunch. Your resume might get you in the door but how you perform in the interview will usually determine if you get the job. So how can Speed Thinking help you be better prepared for those tricky questions in an interview? One way is to work with a colleague and in two minutes have each of you create nine usual or typical question that you are likely to be asked. For example, what are your strengths and weaknesses?

In a few minutes you will identify 18 or so questions to enable you to prepare a range of answers in advance.

Next, list nine unexpected or surprising questions that you might be asked. Try working with a colleague and see who can create the most surprising question. Remember to do these quickly so that you do not filter or restrict any of your thoughts e.g. who are your heroes and why? These types of questions are sometimes asked by interviewers to see if you can ‘think on your feet’ – an increasingly valued skill given the fast-paced world in which we live. These speed thinking exercises will ensure that you are both better prepared and more confident.

If you are working by yourself repeat the same process. Ask yourself nine usual questions then nine unexpected ones. Practice answering them in a crisp, confident manner.

Speed Thinking after the interview

Applying for a new role is a stressful process but you can also use it as a learning experience even if you miss out. Again Speed Thinking can be helpful in the aftermath:

What are nine things that I have learned from this interview? Again, this should only take a few minutes. Try to reflect on what you have learned from the process. Perhaps it was the way you answered a question or the way you were dressed? Then try this exercise: what are nine things in the interview that I would do differently?

In summary, Speed Thinking is a time-efficient, fun and creative way to prepare yourself before an interview and to help you perform in a more decisive and confident manner. It will also ensure that every interview is a learning experience to help you develop and grow regardless of whether or not you are successful.

Dr Ken Hudson,

Founder and Chief Starter,

The Speed Thinking Zone

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How to perform beyond your limits

Dr Ken Hudson — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 11:36:58 +0000

After the recent women’s French Open Final, the winner Francesca Schiavone, was asked to describe her game. She replied, ‘going over the limits and being everything you can be in two hours.’ I wonder how many of us could say the same thing about our performance and results.

My belief is that most of us limit ourselves not by the competition or the resources we have available but by always listening to our own (often critical) inner voice which is forever filtering what we can and cannot do e.g. ‘I cannot do this because I am nor creative enough’. Our noisy, incessant judge restricts our performance and hampers our ability to achieve our full potential.

But what informs this critical filtering voice? My suggestion is what I call the Nine Fears.

These are:

The fear of being wrong
The fear of being different.
The feat of excelling or being outstanding.
The fear of change
The fear of failure
The fear of responsibility e.g. becoming a parent or a leader
The fear of not being perfect
The fear of the new.
The fear of criticism.

These 9 fears are a powerful force that can intimidate or scare you to only except the safe, proven and incremental. They can force you to become less that you are capable of. Or as Spencer Johnson asks all of us, ‘What would you do if you weren’t afraid?’

So how do you overcome some or all of these 9 fears? My suggestion is to try Speed Thinking. My theory is that because you have to create nine possibilities in 2 minutes you are too busy to listen to your own barracking crowd telling you what you can’t do.

You simply are—you create, decide or solve problems with your authentic, creative self. You can glimpse your true potential.

Try it—it’s truly empowering.

Dr Ken Hudson

Chief Starter,

The Speed Thinking Zone.

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9 ways to become a more creative leader

Jennifer Turner — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 03:09:30 +0000

In the latest IBM study among 1500 CEO’s across the globe, one finding was clear—every manager and leader has to become more creative. In fact, creativity was selected by CEO’s as the most important attribute for future business success.

Why?
Leaders need to be more creative to adapt their organizations and business models to an increasingly complex and uncertain environment. Leaders have to deal with changes in technology, customer preferences and face often disruptive competition—all happening at a rapid pace.

So how can you become a more creative leader?

Here are nine starting points:

1.       Talk about creativity and innovation. I am amazed how many leaders want innovation yet never talk about it.

2.       Be open to new ideas. The first thing that will kill creativity is when a leader asks for new approaches then beats up the first person that comes up with an unexpected or left-field idea.

3.       Lead by example. Leaders have to be creative themselves if they want others to follow them. Ask yourself-what have you done that is new and different in the past week?

4.       Adopt an experimental mindset. To become more creative simply means that you have to experiment. Test, test and test again.

5.       And if you are testing be prepared for most of these to fail. The aim is to try and test things that are important and that you can test quickly, easily and simply.

6.       Recognize creativity. It does not have to a large scale reward system but simply a moment of praise for example of a new approach.

7.       Understand that creativity is a skill and that it can be improved with the right training, practice and tool kit.

8.       Highlight that creativity can be applied to products, processes, how you serve customers, advertising campaigns etc. Everything that an organization does can be made more creative.

9.       Do this all at speed. It is no use being creative if it takes months or years. As one leader mentioned to me at a recent workshop we are creative but it takes us 2 years to get something to the market-place, by then the entire market has changed and the customer wants something quite different!

Dr Ken Hudson
Founder & Chief Starter.

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Why I believe in Speed Thinking

Dr Ken Hudson — Fri, 28 May 2010 09:36:21 +0000

I just came across a TED talk by Simon Sinek who ask leaders to explain why they do what they do before explaining what they do.

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/05/10/video-the-secret-of-apples-success/

This is a simple, elegant idea that inspired me to write the following:

I believe that most people want to lead fulfilling, productive and rewarding lives.

What often stops or limits them from achieving this goal is their own critical internal voice e.g. what if I fail?

I have found a way to silence this inner critic if only for a few minutes. By doing so, most people can unlock amazing ideas, solutions and become more confident and decisive.

The key, is to accelerate people’s thinking so they do not have time to over-think, over-analyse or procrastinate. I call this new way of thinking, working and studying-Speed Thinking.

It consists of 2 minute bursts, 4 steps and a new tool called Speed Links.

I believe that learning how to accelerate your thinking when the situation demands it, is an invaluable skill that will benefit most business people, students, working mums etc, that is why I have written the book and do what I do!

Best wishes Ken

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Accelerating Intel’s Thinking Speed

Jennifer Turner — Wed, 19 May 2010 12:12:13 +0000

Intel has long been regarded as one of the leaders in technology and innovation. It’s realization of Moore’ Law (i.e. processing power doubles every two years) is an amazing feat. But not only are the Intel managers interested in accelerating the processing power of computers but also in quickening the pace of their thinking.

That is the challenge I set myself when I spoke to a number of Intel managers in both Singapore and Malaysia recently. The theme of my presentation was that Speed Thinking creates a positive cycle. Fast thinking leads to fast action, quicker results and accelerated learning.

This was also the key message that I delivered at a talk I gave at the HR Summit held in Singapore. This is Asia’s largest HR conference with thousands of managers and leaders attending. For me, the major themes of the conference revolved around engaging employees, leadership and how HR as a function can deliver a more accountable and results oriented capability to any business.

The conference was well-run (Key Media) and Singapore continues to amaze me with its emphasis on developing its only true asset—its people.

Dr Ken Hudson
Chief Starter,
The Speed Thinking Zone.

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