Inspiration Is Where You Find It

By Steve Ulfelder

June 25, 2001 12:00 PM ET

Computerworld - When Phil Swift comes to the office with paint on his knuckles, his employees brace themselves.

In addition to serving as CIO at Esurance Inc., an online insurer in San Francisco, Swift is a painter (scenes depicting galleons and British naval ships are a specialty). He gets his best ideas when he takes his mind off work and focuses on his art.

Where Lightning Strikes

Inspiration is fickle, but you can take steps to be ready for it. Author and consultant John Putzier says that when he gives seminars, the audience tells him they get most of their great ideas in these settings:

In bed

In the shower

While running or exercising

While gardening

In the car

When the inspiration stick whacks you on the head, you need to optimize it. Here are tips from the experts:

Be ready for it. Know and accept your own circadian rhythms; some people find inspiration only at 3 a.m., whether they like it or not.

Capture it. If you fail to capture a great idea when it occurs, you stand to lose it for good. Use any means necessary to nail down your thoughts. "I worked with an engineer at Boeing who traveled extensively," says author Jordan Ayan. "He kept a bunch of preaddressed postcards in his pocket, wrote ideas down on them and sent them home to himself."

— Steve Ulfelder

One recent weekend, Swift was sketching at home, torn between conflicting requests. "My wife wants me to paint a portrait of our dogs; my son wants me to paint race cars on the walls of his [room]," he says.

Suddenly, Swift realized his personal dilemma paralleled one at work: In an effort to keep him happy, managers in his department were scattering resources among too many projects. They were trying to do cars and dogs at the same time. They needed to pick a priority.

Swift put down his charcoal and made some notes. The following Monday, he announced major changes. Most notably, he decided to reconfigure Esurance's architecture, "dropping the database away from the rest of the system," he says.

So, what inspires you? Where are you and what are you doing when you get your best ideas?

We asked IT leaders where they turn for inspiration. Not surprisingly, their answers were diverse. Some CIOs seek intense, risky challenges such as auto racing or mountain climbing; others prefer gardening, painting or distance running.

A common theme emerges, though, and is supported by experts on creativity and motivation: Inspiration is most likely to strike when the conscious mind is a thousand miles away. Moreover, IT's central role in the organization makes it critically important to achieve and harness inspiration. IT leaders, be they CIOs, programmers or help desk staff, are no longer viewed as back-room service providers; their creativity is both valued and demanded by the business.

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