The PO creativity method

The PO Creativity Method,

9 Techniques for Charisma & More

read time 4 minutes

So the quote is this:

It says most of us have two lives, the life we live and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands the resistance, more powerful than a locomotive and harder to kick than a crack of a cocaine habit. And here's the biggest bitch, we don't even know what hit us.

I stole the quote from this MFM podcast, and it's by far my favorite podcast. There is tons of gold mine knowledge, particularly if you are into business, technology, and trends. It is worth your time, and this episode was an amazing listen.

✌️Howdy people

Now that I think about it, this week was Dope (Period); from me finally trying IONIC 5 (Hyundai), getting access to beta test Veo by Google (one of 500 Creators in the entire freakin world), and finishing the week with a creative touch of painting session. Dang, it was amazing; now, to close it off, I didn't forget about that favorite time of the week when I get to sit down with my favorite people on earth to share the most interesting scoops of the week and get their insights on everything Business, technology, and Trends.

Today at a Glance:

Question: One decision to remove hundreds.
Quote: Define your own success.
Framework: The PO Creativity Method.
Article: 9 techniques for charisma.
Image: Day in the life of Brunello Cucinelli.

Question to simplify your life:

What is the one decision that can remove one hundred decisions?

In a blog post from 2020, Tim Ferriss referenced something he learned from a podcast conversation with Jim Collins:

"Don’t make a hundred decisions when one will do."

Long story short, we're surrounded by decisions that scream for our attention day and night. Unfortunately, most of us are very bad at differentiating between the important and the urgent, so we weigh every decision equally and drive ourselves crazy in the process.

To claim your life back, I have a trick for you: spend a few minutes identifying one decision that can remove one hundred others.

A few examples from my life:

Automatic rescheduler for tasks I haven't checked in for the previous day: This massively speeds up my planning stage in the morning and compliments one of my favorite quotes, which goes, "Our brains are not for remembering what to do; there are for creating and connections"
Auto-generated reply suggestions in email with a background of the previous conversation.
Saying no to all agenda-less phone calls. These calls are where my energy goes to die. If there isn't a specific action item for a call, I'll say no to it.

Take a look at your own calendar and life: What are some single decisions that you can make that will remove hundreds of smaller decisions from your plate?

Framework for creative problem solving:

*"*NO is the basic tool of the logic system. YES is the basic tool of the belief system. PO is the basic tool of the creative system." -Edward de Bono.

Edward de Bono was a physician, psychologist, and author who was most well-known for the origin of the concept of Lateral Thinking.

My Notes:

Lateral Thinking is a problem-solving technique that involves an indirect, creative approach.
Traditional thinking, which we can refer to as Vertical Thinking, is grounded in logic and restricted by its focus on existing patterns, frameworks, and rules.
Lateral Thinking aims to break free from the confines of Vertical Thinking to formulate more creative, novel solutions to complex problems.

The PO (short for Provocative Operation) Creativity Method is a process for engaging Lateral Thinking by deliberately challenging conventional wisdom or perspectives on a given topic.

The process is quite simple:

Make Provocative Statement: Begin with a provocative statement that appears entirely absurd or contradictory. For example, I might say, "Cars don't need wheels."
Engage the Statement: Fight back against your bias to reject the statement. Engage with it in good faith. How might the statement be true? What would that world look like? Explore the new ideas and possibilities. Using our example, I might start envisioning how a car would move without wheels (perhaps glide or sit on a magnetic field?).
Extract Useful Concepts: From the exploration, pull out any creative ideas or perspectives that can be refined for use. Concluding our example, I might pull out a few futuristic design ideas that enable cars to move in any direction and improve traffic flow.

The PO Creativity Method is an extremely valuable process for startups and large organizations alike. It forces you to engage with new and novel perspectives in an open-minded manner.

It doesn't mean that you will necessarily run with any of the crazy ideas, but it will lead to more outside-the-box thinking that creates healthy progress.

Next time you or your team feel stuck in a linear, logical, vertical thinking pattern, consider engaging the PO Creativity Method.

Article on how to be more charismatic:

How to Become More Likable Using 9 Techniques From the World’s Most Charismatic People

This wonderful article deconstructs the charisma techniques of the world's most charismatic people.

A few favorites from the list (with my added perspectives!):

They remember the ‘small talk’ details. I find that carrying around a pocket notebook has helped with this. I note any small, interesting details, which helps me remember them for next time.
They know how to tell a compelling story. Storytelling is the most important meta-skill for life. Data in, story out. It applies to your personal life and your career.
They are comfortable being their awkward, imperfect self. This is a major life hack. Getting past your insecurities and embracing your inner weirdness is the key to charisma.

Great article. Worth your time to scan through!

Daily routine that makes me jealous:

This image of a day in the life of the luxury fashion icon Brunello Cucinelli made the rounds last week.

A few things I love about this day:

Work is done in sprints. Two focus blocks dedicated to a specific type of work.
Slowness and leisure is built into the routine. Boredom is essential to creativity.
Time with friends every single day.

How does this sound to you? What does your ideal day look like?

Muhanga, Rwanda