One Red Paper Clip

When leading a workshop on facilitation skills recently, I had groups brainstorm possible uses for a paper clip as a way to illustrate some points about our creative potential and ability to brainstorm more effectively. One of the possible uses listed by one team was "trade it for a house."

I didn't understand and was told by a participant, "yeah, this guy started with a paper clip and ended up with a house."

I was puzzled, but didn't think much more about it.

Yesterday when I read Bob Burg's Winning Without Intimidation newsletter, he mentioned a video that everyone should watch - about a guy who started with one red paper clip and traded with people who had different items (14 trades it turns out) for a house.

This is the best 8 minutes of video I've ever seen on the internet - and among the most interesting and inspiring I've seen produced by network television (the video is a segment from ABC's 20/20).

Rather than telling you more about it, I urge you to watch it. Think about it from a creativity perspective, from a motivational perspective, and from the perspective of persistence.

You'll like it. You'll learn from it.

Here it is.

And you'll never look at a red paper clip the same way again.