Key Messages
How To Use Creative Thinking To Tackle Problems And Succeed In A Changing World
In today’s fast-paced and unpredictable world, success depends on having the ability to think creatively.
Research at Yale School of Management indicates that by 2027, 75 percent of leading US firms will be replaced by competitors we don’t even know about yet.
To remain competitive in this ever-changing world then, it’s essential to have the skill set to come up with fresh ideas and approaches quickly and effectively.
That’s why The Creative Thinking Handbook is so important.
It provides a comprehensive guide to how you can develop your creative thinking skills and use them to solve any problem or challenge you face.
From understanding your thought processes better, to utilizing tools that can help make creative thinking an intrinsic part of your work, this handbook shows you how mastering creative thinking can sustain your business for years to come.
You’ll also learn about things like: why one word can sometimes be the key to solving a problem; how brainstorming sessions don’t always have to be stormy in order for successful ideas to surface; and why it pays off to bring emotion into the equation when coming up with unique solutions.
With The Creative Thinking Handbook in your arsenal, you’ll never be stuck without an inventive idea again!
From Mornings Of Routine To Creative Superpowers: How To Develop Thinking Strategies For Creative Success
Building creativity requires us to be strategic in our thinking.
We can’t just rely on the same thought patterns that we use for mundane tasks – if we want to come up with creative solutions, we need to develop strategies for our thinking.
It’s almost like creating a plan for a new year’s resolution: when it comes time to lose weight or learn something new, we develop diets and courses that help get us there.
The same idea applies when trying to think creatively; you need an actual strategy in place to help change your thinking patterns and realize your creative potential.
Creativity is no longer seen as just something artists and musicians possess – it’s an essential skill all professions require in a changing world.
This has even been recognized by the World Economic Forum, who stated problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity were the top three skills to succeed in the 2020 workplace!
So if you want to reach your full potential, then start being more strategic about how you think – you never know what amazing ideas may result!
Don’T Fall Prey To Thinking Patterns That Stifle Creativity And Innovation
When attempting to come up with creative ideas, we often don’t realize that certain thinking patterns can impede our progress.
Selective thinking, for example, makes us favor some ideas over others and overlook new information that may contradict our view.
This can be disastrous when working in a competitive market; Henry Ford famously overlooked changing customer preferences in the 1920s and his company paid the price.
Reactive thinking is common too – when people rush to push an idea out without taking the time to consider all of the options, expecting to beat everyone else to it.
But if your product isn’t properly refined when pushed out it could be beneficial for competitors who can enter the market at a later stage with a more polished product.
Finally, assumptive thinking prevents us from seeking out new information or trying different methods – something which is essential for uncovering creative solutions.
An example of this is Encyclopedia Britannica, who challenged conventional assumptions about their business model and found success in digital form.
Selective, reactive and assumptive thinking all block our creativity so it’s important to be aware of them before embarking on any creative activity!
Take Time To Dig Deep And Truly Understand Your Problem For Better Solutions
When approaching a problem, it’s essential to take the time to fully understand it.
Without really grasping the challenge at hand, any solutions you come up with are likely to be superficial and not good enough.
That’s why the creative thinking which is outlined in The Creative Thinking Handbook is so valuable.
It starts by defining the problem and clarifying what you do and don’t know about it.
You need to state the challenge as it stands, while also outlining what a good solution looks like, such as if you would be happy with a 10% increase in sales over your competitors’ results this year.
Writing these things down helps push aside ideas until later, allowing you to focus on facts that can help inform your decision making.
By questioning everything – including the assumptions you may have made – you can start filling any information gaps and gain fresh insights from varied perspectives.
For example, Toyota executives have been asking ‘why’ at least five times since the 1930s to ensure they get to specifics of any issue they’re tackling.
To go even further, imagine how different people would approach your challenge – from colleagues and customers to billionaires and dead philosophers alike!
Taking time for this allows for outside-the-box brainstorming like never before, leading to interesting ideas being brought forth that potentially could change everything.
In conclusion, taking the time to properly comprehend the problems at hand is key when trying to devise a creative solution which works well in practice.
The Creative Thinking Handbook guides through this journey quite amazingly!
How To Set Up Creative Brainstorming Sessions That Actually Work
Creativity doesn’t just appear out of thin air.
Instead, it takes a combination of structure and freedom for an individual or group to come up with creative ideas.
Brainstorming meetings that follow the above guidelines provide an environment where creativity has the best chance to flourish.
When selecting a facilitator and forming the team, it’s important to make sure different personalities and expertise are included.
As learned from Idea Champions in 2008, collaboration and solo work helps get those creative juices flowing.
By allowing everyone to brainstorm individually before sharing their ideas with the group, everyone is given an opportunity to be heard.
Through this exercise, even bad ideas can be built upon by teammates and turn into great ones!
The point of ideation activities is also to give participants plenty of room to explore freely and have fun.
When challenging topics become metaphors (e.g., “trying to get more customers” turned into “trying to catch more fish”), minds open up and new concepts can enter the discussion much easier than trying to work out the details of practical applications right away.
Post-It notes are one example where this happened; after Spencer Silver accidentally made weak glue he couldn’t use at first, Arthur Fry was able find its purpose many years later without judgement or expectations!
Essentially if you want greater chances of coming up with successful creative solutions in your brainstorms, it’s important experiment with structure and provide enough space for freedom, so there’s ample opportunity for people to explore their imaginations for better outcomes!
How Emotion And Logic Help Us Make Creative Decisions
We should never underestimate the power of both our head and heart when it comes to choosing the right creative idea.
Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio found that those who couldn’t experience feelings or emotions were unable to make even simple decisions due to an ‘emotional paralysis’ – without emotions, all choices seemed equal.
At the same time, research from the UK Institute of Practitioners in Advertising database shows twice as much success for emotional-based ads compared to those that are more logical.
For instance, it’s more likely that insurance ad painting a picture of a family struggling without you would be more effective than simply explain how inexpensive life cover is.
Therefore, it’s important to approach each idea with both logic and emotion when sifting through them.
Analyze how well each concept speaks to your heart or your head by looking at pros and cons, practicality, resources needed, forces that could push it forward (or hold it back) and overall relevancy to your target audience.
With this approach in mind, you’ll be able to make the right decision with ease.
Success Requires More Than Just A Great Idea—You Need Confidence And Constant Iteration
If you have an idea and want to bring it to life, you’ll need three things: confidence, a solid plan, and a constant flow of creativity.
Confidence is key – even the most historically successful inventors faced plenty of rejection.
James Dyson invented the revolutionary dual cyclone bagless vacuum cleaner after 15 years and over 5,000 prototypes.
Walt Disney started his animation career with bankruptcy, plus was discouraged by 302 rejections before getting funding for Disneyworld.
Many would’ve lost hope with those kinds of hard knocks – but those who stayed confident had far greater success in the end.
An actual plan helps, too.
Taking the time to put together a thorough plan and set tangible goals can make or break your final result.
A research study showed that 76% of people who wrote down their goals actually achieved them compared to just 43% who didn’t.
Lastly, you need creative thinking long-term if you want your idea to be successful – your work doesn’t stop when your project is finished.
Take Angry Birds for example: the team behind this game kept on updating levels and versions after launching it, integrating toys, books, and a movie into their product line; all these updates helped keep their invention relevant and successful for longer!
How To Maintain Your Creative Thinking Habits And Reap Long-Term Benefits
We all know about the importance of creativity when it comes to business and career growth.
That is why it is essential to build an environment that nurtures creative growth and make time for creativity.
Apple, LinkedIn and Intuit are prime examples of companies who find success in doing just this – they actively carve out time for their employees to work on side projects and explore new ideas.
Fostering creativity also means allowing your mind to wander now and then.
Historians have documented how iconic individuals like Mozart, Beethoven and Albert Einstein were able to come up with revolutionary ideas through daydreaming or during long walks.
So if you want to encourage creative thinking, let your mind roam free sometimes!
Fun activities can also be extremely beneficial in the workplace when it comes to fostering creativity.
A survey conducted in the UK found that those who had fun in the workplace were more likely to be creative thinkers than employees who hadn’t experienced any fun activities.
Other research conducted at the University of Western Ontario discovered that people exposed to happy videos and music became more flexible in their thinking and better off when pitted against tough problems.
At the end of the day, making time for creativity does not mean always having a product or outcome in mind – some days, just taking some time off for yourself and having a little bit of fun can do wonders for encouraging creative thought processes.
When you set aside some time dedicated purely towards having fun, you can strengthen your creative muscles without feeling under pressure from targets or productivity KPIs!
Wrap Up
The Creative Thinking Handbook is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in unleashing their inner creativity.
It encourages readers to think differently and offers actionable advice on how to apply those realizations to everyday tasks.
The final message the book conveys is that it’s not necessarily about ability but about dedication and drive.
Everyone has the potential to be more creative given the right environment, instructions, practice and focus.
By tracking your most productive hours and making use of them, you can take advantage of any task requiring a bit of creative thinking in no time.
