5 Quick Creativity Boosters
Feeling uninspired? Here are some
quick tips from Inc. columnists that are sure to add a creative jolt.
So much of business can feel routine
and boring. Repetitive process is important for scalability, but it can also send everyone into a dull
rut that can lower morale and productivity. Too much routine can also
put you at risk of losing to the competition.
The
most successful companies find ways to inject creativity into their process.
Individuals are encouraged to be creative within their own areas. Useful innovation can take place even in
seemingly routine functions such as HR and accounting. Here are my
suggestion for a quick creativity boost and more insights from my Inc.
colleagues.
1.
Start over.
Whenever
I feel like I have hit a plateau in my business, I do what I like to call the
"new beginning" exercise. I sit down and list out a job description
for the project or position as if it were my first
day
taking on the role. This allows me fresh perspective to see what the person
doing it before--me--was doing right and doing wrong. Then I try to think
of ways to do things totally differently. The emotional detachment from the
past helps me look forward to new and exciting methods and solutions.
2. Don't settle for mediocre.
When
I was a kid we built obstacle courses and pretended the ground was lava; if we
fell off, we "died." Extend that premise to your business: What if
every mistake was a fatal mistake? If every shipment had to be perfect, what
would you need to do? Pick any process and assume perfection, not incremental
gains, is a requirement. It's amazing how creative you can be when there are no
"outs" to fall back on. Jeff Haden--Owner's Manual
3. Get hot.
To
jump-start my creativity I find the best thing I can do is to jump in the
shower and turn it on--hot. There’s just something about that hot water pouring
over my head to loosen up all sorts of great ideas. Try it sometime! Peter Economy--The Leadership Guy
4. Talk about it.
There
are times, especially when I have to create a course or program, that I get
particularly stuck. For me, this condition blocks all creative flow and leads
to lack of motivation and inspiration. These are the times I visit a friend or
peer who is willing to listen and perhaps even brainstorm with me. The simple
act of thinking and processing out loud tends to unearth creative ideas and a
process for carrying them out. When a lack of creativity hits, call your coach,
a savvy friend, or a colleague, and enjoy regaining your flow! Marla
Tabaka--The
Successful Soloist
5. Do something unrelated.
If
you are under the pressure of a deadline to "be creative," you may
feel like you don't have the option of letting creativity happen naturally.
Rather than diving in and trying to trudge through, I find my best way forward
is to step away from the project altogether. Creativity comes at the most
unusual times, and it can't be forced. For me, creativity is best inspired when
I am doing something completely unrelated to the task I need to
accomplish. If I am struggling to tap into my creativity, I take a long walk,
swim laps, or go to Starbucks for a jolt of java. I have learned that in order
to jump in, I must first step back. Eric Holtzclaw--Lean Forward
By Kevin Daum
http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/5-quick-creativity-boosters.html?cid=em01020week29a
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