American Creativity Association
2007 International Conference

Conference Presentations and Presenters
2007 ACA International Conference
March 21 - 23, 2007 with pre-Conference Institutes - March 20, 2007
in Austin, Texas

Thinking For Dummies

Rolf Smith
Thinking Guide
The Virtual Thinking Expedition Company (vTx)
907 Alamo Road
Alamo Springs
Fredericksburg, Texas 78624
 (830) 992-2153
basecamp@thinking-expedition.com
www.thinking-expedition.com

Colonel Rolf Smith (U.S. Air Force, retired) is managing director of The Virtual Thinking Expedition Company (Texas), a process consulting group, and the School for Innovators where he teaches innovation skills that transmogrify everyday heroes into change agents. He spent 24 controversial and innovative years on active duty with the U.S. military and NATO, and in 1986 created the first military Office of Innovation and a worldwide network of Innovation Centers. Rolf retired from active duty in 1987. Since then, his focus has been on helping organizations think creatively and differently. He worked with Exxon Marketing's Innovations Group as a contract executive for four years, and in 1988 founded The School for Innovators to kick-start Exxon's Continuous Improvement & Innovation initiative.

His passion lies in organizing and leading Thinking Expeditions into the unknown to explore uncharted areas and discover unusual opportunities. Since 1994, his Expeditions have brought back ideas, changes and innovations which have contributed to more than $1 Billion in bottom line business results in chunks ranging from $2.5 Million to $305 Million. He has also led a number of Thinking Expeditions for the Navy, Army and Air Force, and both Procter & Gamble and General Mills have sent five different teams each off on a variety of Thinking Expeditions with Rolf. He recently led the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on a 5-stage Thinking Expedition exploring and defining an Enterprise Information Technology Architecture - one of the largest in the Federal government.

He is the author of The 7 Levels of Change (2nd Edition 2002), a fieldguide for thinking differently for different results.

Thinking For Dummies

If I have to explain this, you wouldn’t understand. Dumb is not stupid; dumb means you don’t know any better. Stooopid is when you know something is dumb but you do it anyway. Not knowing about this session would be dumb, but okay. Not coming to this session would be stooopid. Lessons learned from the School for Innovators. Why be normal? Adultry explained in layman terms. Somewhat beyond Think 101. The Physics of Ideas: Thinking at the speed of light while staying in the dark. The Dopeler Effect. Discoveries made on high-altitude Thinking Expeditions and in the School for Innovators. Cerebral endema in everday life. Life in the box can be fun. Disruptured thinking: pushing the edges of reason with normal business teams. Simple stuff for simple minds. Dumb questions. Being a joke. Fake listening. Lying as the highest form of creativity. Simple magic tricks that will amaze your friends. And a lot of other really good stuff that works.