I have always had an imaginary world that I love to spend time in. Sometimes I build amusement parks in my mind, or I plan a circumnavigation in a hand built sailboat. I build mass transit systems to solve traffic problems in a fun and cool looking way. It seems that life tries to train our imagination out of us with phrases like, “That’s not realistic,” “It would cost too much,” “There is enough time to pull that off,” or simply laughing when a creative mentions an idea. The idea is what’s important when brainstorming, and logistics, money and time enter the equation when ideas are fleshed out, examined for potential execution. Many times the big idea leads to a fantastic idea that really is possible. Business requires all kinds of people to make it work, but if you have creatives on your team, let them be heard and listen to their ideas. Even if none of the ideas make it out of the idea stage, you will see possibilities, and maybe even begin to imagine about your company in an entirely new way. Yes, creatives have the heart of a child, but do not underestimate their intelligence, and business savvy. True creatives are curious and inquisitive. They read more than you probably imagine and they study human behavior every hour they are awake. We don’t do that because we are trying to impress anyone, we do it because it’s just who we are. Find a creative, hire them and turn loose of the darn leash. Really… don’t just say it, let them use their imagination. Listen and don’t criticize or write off the idea. Think on it a while with your imagination, then once in a while you will discover the genius of true collaboration with a creative. It takes both of us.