Creativity First, Innovation Will Follow

cropped-kris-chin-343494-unsplash-1.jpg

Alright, I am officially obsessing about creativity.

This has everything to do with the intense interest in innovation.

Discussions about innovation seem to be everywhere — yet, we don’t to fully understand how to cultivate it. Yes, innovation is a critical concept in today’s workplaces. Yes, it is necessary for us to move forward. However, I can’t help but think that we might be putting the cart before the horse.

Which leads me to one crux of the innovation dilemma.

When it comes to innovation — don’t we need creativity to be there to pave the road?

In this regard, it is wise to learn from the masters. I’ve just listened to HBR’s interview with Ed Catmull, President of Pixar Animation Studios. Undeniably, the folks at Pixar seem to have a handle on the creativity realm and the innovative results which follow. Catmull explains that the dynamic they have built to foster innovation at his studio isn’t perfect. However, the employed creative process has successfully contributed to quite a few incredible game-changing outcomes. (Consider Toy Story for a moment).

The ideas Catmull proposes to encourage creativity may initially make us uncomfortable and against the grain of how we might usually work. But, the dynamic has undeniably been proven to be a winner.

Here are a few of Pixar’s strategies to consider:

  • Banish perfectionism. There is a misconception that an idea has to be perfected to share it. Throw that rule out the window — and take a leap of faith to trust your team. Share your ideas earlier and gain useful input to build on its strengths.
  • Don’t let risk dictate. Give ideas enough time to “flesh out” before the looming possibility of risk snuffs out the possibilities. Evaluate risk as time goes on, and address those risks one step at a time — after the true potential of the idea is presented.
  • Don’t focus on just one idea. Becoming creative isn’t about locking in on one idea and never letting in another creative thought. Look to accumulate a number of ideas, and group them to help catapult a project forward. If you work in a group (as they do at Pixar), let a number of ideas from different contributors co-exist for a time. See what develops.
  • Not all ideas are instant money makers. Sometimes the process of following a creative path is simply good for the soul. Even if the idea doesn’t prove lucrative, it might pave the way for other ideas which have a much greater payoff.
  • You can give up. Not every creative endeavor deserves long-term attention or resources. If you have the feeling that you’ve entered a dead-end, offer yourself permission to move on. File the work for a later date —  it may become more relevant down the line.

How do you stoke innovation in your team? Share your strategies.

Dr. Marla Gottschalk is a worklife strategist, consultant and speaker. Connect with her on Twitter and Linkedin.

8 thoughts on “Creativity First, Innovation Will Follow

  1. This is very true! I couldn’t agree more! Creativity has always been a source of innovation. Creativity is formed by passion, resourcefulness, knowledge, and inspiration! Without creativity, innovation wouldn’t even possibly exist.

    Like

  2. This is the perfect webpage for anyone who wants to
    find out about this topic. You understand a whole lot its almost tough to argue with you (not that
    I actually would want to?HaHa). You definitely put a fresh spin on a subject that’s
    been discussed for decades. Great stuff, just
    great!. Here is my merchandise: best corded electric lawnmower #AGreenHand

    Like

  3. I’ve always asked myself and possibly doubted my self if I have creativity. Most of the time, I give up. But I liked what you said, that every creative thought doesn’t have to be part of the job. Sometimes it’s food for the soul. Maybe that’s what I’m missing.

    Thanks!

    Like

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s