Tips for building a more creative organisation

There has been oodles of research done about creativity, innovation and imagination over the years.  And I’ve spent over 30 years working in the creative industries in some shape or form. During that time I’ve noticed that creativity is not about the sector or whether you have ‘creative’ in your job title, it’s about a mindset, a culture, a way of being.  

What is also interesting is that despite research saying that we all have innate creativity within us as humans, according to Adobe’s State of Create Report 2016 only an average 41% think of themselves as creative.  Why is it that 59% of people don’t think they are creative?  

I think one of the key reasons, certainly in western culture, is that historically creativity has been linked with genius and intellect, and consequently it has been considered as being for a chosen few rather than available to everyone.  But my observations over the years and well as those of researchers in this field propose that creativity is more of a ‘way of being’.  So how can you cultivate it? Here are a few thoughts - and I’d love to hear what yours are.

Be open and build trust

Creativity has often gone unnoticed or unappreciated because it can be a bit disruptive - an individual might not follow the crowd, agree with everyone else and bring an entirely different way of thinking about something.  If we’re in a rush (which, let’s face it, we often are these days) this kind of thing can be met with irritation or get closed down quickly in order to move forward.  But given the opportunity to be seen or heard it might be just the right idea. So next time you experience a different viewpoint, get curious, give it a little space. Make it a safe environment to share different ideas, where everyone knows they will be seen and heard and accepted.

Get comfortable with being in the grey

I’m curious about how binary we seem to be becoming in our communications, politics and business - you’re either with me or against me - what if I’m somewhere in between? ‘ it’s either black or it’s white..’ What if it’s neither? What if I’m in the grey? Similarly we’ve gotten uncomfortable with the discomfort of not knowing, of not having it all worked out, of it not being in full control for a moment?  I’ve learnt over the years about something I call ‘delicious uncomfortableness’.  It’s a place between me and the answer, it’s full of opportunity and possibility.  It’s an emergent, exciting and simultaneously deeply nerve-wracking place all at the same time.  BUT I know that holding myself there for a while reaps its rewards as it’s a place where new perspectives, new ideas, new directions and answers emerge.  If I rush through this I have realised from previous experience that I can head off down the wrong track and the cost in time, anxiety and disappointment far outweighs the (smaller amount of) time to get curious in the grey for longer than the output focussed timetable allows.  

Be curious

As you’ll see, these all overlap with each other but being genuinely and deeply curious is an important creative trait.  This is the type of curiosity that means you challenge and question the status quo, take opportunities to full explore what is going on, what could happen, what are the possibilities.  If you’re driving at 70 miles an hour down the motorway you’ll see a lot less than if you walk so this brings me onto my next trait..

Pause

…in creativity there is much written, researched and experienced about the importance of pausing, reflecting, incubating ideas.  But it’s part of the process that gets dropped when everyone is pushed for time (which is, like, always) and we do so at our peril.  It’s the kind of thing that means what’s wrong goes unnoticed or ignored or we head at break-neck speed in the wrong direction.  It means you can’t tap into your intuition or your gut feeling on an idea or situation. So even if you’re in a rush and under pressure aim to take even a few minutes out - reflect over night, over lunch, walk around the block - even sit on the loo and count to 10.  As a leader, encourage ‘pause’ or ‘reflection’ with your team.  It can be time specific so it doesn’t drift into procrastination.  Have you tried sitting in silence for 1 minute in a meeting?  That would be a great pause - and even in 1 minute you can reflect on a lot.

‘But all this takes time’ I hear you say.  Yeah it does.  But as a strategic leader, are you going to be one that balances short term with long term?  This is a values call.  We are addicted to short term thinking and solutions, our whole systems are set up to nurture short-termism.  I would argue that us focussing on the short term at the expense of the long term is what has got us and this world into the mess we are in. 

So here's the challenge: Do you want to be part of the solution or part of the problem?