| Every creative business idea begins with a question. | | | | one Friday in October, National Breast Cancer |
| A question that grabs attention. A question that | | | | Awareness Month, Lee Jeans encourages millions of |
| might sound ridiculous at the time. A question that | | | | people nationwide to slip into their favorite jeans and |
| propels a wrecking ball of through the walls of | | | | make a $5 donation to the Susan G. Komen Breast |
| ordinary thinking. But still, a question that makes | | | | Cancer Foundation. Since 1996, Lee National Denim |
| every person in the room stop what he's doing, sit | | | | Day has raised more than $52 million for breast |
| back in his chair, stare off into space and say, "Huh. | | | | cancer research, education, screening and treatment |
| Now that's an interesting idea..." | | | | programs. |
| What is QREATIVITY? | | | | What if everybody in Seattle read the same book? |
| QREATIVITY is creating something out of nothing by | | | | It's doubtful that either Nancy Pearl, executive |
| asking BIG questions. | | | | director of the Washington Center for the Book at |
| This idea of question-based creativity has evolved | | | | the Seattle Public Library (WCB), or Chris Higashi, |
| through centuries of study from around the world. | | | | associate director for WCB, realized just how |
| "One who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; | | | | influential an idea they had conceived when they |
| one who does not ask a question remains a fool | | | | launched "If All of Seattle Reads the Same Book" in |
| forever," says the ancient Chinese proverb. In the | | | | 1996. Today, over 50 cities, counties, or states have |
| same light, E.E. Cummings once said, "Always the | | | | begun programs that encourage communities to read |
| beautiful answer who asks a more beautiful question." | | | | the same book at the same time and then to discuss |
| And Voltaire is famous for his words, "Judge a man | | | | it in numerous venues. |
| by his questions rather than his answers." | | | | What if everybody donated just one dollar to |
| However, in the last few hundred years, other | | | | cancer? |
| creative powerhouses like Einstein, Edison and De | | | | You've seen those ubiquitous yellow bracelets on the |
| Bono went on to perfect question-based creativity | | | | wrist of your friends, family members, politicians, |
| with various techniques and experiments still used by | | | | athletes, even rock stars and actors! And all those |
| businesspeople around the world. | | | | people did was donate one dollar to cancer through |
| But sometimes, businesspeople need to ask bigger | | | | The Lance Armstrong Foundation. Founded in 1997 |
| questions. Questions that push an ideas to their very | | | | by cancer survivor and champion cyclist, Lance |
| limits. Questions reminiscent to Kant's Universalized | | | | Armstrong, the LAF provides the practical information |
| Maxim which states "Act as if the maxim of your | | | | and tools people living with cancer need to live |
| action were to become by your will a universal law | | | | strong. Not to mention, their initial campaign was |
| of nature." | | | | recorded as one of the most successful in history, |
| In other words: what if everybody did it? | | | | raised millions of dollars for cancer awareness, and |
| Here are some excellent examples of businesspeople | | | | even started a wrist band fad that will probably go |
| - some of whom became businesspeople | | | | down as one of the most memorable trends of the |
| unexpectedly - because they asked universalized | | | | new millennium. |
| questions to spark their QREATIVITY. | | | | What if every customer was always greeted at the |
| What if I met everyone who shared my same | | | | door? |
| name? | | | | Leave it to Sam Walton when it comes to |
| Dave Gorman was a stand up comic from London | | | | QREATIVITY. Not only was he the pioneer of |
| who decided to search the world for other people | | | | employee nametags, but he changed the entire |
| named Dave Gorman. While it began as a whim | | | | customer service process by introducing a |
| discussed over a pint in a pub, Dave's adventures of | | | | church-style icon to retail stores: greeters. You've no |
| searching for his "namesakes" led to books, television | | | | doubt had a conversation with one of these people - |
| shows, DVD's and a traveling concert tour across the | | | | probably sometime in the last month! According to |
| world. Talk about an interesting career! | | | | greeters are the front-line "soldiers" of the company, |
| What if I always said yes to everybody and | | | | and prove that people and customer service make |
| everything? | | | | the difference in building customer rapport. |
| Danny Wallace was a television producer who met an | | | | What if I wore a nametag all day, every day - for |
| estranged old man on a bus who told him three | | | | the rest of my life? |
| words that changed his life: say yes more. So he did. | | | | This is single most important question I ever asked |
| In fact, he didn't just say it more, he said it | | | | myself. It was November 2nd, 2000, and I was |
| ALWAYS. To EVERYTHING. For 6 months! And it | | | | wearing a nametag for a seminar. And I thought, |
| changed his entire perspective on life, helped him | | | | hmm...what if I just kept this thing on my shirt every |
| meet his future wife, and of course, inspired him to | | | | day? I wonder what would happen... |
| write a hilarious book called The Yes Man. Danny is | | | | Five years, two published books, 80+ articles, over |
| now somewhat of a superhero around London. | | | | 100 speeches and I-can't-remember-how-many |
| (Interestingly enough, Danny Wallace was Dave | | | | interviews later; I'm still wearing that darn nametag. |
| Gorman's old roommate. Guess the QREATIVITY | | | | Every single day. And I love it. So much so that I got |
| acorn doesn't fall far from tree!) | | | | it tattooed on my chest! And it's the validation for |
| What if everybody wore their Lee jeans on the | | | | my existence, the most fun I've ever had and, |
| same day? | | | | interestingly enough, how I make a living. |
| In 1995 somebody at Lee Jeans asked this question. | | | | That's QREATIVITY. |
| 10 years later, Lee National Denim Day is the world's | | | | And so, I ask you: what BIG question could YOU ask |
| largest single-day fundraiser for breast cancer. On | | | | today to spark your QREATIVITY? |