the
innovative LEDGER
An e-Newsletter from The Innovative Edge™ Inc.
Vol.
9, No. 6 - June 2009
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The Practice of Creativity, Part 2:
7 Tips for Staying in Shape
By Jeff Govendo
Last
month I cited an article by New York Times columnist David Brooks
which asserted that the key predictor of creative genius is the diligence
and repetition a person is willing to apply to mastering a skill set
during his/her formative years, be it in art, music or science. Mozart,
he noted, was not a standout among his boyhood peers until, with his
father's encouragement, he simply began logging many more hours at
the keyboard.
While
I questioned whether practice alone can explain the differences between
the great masters and mere mortals, I wholeheartedly believe that
all of us are inherently creative, by virtue of the mind's natural
ability to make unusual connections. Further, by putting creative
individuals together in close collaboration, work teams are capable
of producing remarkable and very innovative solutions on a regular
basis.
The
capacity of a team to innovate is always a plus. In the troubled economic
environment we now find ourselves in, it is critical.
So,
it is useful to think of creative thinking -- or connection-making
-- as a skill that actually improves with practice; and conversely,
fades from lack of use.
Here,
then, are 7 tips for keeping your teams in top form, creatively speaking.
1.
Set some ground rules that encourage people to use their imaginations.
The familiar "no idea is a bad idea" or "don't judge
ideas as they are given" are helpful. However worded, the purpose
is to give everyone's left brain a little vacation (don't worry; it
won't go too far) and the right brain a little breathing room. The
message: it's OK to suggest ideas that are unproven, wishful, even
a bit far-out. They are only ideas. And very few innovations come
from ordinary, already-familiar ideas.
2.
In offering ideas, be purposefully indecisive. I know... doesn't
sound very business-like, does it? But prefacing new ideas with phrases
like "I wish we could..." or "I wonder if..."
enables a person to be more speculative in his/her thinking.
At the front end of innovation, that's exactly what's needed.
3.
Listen to build on other ideas. As opposed to the more
popular "listening for what's wrong" with them. Yes, it's
important to be realistic and not get sidetracked with some farfetched
notion. But we lose a lot of potential gems this way, as well as
the willingness of people to keep contributing. There's plenty
of time later on to critically review what's been offered.
4.
Change the scenery to stimulate ideas. If creativity is about
making new connections, give people something other than the usual,
bland office environment to connect to. Go outdoors, have magazines
on hand with rich photographs or illustrations, watch some You-Tube
–- anything to shake things up a bit. Remember, while it may
be playful, it’s not simply playtime if you value innovation
in your business.
5.
Remember that creative beginning ideas are NOT finished products.
They are the raw material for developing new concepts. Failing
to understand this is the #1 reason why potential winners are rejected
early on and lost forever. For a quick read on how to flesh out
a beginning idea to potential solution, read my article "The
Key to Innovation: Just Say Maybe."
6.
Work on initiatives that are tangible, focused and do-able. Large-scale
innovation projects are exciting, but in today's environment may need
to be put off for a time (although this is not a given!) In the meantime,
the same quality of creative thinking and collaboration can be aimed
at modest goals that are more easily (and inexpensively) implemented.
7.
Create an idea bank. Show team members that their ideas are worth
something, even if nothing can be done with them at present. Have
an idea repository, accessible to everyone. Besides what it tells
them about the value of thinking creatively, you may in fact find
something terrific worth pursuing when the economy rebounds.
Because
of budgetary constraints during tough times, many business leaders
think of recession as a period of downtime for innovation. Survival
comes first. While that's true, survival later on is important too.
Recession or no, the competition is always there, and those companies
who can keep their creative muscles in tone are better positioned
to hit the ground running when things pick up.
So,
like Mozart's dad said, "Just keep practicing, Amadeus!"
