A lot has been written over the years about
creativity. People who market professional services are thought to be
creative. Creativity is expected, if you want to enter this
business. What do you know about creativity?
Many think it is simply a right brain condition where
creative people have strengths while left brain folks are better suited for the
technical, numbers and details of the industry. Viewing creativity as
solely the realm of one side of the brain limits ideas and possibilities. It
fails to respect how creativity impacts science and rational thinking.
Creativity comes from an assortment of traditional and non-traditional sources.
Are you a broker of possibility and hope?
If not, you need to look at your creativity in the context
of emotional intelligence. The chart shows how both sides of the brain come
into play. The quadrants of emotional intelligence include: Self-Awareness,
Social-Awareness, Relationship Management and Self-Management.
Understanding each of these will enable you to unleash your inner and sometimes
hidden creative forces.
You might be asking yourself how creativity comes into play
with your relationships. Vision, influence and leadership drive creativity
to support your relationships.
Have you gotten tired of people saying, “Think outside the
box?” The creative marketing professional doesn’t think outside the box,
they create a new box. Marketers don’t like to play on a level
playing field. They are under constant pressure to create a competitive
advantage. If they believe they are on a level playing field, they will
look like a community college against a Clemson in the National Championship
game. The services that your firm delivers to clients are like
hundreds of others. How do you make yourself and your firm memorable to
clients? The internet has made it easy for clients to assess the
capabilities of firms they want to do business with. In an industry
that considers sales a dirty word, the word creativity brings on images of
crazy, outrageous, and unwise. Therefore, your creativity must be
tempered by your flexibility and adaptability. Management realizes that
traditional marketing and the status quo no longer build business. A change
agent must be a leader first.
Think about what these people had to say about
creativity:
“A truly creative person rids him or herself of all
self-imposed limitations.” Gerald G. Champoski
“Creativity is a highfalutin word for the work I have to do
between now and Tuesday.” Ray Kroc
“Creation is a drug I can't do without.” Cecil B. DeMille
It is interesting that the movie maker, De Mille, and the
entrepreneur, Kroc founder of McDonalds, both viewed creativity as essential
for their work. You should feel the same way.
Six Myths Of
Creativity
A groundbreaking
study about innovation in the workplace uncovered six myths of creativity. The
study, conducted by Teresa Amabile, a professor and head of the entrepreneurial
management unit at Harvard Business School, was summarized in a Fast Company article,
"The 6 Myths of Creativity." Here is what she found:
• Creativity
comes from creative types: The reality is that anyone with normal intelligence
is capable of doing some degree of creative work.
• Money is a
creativity motivator: The reality is that money isn't everything.
• Time pressure
fuels creativity: The reality is that time pressure stifles creativity because
people can't deeply engage with the problem.
• Fear forces
breakthroughs: The reality is that creativity is positively associated with joy
and love, and negatively is associated with anger, fear and anxiety.
• Competition
beats collaboration: The reality is that the most creative teams are those that
have the confidence to share and debate ideas.
• A streamlined
organization is a creative organization: The reality is that creativity suffers
greatly during a downsizing.
How do these
findings relate to the conditions in your firm?
You now know that
both sides of the brain are important in the creative process. Do you
ever believe something in your gut but are afraid to offer the idea or
proceed? Intuition is one of the strongest ways to deliver your creative
process. There are other things to consider, if maximizing your inherent
creativity is a goal in your career path. Don’t second guess yourself or
live in the pit of self-doubt. Accept criticism but don’t accept it as an
absolute. Observe and learn from your mistakes. Become a risk
taker.
Break free from
the naysayers, external constraints, internal biases and fear of reprisals or
consequences. Your curiosity should compel you to ask questions.
Marketers who are afraid to ask questions continue to play on a level playing
field. We are all solution providers and are, to one extent or
another, creative people. If you are having problems with this, stop
asking “why” and start asking “why not.” The paradigm shifts when you use creativity to change the outcomes of your firm's business opportunities. The change agent is yesterday's news.
You will be well prepared to become a broker of possibility
and hope.
