Today more than ever we are required to be creative. From solving managerial
problems to coming up with new product ideas to inventing yet another process,
the demand is real and increasing. Without tools and processes that can help
break the restrictive patterns of selective thought, we’ll continue to work only
with what now exists and miss the joy of releasing our natural creative abilities.
The Challenge
One of the major challenges is clearly understanding that creativity is a unique
function of our minds. It does not judge or condemn, evaluate or measure,
compare or assess. It cannot because it is a totally different way of processing
information. Creativity is wholistic and intuitive, which is nearly impossible to
describe. And yet it is as critical as breathing to our survival. The imagination,
which is its primary tool, is capable if unbelievable feats. Some believe its power
is at the center of all that we would call reality. The only thing that holds us
back from the daily experience of the real power and magic of our own creativity
is ourselves.
The Reality
For a wide variety of reasons we have learned to distrust our innate creativity.
We have been taught that it is erratic, chaotic, uncontrollable, unstructured,
and undisciplined. It is. But that is its nature. The energy of discovering new
forms and of seeing things in new ways is a threat to the energy that would like
things to stay just the way they are. We are divided by the notion that our
thoughts must be at odds with our dreams. And it has created a deep chasm
and conflict between our work and our creative selves.
The truth is that our logic and our imagination are equal parts of who we are.
It’s suggested in the very structure of our brains. We know this, but very little
of our professional and public lives reward us for pursuing our creative selves.
Even privately, we endeavor to develop our creative side only if we have a
burning desire that cannot be extinguished. At work, we don’t score points for
dreaming or reflecting. But that’s exactly what we must do if we want to
continue to improve, innovate, remain competitive and grow.
The Way to Play
There are some ways to bring creativity back into your work life -- and to
encourage it with your employees. Here are a couple of things you can do:
• Examine the work environment itself. Check and see if there are any barriers,
physical or political, to people exercising their creative muscles. Ask questions
like: How are creative efforts received? Is there a venue for suggestions and
ideas? Do we really understand and implement effective brainstorming
methods? Do we appreciate the value of play and humor? Are these things just
as valid as serious planning and organizing efforts?
• Provide resources and education. Make up-to-date information on the subject
available to all employees, in a library or regular publication. Provide training
that is varied and has depth, as there are many approaches to creativity and
innovation. Allow people to explore and study related subjects on company time.
Topics like Stress Management, Systems Thinking, Chaos Theory, Comparative
Philosophy, and Psychology are just a few that are relevant and directly useful
in the workplace. There are tons of books, articles, audio and video tapes out
there that are very well done and can spark a new enthusiasm for research and
learning.
There are three main elements of the presentations and training sessions
I have developed:
1. To free up and exercise our creative selves we have to first understand
how creativity works and what our personal barriers are.
2. Then, it is necessary to create safe environments in which people can
experiment and explore.
3. Finally, it must be understood that the principal method of exercising
creativity is play. How exactly does play fit (or not fit) in to the workplace?
It’s not about being goofy or telling jokes or having a lot of toys in your cube.
So, a thorough examination of our feelings about play, our reluctance to do it
in most situations, and any other barriers to its manifestation must be
undertaken. Only in looking long and hard at what holds us back can we start
to move forward. And always, with the perspective that we have all the “talent”
and creativity we need to begin. As a matter of fact, we already have all the
creative ability we’re ever going to get. It’s not about getting more of it, it’s
about cutting it loose and seeing how much there really is. That’s when we get
a glimpse of just how limitless we can be.
