Can we all be creative and innovative?

Can we all be creative and innovative?

I have been in conversations recently with well known executives and consultants in a variety of industries. Everyone recognizes the fact those times are tough and that when times are tough, the tough ones need to grab the bull by its horns and do something about it.
There is one topic that comes up constantly when you are talking about difficult environments. Innovation and Creativity. In other words, maximizing your brain power and your productive creativity. Change, so fast and furious, and lack of resources that are affecting all of us in practically all areas of our lives, requires that people be aware that there are ways to be more creative.

All I can do in this article is discuss a couple of ideas.
We all have five personality traits: Negative emotionality, how we adapt to stress, Extroversion, whether we like to work alone or with others, Agreeableness, do we focus on others or do we focus on ourselves, Consciousness, which is about self control in the service of one’s will to succeed and the one I want to focus on in this article,
“Openness to New experiences”. The openness trait is all about the degree to which one is curious about one’s inner and outer worlds. On the one hand, the Explorer has broader interests, and a fascination with novelty and innovation. On the other hand, the Preserver has narrower interests, is perceived as more conventional and is more comfortable with the familiar. In between, of course, we have all kinds of shades and colors.

It is logical to assume that people that are open to new experiences are more creative than people that are not, so Explorers are more creative than Preservers. The interesting question we must ask ourselves is; can Preservers or Moderates (people in the middle between Explorer and Preserver) be taught skills to increase their ability to be creative?

The answer is yes.
I believe that anyone can be taught how to be creative. Of course, those that have the natural ability will be ahead in that department but those that don’t can be taught techniques that if practiced, could make them very creative individuals.

Constantly looking for new and better ways of doing something is both a skill to develop and a habit to be acquired. If you practice, practice, practice, it soon becomes second nature. In fact, it is very lucrative for you to be known as an idea person in a company or in society in general.
Many of my friends ask me how in the world I can come up with a different article every week, week after week. I tell them that I don’t find it too difficult because I am constantly looking for opportunities to learn something or observe behavior or ask questions so as to have material to write an article. There are journalists that write a daily column. There are television producers that have to come up with a different program every single day. I know, I am a consultant to a television station.

Coming up with ideas that solve people’s problems is a source of great satisfaction for whoever thinks about the idea. How would you feel if you came up with the idea to eliminate world hunger, or make it easier for the rich countries to help the poor countries, or reduce teenage driving accidents or eliminate computer viruses or eliminate spam or reduce drop out rates among our youths, create a health care system that works, eliminate angry customers, or reduce billing mistakes in your company?

You would feel great and the good thing about creativity and innovation is that there are ways to solve all those problems and for everyone to be creative.

There is a quote attributed to Robert F. Kennedy although someone may have said it before. Since I don’t know who said it before, I quote Robert F. Kennedy. He said:
“Some men see things as they are and say “Why? I dream of things that never were and say, “Why Not?”

That is what successful people do all the time, don’t they?

It was Ben Franklin, not an actuary who in the Seventeen fifties founded the first Insurance Company in America. He also invented bifocals, and the library step stool, the rocking chair, the lightning rod, the odometer and the Stove. All this inventions in addition to his role in drafting the most successful constitution in history, the U.S. constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
What about Don Luis Munoz Marin in the 1950’s thinking about an “independent free State”. That, we must admit was very creative.
And people that I don’t even now who they are that came up with the idea of allowing to turn right on a red light, or one way tolls, or wheels on luggage and briefcases, small things that make our lives much easier.

How can you become more creative?
One way is to pay attention. Look for the obvious which often is not so obvious.
Ask the question, what if?
Another question, if money is not an issue, how would I solve this problem?
Put yourself on the shoes of another person and ask “How would X solve this problem?

You can even be creative in the message you leave on your answering machine.
A couple of examples, from my book, How to Survive Among Piranhas”

“Hello, this is Death. I am not in right now, but if you leave your name and number, I will be right with you”.

Or, try this one:
Hi. I am probably home, I am just avoiding someone I don’t like. Leave me a message, and if I don’t call back, it is you.

Yes, life is great and every day gives us an opportunity to find new problems, new solutions, new challenges, new opportunities and to have fun.