Welcome to SmartFlame! This is the place to find
Smart Ideas for Smart People(tm) -- ideas that can help you do everything better, smarter, faster, more friction free, with less stress, and with greater positive impact on your life.
As a teacher and a professional life and business coach, my mission is to be a catalyst for the spectacular changes you can make in your life, your work, or your contribution to the planet. If you're happy as you are, then my question to you is, "What greater joy could you achieve in a game that is
ten times bigger than what you have now?"
Are you willing to go for it? If so, stay tuned for some provocative questions! And some life-changing answers.
CREATIVE ABRASION--------------------------------------------
What are the sources of
Creative Abrasion in your life?
Creative abrasion, a term coined by Jerry Hirshberg, founder and president of Nissan Design International (NDI), is like a grain of sand inside an oyster.
In its quietest form, creative abrasion is the catalyst for producing a pearl. The oyster is so bothered by the unpleasant abrasive effect of the sand inside its smooth shell, that it works on the sand to smooth its rough edges and coat it with essence of pearl. The result? A beautiful, valuable gem.
In its most energetic form, creative abrasion brings two teams, people, or ideas together like flint on steel. It creates sparks that ignite a
wildfire of ideas or innovation.
Sometimes we need abrasion to bother us enough to make a much-needed change. While abrasion can be painful -- anyone who's ever skinned a knee knows that -- it may also be exactly the right action to shift a company, a team, or an individual out of an unproductive pattern.
Be aware that it takes
courage to manage creative abrasion. You need the vision to be able to see past the discomfort of
temporary conflict to the potential benefits. The people involved need to be reassured that their viewpoints, although opposed, are equally valued.
How can you introduce a little creative abrasion, or
take a different look at the sources of friction you are currently experiencing?