A holy trinity
We define creativity as the ability to solve problems with flair. Can you get better at it? Can it be taught? Yes. For us, there are three clear steps to getting better at generating ideas that add value:
Creation is recreation and evaluation: you won’t come up with new ideas unless you give yourself time and space to reframe a problem and hang it in a different light. Once you’ve looked at it from every possible angle, you can leave the subconscious to mix old ideas with new and offer up some valuable suggestions. There’s a time for focus and a time for play, a time to work alone and a time to collaborate. The trick is to find the right balance in each case. In other words…
Make it personal: we are all unique – no one can solve problems like you. So we need to encourage each person to develop their ability to innovate. What inspires you? What undoes you? Are you getting what you need to thrive? Get a routine and keep playing around with it. No one else will do it for you.
Build resilience: some stress catalyzes creative thinking, sure, but too much and you snap. Sleep deteriorates, the brain gets stuck in old patterns and people reach for those traditional but very short-term solutions – group think, mediocrity, caffeine, alcohol, illegal drugs, plagiarism… the menu is long. To stay on top, we have to learn how to manage stress and unwind.
But that’s just the beginning: not all new ideas are good and even if they are, they’re not always welcome. 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration might be overplaying it but if you don’t learn how to pitch and to give and receive feedback, your best ideas aren’t going to get beyond the drawing board.
With these principles in mind, we have developed a range of courses – remote, on site and off site – to help you build the skills you need to keep the creative edge.