People who hear about the creativity course at Stanford often want to take it. But even some students who are in the MBA program at Stanford can't get into the course when it is taught there. Now it is possible, however-without being a Stanford student--to get the benefits of this course that develops your ability to be your highest Self and to do the Work that constitutes your life purpose.

Because of the award-winning software developed by Insight Out Collaborations (IOC) and Internal External Communications (IEC), the course is now available to organizations, individuals and educational institutions in its full form. Although the software is not now for sale as a separate item or available on the web, it soon will be. And those who are interested can receive training to teach the creativity course in all kinds of settings. Michael also takes a limited number of speaking engagements each year.

For further information on any of these offerings of CIB, please contact Michael Ray at ray_michael@gsb.stanford.edu.

Michael and his associates work with generative leaders who are developing innovation and organizational change. Normally these people have tried a number of approaches to get to a higher level of sustained creativity and success. They are looking for something to take them further in transforming their organization.

Part of our underlying philosophy is that when you are changing things within an organization or are faced with a chaotic environment, your people need to be connected to their highest creativity, passionate about their work and have a sense of trust and appreciation of each other. That kind of culture leads to the highest efficiency. And we have found that it can lead to unexpected breakthrough results and a new type of regenerative organization. Our dream is for everyone in corporations to be living in this kind of solid creativity and community.

So the first step is to determine how Michael and Insight Out can help in bringing these essential ingredients to the organization renewing itself.

IOC/IEC developed the CIB software for those situations in which course work is necessary and beneficial but in which people don't have time for regular weekly classes. The software, which can reside on corporate internal networks, mimics the class sessions of the Stanford course. Twenty to forty members take the course together with a specific business purpose and with a payout for each individual as well as for the company.

The essential form of the corporate course, called the Masters' program, is ten weeks with workshops at the beginning, middle and end of the program. In between these workshops, participants use the software whenever and wherever they want to use it, interact with coaches and each other, and develop their creativity in a way that is best suited to them and to the organization.

We never do the course in the same way in different organizations. It has to be tailored to the needs of the situation. Sometimes this means a shorter version (from five weeks down to a one-day workshop) or one that is designed with materials that fit the context. The ideal situation is when individuals within the organization learn to teach the course. Then it can be spread to many people in their own setting working with each other to bring out their essential creativity.

Thus far the Creativity in Business program has been used, for instance, within initiatives to develop innovation within companies, to meet stretch revenue goals within a difficult competitive environment, to support a company-wide effort toward servant leadership, to meet a situation of discontinuous change within an organization, to provide a new sort of development opportunity for employees, and to change the very basis on which a company operates.

The side benefits of this course within an organization are many, but one person summed it up by saying that it creates a competitive advantage for a company in recruiting, keeping and motivating top people talent. In one organization in which this course was delivered to around one hundred fifty people we were told that the return on the investment was in excess of two hundred to one.

In many cases it isn't possible for people within organizations to take a whole course in a group. In such cases there are two alternatives.

First, from time to time, the ten-week Master's Program is offered as a public program. Then individuals can participate in the course in much the way that they would participate in the course if they were in an organization. This version can be quite powerful but doesn't have the organizational benefits mentioned above.

Second, we offer the Personal Creativity Journey in which individuals work with the software and with a coach with eleven coaching sessions, one hour at the beginning and at the end and nine half hour sessions in between. The effect of this version has been strong for the individuals who have taken it and the coaches who have worked with them. Participants can do this from anywhere in the world and at any time.

The CIB course is already taught at several universities and colleges in addition to Stanford. When these courses have been supplemented with the software, they come alive in a new way. Younger people take to the software in a way that their older counterparts don't. Students at Stanford have made comments such as, "This is the best use yet I've seen of this technology." The software and teacher training is being offered to people who want to teach the course at any educational level for a moderate fee per student.

In addition we are interested in collaborating with organizations that have training centers that would allow computer use and human interaction. These would offer the possibility of new forms of the course to be offered in this kind of educational setting.

At the present time we are not selling the software alone. But we are working on developing such a package. Although we prefer to use the software in the context of a course with interaction, feedback and coaching, we can see that many individuals could benefit from using the software by themselves with workbooks and our books.

Please contact Michael by email if you are interested in the software as a package by itself for yourself or if you have ideas about how it could be packaged and distributed. Then when it is ready in this form you can be among the first to have it. It should be ready by the end of 2000.

We have not developed the software for Internet delivery, but it was created in a way that would allow that sort of offering. Distribution of the software by the Web will be the first phase. Then we will distribute the course with people downloading modules as they work through the course. The final phase will be full, broadband delivery from the Web. In all these instances, there will be opportunity for human interaction, as our research indicates that this course is more effective with that.

Although we presently have coaches and teachers for delivering all the above versions of the Stanford Creativity work, we definitely need more. Michael and his most experienced associates are eager to share this with people who want to spread this process in all the settings mentioned above.

The teacher training takes several steps to certification. First you take the course with Michael and his associates in California. During that experience of the course extra time is taken in a practicum for those moving into teaching it. Extra time is added on to each of the three live workshops during the Masters' program. And there are additional check-in coaching calls during the program. Next each participant will teach the course with support from Michael and his associates. After this the CIB teacher candidate is certified.

Michael is collecting names of those who are interested in this process. Contact him for further information and to express interest.

Michael does a limited number of speaking engagements each year. He is particularly interested in meeting with people who leading change efforts or who are involved in the process of change. And he is interested in those organizations and individuals facing squarely into the new realities, the "interesting" times in which we live, searching for creative solutions that come from the heart and soul.