This informal CPD article on How to Stifle Creativity was provided by Chris Hewitt, Founder of Berkeley Communications Group and the Berkeley Storytelling Academy, a leading story-driven PR and communications agency. (Image for this article was provided by Berkeley Communications Group from UnSplash and Writix)
How many times have you sat in a so called brain-storming session and dreaded the facilitator (usually someone senior to you) asking for your big idea? How can you be spontaneous and creative on the spot and under pressure? Sweaty hands creep in and you worry about not having anything to say and this turns into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Especially if you’ve only just heard what the brief or idea is.
Expecting people to deliver creativity on demand simply doesn’t work.
Fundamentally, creativity in groups works better when people are enjoying themselves, feel happy about making mistakes and where the environment is playful – Google’s workplace culture is legendary.
My experience got me thinking about other ways to avoid creative block and so I came up with these six.
1. Brainstorms don’t work. In fact, there are several schools of thought that brainstorms inhibit creativity. According to Harvard Business Review, social loafing creeps in because people put in less effort in a group than they would individually. Then there’s social anxiety which means we don’t get to hear the great ideas of the introverts. And many introverts are creative people.
If you must have a brainstorm, make sure everyone has done their research beforehand and comes to the meeting with pre-prepared with ideas. Then you will see them evolve creatively and practically as people ask questions and make suggestions.
2. Expertise is not required. You don’t have to be an expert in something to be creative at it, but knowledge is important. Whatever you’re working on, conduct your own research. View related TED talks, search YouTube, find a mentor, use research, read the press, ask questions, delve deeply into the topic you’re working on. The more you know, the more ideas will creep into your head.
3. Cuddle the dog. Better still, move. Get up. Walk the dog. Look around you for inspiration. Be mindful all the time of the challenge you’re working on. Ideas come to us when they want, not when we want them. Pay attention to your thoughts and have a pen handy – a shower-proof one if necessary. Or an app. Or send yourself an email. Whatever it takes. If I’m driving, I use Siri to dictate the thought. There’s always a way.
4. Think in problems. If you’re trying to find an idea to promote a product, think of the problem people have. Then think of the consequence if the problem is not solved. So, if you want to promote a desk-tidy, think problem – an untidy desk. Then think of the consequence – poor productivity.
5. Volume matters. Come up with lots of ideas. If 99% are crap, then 1% is still good. Just keep going. Mind-mapping is one way to do this by keeping the central idea (or problem) as the kernel and then branching out from there.
6. Keep it real. There are plenty of great ideas germinating in pubs up and down the country. You can hear them a mile off. But great ideas are useless without effective execution which is why so many ideas stay in the pub along with the people who came up with them. Keep your idea simple and practical. If you can’t explain it in a sentence, think again. And above all, can you execute?
And it’s about practising what you preach, at Berkeley we’ll have an ideas session, the more people the better and there’s no expectations. We ask everyone who’s involved in the campaign but especially those who aren’t to bring fresh eyes and heads to the session. Then we ask them to go away again and come back with the thoughts they have in the next hours, days or weeks.
It’s also always a good idea to ‘socialise’ your idea with people outside your professional circle to get a fresh perspective – a sounding board if you like. So yes, let’s end it there. In the pub. Cheers.
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