Quietude and creativity, essential companions for successful businesses

      Two weeks into a four-week meditation retreat and ideas for two books came to me in a flash.
      Both arrived fully formed and were captured in a frenzied three days of writing in any available spare time. After that - back to the meditation, knowing my ideas were safely documented and wouldn't evaporate before I got back to my desk.
      Interesting timing: after some training, speaking and consulting work in June, July will see me completing the seventh and last chapter of a book that I've had to put on hold for some months. The content? The vital importance of creativity for businesses if they are to become more sustainable in every way - staying profitably in business for the long haul while contributing to increasingly positive social, cultural and environmental outcomes.
      I'll be drawing on a number of excellent sources, one of which substantiates a fabulous quote from Sarah Gibbs, co-founder of successful company Trilogy, who says "If you don't have half a day a week to think, you need to hire more staff." The source in question is a wonderful book by Guy Claxton, Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind: why intelligence increases when you think less.
      Never have we needed new creative insights more than we do now, yet we are working harder than ever before - and while we can remain efficient, we cannot be creative at the same time.
      My recent experience on the retreat certainly proved this to me beyond all doubt. My aim for the rest of 2011 is to take some advice from many years ago and which has recently resurfaced; to take every thirteenth week off. Read here how this increases your productivity.
      The seventh chapter of my book will address this as part of suggesting how civil construction companies can create their own sustainability road map and be part of creating the new future that people and businesses worldwide all need.
      So my next week off to refresh my creativity and recalibrate my world view will see me away from my desk again from 5-9 September.... it's in the diary.
       And those other new books? I'll be completing them after getting my first completed book (now with the editor) selling online sometime in July, alongside finishing Chapter 7. I'll blog about each book as it is released.