By Mike Scott, president & consultant, Mike Scott and Associates

Elephants don't bite. But mosquitoes? Now that's another story. It's those pesky little critters that bother you so much. In fact, it was the mosquito that almost prevented the Panama Canal from being built! In your business, it’s the little, preventable problems that eventually cause big problems.

At PPC, we strive to support our industry’s leadership at all levels, and that’s why we offer a New Generation Leaders Committee (NGL). Meeting twice per year at the association’s Spring and Fall Conferences, NGL brings together individuals from companies small and large who are currently in leadership roles or who are in leadership-track positions.

Last month was the judging of our annual North American Paperboard Packaging Competition. We’re thrilled with the winners and can’t wait to reveal them at our upcoming Fall Meeting! For now, though, we’ve distilled the overall trends that the judges observed throughout the competition. Here’s what we saw...

This week is the event we wait for all year long: the judging of PPC’s North American Paperboard Packaging Competition! Day in and day out, our members work hard designing and manufacturing amazing folding cartons and rigid boxes, and the Carton Competition allows them to put that work on display for peers, customers, prospects, and the industry at large. We reveal the winners each year during our Fall Meeting, but for now it’s time for our esteemed judges to evaluate the entries!

Designers are a key asset to any paperboard packaging manufacturer. Although some customers may approach their manufacturer with a complete design, others look to the manufacturer’s designers for unique and ingenious packaging solutions. With customers’ packaging in their hands, it is crucial that the design team be a wellspring of creative ideas and unique concepts. Fortunately, creativity isn’t a genetic trait that some have while others don’t. Creativity is a human quality that can be nurtured and expanded—often in ways that seem counterintuitive. Here are four surprising ways to boost a design team’s creativity.