How to be Creative
Two weeks back, I explored the concept that innovation involves being creative with some part of the business model and successfully executing those creative ideas (Von Stamm, 2008). While this may sound straightforward, understanding creativity itself can be challenging. Often, dictionaries provide circular definitions, where creativity is labeled as the act of being creative, and creative is defined as imaginative or inventive. To unravel this concept more concretely, we turn to Franken's perspective: creativity is the capability to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves and others (2009). This definition introduces two critical tests for something to be considered creative—it must offer a new idea or a fresh application of an existing one, and it must address a problem.
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Generating ideas that meet both criteria is where the real challenge lies. Despite various opinions on the matter, the essence of creative idea generation in business boils down to two tasks. The first task involves clearly defining the problem at hand. The second task requires openness to consider all options for addressing the problem before evaluating or eliminating possibilities—a process that, interestingly, many problem-solving efforts tend to reverse.
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Starting with the problem definition, we've all been in meetings where ideas flow rapidly, only to realize that half the room is working on one problem while the other half tackles another. Solving a problem becomes incredibly challenging when there's no consensus on what needs solving. Various techniques exist for achieving a shared understanding, but a straightforward approach involves listing all the basics—who, what, where, how, and why—on a whiteboard or flip chart. Reviewing this information collectively before diving into ideation sets a clear foundation.
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Even with a well-defined problem, creative solutions are often hindered by self-imposed limitations on the solutions considered and discussed. Ideas may be quickly dismissed as unworkable, or individuals may withhold their novel ideas due to fear of ridicule. However, unconventional ideas, while not always the final solution, can spark conversations leading to truly innovative and viable solutions. In creative processes, ground rules should be set—everything is on the table, and no ideas are dismissed, evaluated, or sorted until the ideation phase is complete. Only then can the process move to assessing which ideas are better, realistic, and implementable. This iterative process ultimately brings us back to the core concept of innovation: turning those creative ideas into reality.
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References:
Von Stamm, B. (2008). Managing innovation, design and creativity (2nd ed.). Chichester, United Kingdom: Wiley.
Franken, R. E. (2009). Human motivation (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
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