Sand for Your Inbox January 2012 I hope your year is off to a great start! Have you ever tried to put together a jigsaw puzzle with 500 or 1,000 pieces? It takes a while… And, needs to be done in more than one sitting. One of the reasons we… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox July 2011 How many brainstorming sessions, filled with potentially brilliant ideas, have ended up as rolled up flip charts under someone’s desk? Taking ideas to the next step post-brainstorming can be a challenge. When I… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox May 2011 You and your team – after a few meetings and many hours – have the plan all figured out. Excellent! Now, you just need to share it and get buy in from the other departments who will help carry it out. Fast forward a… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox April 2011 At times, has your company or team ever felt lost at sea? I recently built an exercise for a company that was ready to grow… and while they had goals in mind – a destination – they weren’t sure where they were!… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox February/March 2011 How would you like your brainstorm and strategy meetings to be more productive and efficient? I got to thinking… we use a Creative Brief to provide background and clearly outline deliverables… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox January 2011 If you’re not doing the things that help you stand out, you’re blending in… This is true for your company, products, services, and even you. Being remarkable gets you noticed and helps you stand out. Below is… read more…

Sand For Your Inbox October 2010 I’m excited to share with you a free Guide To Great Reading which includes fifteen books we recommend in the categories of: Creative Thinking & Innovation,Be Remarkable, and Brand Building. I know you’ll love… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox August / September 2010 We make decisions all the time. Big ones, small ones, easy and tough. Making the right choice can be obvious, and sometimes it requires time invested in thought. Luckily we have simple tools to… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox July 2010 When a scientist or engineer designs a new process, they run into many unknowns. That’s expected when creating something from scratch. However, they could have so many unknowns, if they tried to solve each as they… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox April 2010 There are many versions of the advice, “Surround yourself with great people – and you’ll get great things.” However, it isn’t enough just to surround yourself, you must also take care and nurture the people that… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox January 2010 How is your resolution season going? Mine is okay so far. As I started to put together my “ToDo” list for 2010 – carrying over things from 2009 – I realized I’m trying to “pack for a five-day trip into a… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox November 2009It is great to have so many choices in life… from what to be when you grow up to what cereal to buy for breakfast… lots of choices. The drawback is that so many options can make decision making confusing,… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox October 2009 The Magic Of Thinking Big by Dr. David Schwartz, inspired me so much… I have to share parts of it with you. The slides below include lessons found throughout the book. In short, the book teaches: The size of… read more…

Did you know when you sign up for the free monthly Idea Sandbox Sand for Your Inbox eNewsletter your membership includes a one-of-a-kind personalized membership card? It is true! As it states on the membership card…. The person indicated… read more…

Members of the Idea Sandbox “Sand for Your Inbox” eNewsletter are already putting the ideas from this month’s installment to work. The subject? Better problem solving. While most of us find it easy to notice a problem, it isn’t as simple to… read more…

Remember as a child – or perhaps you have a child at home – when asking one question, it often leads to a string of additional questions? How come? Why? Why is that? This is simply a way of of trying to understand the root answer, the root… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox December 2008It is vexing, despite the fact that change constantly takes place in our lives, at times it can still throw us off-kilter? In addition to the constant changes with the economy, prices, and jobs… we’ve got major… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox October 2008I often write in this space about problem solving techniques. I plan to do so today as well, but with a different spin. When organizing a brainstorm or problem solving session, I always recommend taking great care… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox September 2008Receiving a job promotion is exciting, but adjusting your work-style for the new role and responsibilities can be a challenge. I provided an email with tips to a friend recently promoted from a manager to… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox August 2008Have you ever had “thinkers block?” It’s a problem similar to writer’s block, but instead of words, you’re stumped for ideas. In this scoop of Sand for Your Inbox, I offer you a technique to get your ideas… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox July 2008Ah, procrastination. I would have sent this e-newsletter sooner, but I did not get around to it. You see, I’ve been procrastinating. Do you have projects that seem to linger? Tasks that nomadically drift from one… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox April 2008So, you’ve finally made a list of the projects, tasks and errands you need to accomplish… (nice work) However, your challenge now is knowing which items to accomplish first… your priorities! You’re not… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox March 2008 Suffering from idea block? Like writer’s block, you know your idea or solution is just below the surface… but you can’t quite dig it out. You need an idea shovel. Well, Idea Sandbox has help! We present… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox January 2008 Are you trying to figure out what to do with your life? What to be when you grow up? This installment of “Sand for Your Inbox” is a special edition. I have handcrafted a proven technique that will help you… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox November 2007 Small bits of meaningful advice can be helpful. A couple of weeks ago I was in the town of my alma mater, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. I arranged with my favorite professor to speak with students… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox September 2007One method is to examine your problem from both narrower and broader perspectives… Is your problem a wall? Or is this problem really about smaller, contributing factors – the bricks. Or is it actually a symptom… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox August 2007 Sometimes things just don’t work out the way you want them to. Instead of allowing these let-downs get you down, you can learn from them. Let me elaborate… It’s happened to us before, and it’ll happen… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox June 2007 Meetings, Meetings, Meetings… How often do you review your planner to see your week riddled with meetings and wonder when you’re going to get your own work done? What’s worse… So many end up a poor use of… read more…

The challenge of a maze is to connect the START with the END without running into dead ends… having to retrace your path. The risk is low, making a maze an amusement. The challenge of managing projects is similar. You must move… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox April 2007 So…you wish you were more creative or a better problem solver? But aren’t sure where to get the information you need to improve? Today is your lucky day! The folks at the Idea Sandbox Institute are voracious… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox March 2007Life often requires that we stand out from the crowd and get noticed… Perhaps by the boss, by someone you’re attracted to, by a new employer, or by potential clients… These are times when you need to be… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox February 2007 Ever sat next to a potential client or employer on an airplane flight and wished you had a quick pitch prepared? Ever been at a loss for the right words while riding the company elevator? A senior exec… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox January 2007Happy New Year! It’s resolution season. How do you avoid the let-down, after you have enthusiastically created resolutions for a new year, starting with a clean slate, and by February you’ve stopped working at… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox November 2006 Hello… Glad you’re here! Do you sometimes wish you had an easier way to organize or gather your thoughts? Ever been working on a presentation, proposal, or to-do list and didn’t know where to start or… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox October 2006 Ever wonder why great ideas seem to pop into your head at the strangest (and sometimes inopportune) times? Like when you’re… falling asleep, in the shower, or exercising? It’s not a coincidence. These are times… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox September 2006 If you’re like me… being tired = becoming cranky and low energy=low ideas. This month I share practical and realistic ways to help you restore and maintain your energy level. Keeping Your… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox August 2006 Hello! Here’s a scoop of Inbox Sand for August. I hope you are enjoying your summer and these ideas inspire you! When it comes to curiosity and creative problem solving, kids have the process down pat. They… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox July 2006 Hello! In the next few months many of us will be taking vacations and holidays. Traveling offers a perfect opportunity for creative inspiration… Out of the ordinary sites, sounds, tastes, people, and culture help… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox June 2006 Welcome! Welcome to the June edition of Sand for Your Inbox. Each month Idea Sandbox sends practical, creative problem-solving tips you may use in your personal or professional life. This month I offer two… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox May 2006 It’s time for another shovel-full of creativity from Idea Sandbox! With the weather changing, a nature related problem-solving tip seems appropriate. Enjoy! A time-tested technique for problem solving is to… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox April 2006 New ideas can lead to innovations. Often the speed in which we conduct business causes us to make rapid decisions. As a result, we may be robbing ourselves of good ideas. This month’s Creativity Tip provides… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox March 2006 March already? How times flies. I hope you enjoy this month’s creative problem solving tip! It’s one I use all the time when brainstorming and problem solving… When you’ve got a problem to solve, if often… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox February 2006 I hope your year is off to a great start. Last month I suggested using an idea journal to keep record of your thoughts and ideas. Many readers let me know they started their own journals – nice work. Keep it… read more…

Sand for Your Inbox January 2006 Sand for Your Inbox – January 2006Happy New Year! Welcome to the first communiqué from Idea Sandbox. To maintain your interest, I will provide useful messages on a regular basis (my goal is monthly)… read more…