Imagining Ideas and Finding Flow #48 #cong18

Using psychometric testing can help you build flow in your self, your team and your organisation. Finding your flow is finding your path of least resistance and your path to greatest impact.

1. Imagination is integral to ideas.
2. The five ancient elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Spirit help us understand flow.
3. We all have a natural genius.
4. When you know your natural genius, you can get in your flow and follow your path of least resistance.

I’m a sociologist committed to inspiring people to work better together so that together we develop resilient children, adults and communities who can create a society that is fun fair and fantastic!

In 2011 I set up Keenaghan Collaborative providing services in Facilitation, Mentoring, Training and Guidance.

I have worked in business, public health, community development, education and social innovation. I have been a driver of many local and national initiatives including the pioneering youth charity SpunOut.ie. I write, sing, dance, play the accordion and the early Irish harp and enjoy bringing creativity to enterprise.

You can follow Celia on LinkedIn or contact her by email.

By Celia Keenaghan

• Imagine ideas flow like a river.
• Imagine the force of multiple ideas.
• Imagine anyone can shape an idea.
• Imagine ideas without shame.
• Imagine ideas honoured with respect and curiosity.
• Imagine ideas as a currency.
• Imagine we trust each other with our ideas.
• Imagine giving ideas as gifts.
• Imagine my idea and your idea combine into a super-idea.
• Imagine ideas have fertile ground for landing.
• Imagine almost-ideas are nurtured.
• Imagine newly birthed ideas are celebrated.
• Imagine children love ideas.
• Imagine children’s ideas are loved.
• Imagine old ideas are revered, interrogated, regenerated.
• Imagine dead ideas have somewhere to repose.
• Imagine ideas inspire ideas.

I love taking ideas from one place and scattering them like seeds in other locations and seeing how the take. Currently I am bringing ideas generated by futurist and social entrepreneur Roger James Hamilton to Ireland (thanks to the inspiration and support of Eileen Forestal).

Hamilton has created a unique personality profiling system – Wealth Dynamics – for entrepreneurs. It goes right back to the roots of modern psychometric testing to the primary purpose outlined in the I Ching i.e. for us to find our flow.

Using the five ancient energies of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Spirit as a way of understanding flow, Hamilton has identified four types of Genius – Dynamo, Blaze, Tempo and Steel.

Wood energy links to Spring, a time of new beginnings, when trees begin to grow new leaves again, fresh buds bloom and animals awaken. This aligns with Dynamo Genius – people who draw their energy from coming up with new ideas, new creations.

Fire energy links to Summer when nature is fruitful and animals and plants reproduce. Summer is warm and bright and full of colour for all to see and enjoy. This aligns with Blaze genius – connectors who draw their energy from connecting; connecting ideas to people and people to each other.

Earth energy links to Autumn, a time of rest and renewal. This aligns with Tempo Genius – people who are ‘senses smart’, who have their ear to the ground, great at timing and are balanced and insightful.

Metal energy links to Winter, a time when lots of activity is going on under the ground and less is visible above ground. This aligns with Steel Genius, who draw their energy from and find their flow in systems and in details.

Linking the four Geniuses is the Spirit energy aligned to water, the source of all the other energies and the key to flow.

So, bringing it all back to IDEAS.

Dynamo generate ideas, asking the question ‘What?’ – what can we do, make, create… Blaze then shines a light on those ideas and creations, to promote and share them. They ask Who? – who needs to hear about this? Who can help? Who can benefit?

Tempo considers the ideas and listens to people’s reactions. They ask ‘When’? When will people be ready for this idea? When is the right time to buy, to sell, to promote, to scale up?

Steel works out the systems needed to roll out the idea. They ask the question ‘How’? How can we multiply this idea/product? How do we measure growth? How do we make it pay?

Connecting all, is Spirit energy which is all about ‘Why’. Why this idea? Asking why, connects us to our purpose, to what really motivates us. Keeping that clear and strong is what really drives us to give an idea life, to bring it to where we are best placed to enable it to have most impact in the world.