There people, teams, organizations, networks and communities all over the world thinking and doing differently than we are. The more we pay attention to this ever-churning diversity, the more we feed our creative capacity. This is what seasoned artists do. The opposite of starring at empty canvases, lumps of clay or talking things to death.
The creativity-innovation distinction
We can think of creativity as new ideas, questions and perspectives and innovation as new ideas that work. This implies that innovation is tested creativity. It takes creativity to move all the way through an Innovation process.
Opening to creativity: two options
Behavioral scientist Francesca Gino suggests two research based ideas for opening to creativity: could and both-and.
Considering what we could do opens more options than what we should do. Considering conflicting desires opens creativity more than trying to choose one.
What to do with new ideas
In every organization, new ideas emerge in a variety of forms: as problems, opportunities, solutions, breakthroughs, questions and disruptive possibilities. In an idea friendly culture, there can certainly be more new ideas than capacity to explore, learn from or fulfill them.
In the triage of ideas, there are some basic options.
Implementation
Some are action ready. We just need to implement them as they are. We have the optimism, resources and talent to put them into practice.
Experimenting
Some need to be tested in iterations from minimal viable products to fully formed and implementation ready forms.
Development
Some need to be developed through the 5 Growing Ideas strategies into more functional, problem-free, constraint-responsive approaches
Research
Some have promise and any number of open questions including technical, operational, financial, marketing and strategic questions.
Dependency cue
Some can only happen after other conditions, resources or talents are available. We keep an eye on these as possibilities open up for them to move forward.
The creativity-trust magic
Creativity in teams requires trust. When we can depend on each other to help grow ideas we are less apt to self-filter unfamiliar, different and essentially untested and unproven ideas. We have more space to listen and inquire, discover and explore.
When we don't have to fear ridicule for raw and undeveloped ideas, we have the patience of courage. When we don't have to compete to win over others, what we create together is richer than what we could create in isolation or opposition. We experiment with those we trust.
Trust grows as we share understanding, promises, agreements, storytelling, connecting conversations and growing together.
When it comes to being more creative together, we don't need training as much as a growing culture of trust.