creativity, new ideas

Creative thinking is as much a skill as mathematics. Once you learn the processes and tools of lateral thinking, you can use them formally and deliberately to generate new ideas. One workshop in South Africa generated 21,000 new ideas in an afternoon using just one of the tools of lateral thinking.

Everyone can learn these skills and I have 1,200 trainers worldwide who are able to teach these skills. As with any skill, not everyone will be equally adept. Some people will be better than others. But everyone can acquire a useful level of skill.

It is the risk and uncertainty associated with creativity that make it unattractive. In any case, not many people have developed the skill of creative thinking.

Perhaps you recognise the need for creativity but feel you do not need any new ideas at the moment. Perhaps you have all the ideas you can handle. Perhaps you feel that new ideas would be a distraction and a disturbance.

There are times when this attitude may be fully justified - but the attitude is not justified as a permanent one. New ideas may simplify what is being done. New ideas may save costs and suggest alternative routes. New ideas do not only cover new products or services.

Maybe you believe you are fully capable of having all the new ideas you need.

You may indeed be very creative but there is no limit to creativity. It is always possible to have additional ideas. These may be directly usable in themselves, or may trigger further ideas in your mind.

You might, on the contrary, believe that there could be important new ideas and that these would be so attractive that they would distract you from what you are doing. You would rather not have the temptation.

This is a valid point of view if you are incapable of focusing on what you are doing. New ideas are a bonus - not an obligation.

Most executives feel that their role is to continue to operate things as they are and to solve problems that arise. Continuity and problem-solving, they feel, are enough.

So where does change come from? It can be copied, borrowed or stolen from someone else. It can come about through your own thinking.

Change is usually driven by reaction to information and circumstances. Only rarely is change driven by a motivation to change and do better. Most people are paid to 'do well', but not to 'do better'. Competence and expertise are valued - creativity is not.

The true enemy of creativity is not negativity, as is commonly believed. The true enemy of creativity is complacency.

Complacency believes that things are perfect as they are and any change is not only unnecessary, but even dangerous.