Redefine what needs a creative response

Now and again I hear, “There isn’t much that’s creative in my end of the business. That belongs to the marketing guys.” It makes me grin: every business opportunity/issue that requires new thinking is a creative challenge. Yes, it’s a bit scary: it suggests a lot of day-to-day business requires creativity. People who aren’t prepared for that often cling to WWADI (Way We’ve Always Done It).

So, why do some people push away the creative aspect of business? Years ago when I interviewed William Gordon, a great inventor and pioneer in creative thinking, I asked him, “What is the biggest barrier to corporate innovation?” and he said, “Fear.” Although fear of change is obvious, there is one less talked about that is very pervasive: the fear of being discovered as inadequate.

Creativity is a giant fuzzy thing, and therefore it’s hard to be a master of it. When people can’t master something in a environment where performance is measured and scrutinized, they get anxious. Fear of inadequacy is a common theme to all five reasons given in a great blog post about Why CEOs don’t get innovation. Of course, fear doesn’t go away just because we name it. It can be lessened, however, when we apply the right tools to the challenge at hand. B.I.5 – Breakthough Ideas in 5 Steps is one such tool. It breaks down the work into five steps, from defining the challenge to selling the idea to decision-makers.

Some business challenges solved creatively

Below are some examples of creative challenges I helped my clients resolve; if you’re dealing with something similar, it might need a creative response.

• How do you train new employees on operation procedure while simultaneously inviting them to live the brand?
• How do you find new revenue in the company’s existing competencies?
• How do you improve customer service in a “back office” (of a national bank) where no one sees the customer?
• How do you invite employees take ownership of customer service improvements?
• How do you infuse more innovation into marketing plans when the annual planning conference is time-crunched?
• How do you find ways, in only two days, to the improve the efficiency of a large department?
• How do you help an I.T. department make quicker and more reliable decisions about new projects (i.e., eliminate costly mistakes)?
• How do you bond a new product team under pressure to immediately create business strategy?
• How do you help product teams use their time and resources more effectively when ramping up for a new product launch?
• How do you improve the efficiency of collaboration within multiple cross-functional teams?
• How do you bond a new division arising from a restructuring when it’s a collection of seven diverse departments?
• How do you streamline the processing of loan documents and improve the department’s relationship with field agents at the same time?
• How do you help a team change their way of doing business in order to comply with new industry guidelines?
• How do you translate a new corporate brand positioning into specific tangible actions within all departments?
• How do you create a cohesive strategic view among an association’s volunteer Board when their role orients them toward tactics?

All of the above are past projects for Creative Expeditions clients; if you need help with something similar, please contact me.