Mainebiz

V O L . X X I V N O. X X S E P T E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 8 8 B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S N E W S F RO M A RO U N D T H E S TAT E N O T E W O R T H Y S O U T H E R N The John T. Gorman Foundation in Portland said it awarded $700,000 to 43 organizations across all 16 coun- ties as part of its Direct Service Grant Program in 2018. The Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals, an equine rescue and rehabilitation center in Windham, announced it received a $200,000 grant from the Doree Taylor Charitable Foundation, Bank of America, NA, Trustee to support its general opera- tions and its facility expansion project. The owners of Destination Occupation in Portland and Mix Recruiter in Winthrop announced a merger of the two organizations. The new multime- dia, online recruitment service will be known as Destination Occupation. The United Way of Greater Portland awarded $424,168 to MaineHealth organizations to support its work on projects that align with the Thrive2027 campaign, a set of three 10-year goals created by and for the Greater Portland community in the areas of ed- ucation, financial stability and health. Maine Behavioral Healthcare re- ceived $199,904 to benefit Outpatient Services at 165 Lancaster St. in Portland while $69,344 was awarded to Project BRACEs: Building Resilience for Adverse Childhood Experiences. RE/MAX Shoreline in Portland an- nounced the Ranello Group, led by Tom and Julia Ranello, have joined the agency. Saint Joseph's College in Standish received $182,845 from the National Science Foundation for its "Chemistry for the Community" initiative. Through the initiative, the college will create a service-learning chemistry curricu- lum that will partner its students with high school students in the Windham- Raymond school district. Bowdoin College in Brunswick received $468,990 through the U.S. Department of Education's Upward Bound Program to help low-income, first-generation and other students from disadvantaged back- grounds pursue higher education. www.GawronTurgeon.com goodwillnne.org/neurorehab WE KNOW BRAINS. We can help. BaySide in Portland (207) 761-8402 WestSide in Lewiston (207) 795-6110 Q: How can I come up with creative solutions to my business challenges? ACE advises: You have the ability to hone your skill of generating new ideas to solve problems. Try these approaches: 1. Be more aware of your thinking: While we regularly have new thoughts, we fail to acknowledge and apply them to our challenges. Be aware of your thinking and jot down doodles/notes – you will see new solution options! 2. Deconstruct and reconstruct: If you are working on a challenge, deconstruct the challenge, and explore its component parts. Try solving a little piece of the puzzle and repeat. Solution patterns will emerge, guiding you to new ideas. 3. Converse with someone who doesn't know your topic: Discuss your challenge and have the person ask questions and offer up completely off-the-wall ideas. Use the fresh perspective to gain new vantage points and generate new ideas. 4. Use all five of your senses: Most humans rely on sight as their main informa- tion gathering sense. Try thinking about your challenge through your other senses: What comes to mind? 5. Immerse yourself in your subject matter: Literally. Are you trying to come up with new food product ideas? Handle the ingredients, explore the manufac- turing process, visit the distribution, talk to users and haters of the category. The varied stimuli will provide new vantages for creative solutions. 6. Create 'forced' connections: Develop new ideas by linking your challenge to something totally unrelated. Write down random words from the dictionary. Then see if you can link them to your challenge for a fresh perspective. A S K AC E A N S W E R E D B Y B R I A N W A L K E R , T R A I L G U I D E C O N S U L T I N G I N C . The Association for Consulting Expertise (ACE) is a non-profit association of independent consultants who value "Success through Collaboration." The public is welcome to attend its regular meetings to share best practices and engage with industry experts. For more information go to www.consultexpertise.com. Brian Walker can be contacted at brian@trailguideconsulting.com. If you have a question for an ACE expert, contact Jim Milliken at jim@millikenproject.com.

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