Understanding what gets in the way of people giving their best is key to unlocking their creativity to enable them to think differently, according to creative thinking champion and motivational speaker David Hall.
Try asking people how they feel about a problem, rather than what they think of it
The internationally acclaimed speaker was in Malta recently to talk to 50-odd business leaders and managers about creative thinking and ways to develop and implement strategies to overcome barriers to creativity.
Previously chief executive of HFL Ltd, the drug surveillance and contact research organisation in Newmarket, Dr Hall is the founder and chief executive of The Ideas Centre in the UK. A chartered engineer, Dr Hall has occupied roles in manufacturing, service and technology transfer organisations in the oil and gas, contract electronics, and forensic science industries.
“Trying to get the very best out of people has been the main element that has connected my career,” Dr Hall told The Times Business. “I’ve attempted to identify what gets in the way of people giving their best; I believe people inherently want to give their best. As the world around us changes quickly, we need to think differently. However, all our decision-making processes are based on past experiences which have created patterns that determine future behaviour. Those patterns often create blockages to creativity.”
Dr Hall explains the trick is determining how best to unlock those patterns and to introduce structured approaches to making the familiar unfamiliar, which in turn encourages people to think differently.
His own definition of creativity is the “generation of ideas that are both novel and useful” but he is mindful that most people are conditioned to use their experience to generate useful ideas that are not new.
Timing, he cautions, is crucial to acceptance. Unless a culture of creativity already exists in an organisation, it is important to first ensure there is an environment which accepts creative thought where it was previously frowned upon.
“The word ‘creativity’ alone instils fear and uncertainty because it comes with a certain baggage,” Dr Hall concedes. “Managers believe creative types to be unpredictable and unstructured, and dangerous in front of customers. Also, creativity cannot be measured. Ask leaders how many creative people they would like in their teams. Quite a few would say ‘none’. Ask them how many in their team they would like to generate novel and useful ideas, and their answer would probably be ‘100 per cent’.”
Dr Hall says people identify patterning behaviour when they are encouraged to talk about it, so they may well be aware of what it is that blocks their creativity.
He suggests managers try to first encourage people to examine problems rather than urging them to find solutions quickly, even before they have been dissected. The thought process to redefine a problem can condition the solutions which are generated.
This shattering of patterns, Dr Hall emphasised, is the beginning of the creative thinking process and a range of techniques can be applied here, including creative problem-solving or reversal, which involves identifying ways to actually compound the situation before working backwards for a different perspective on the original problem.
“Or you could brainstorm superhero-style,” Dr Hall adds. “Each member of the session would be a superhero and any ideas would involve the use of that superhero’s powers. The ideas become ‘intermediate impossible’. It is an idea that is novel but possibly useless. By using something as a construct that might not be possible allows you to think differently about a situation.”
Facilitating creativity allows for improvisation but it means managers and business leaders have no control over the situation. The key is having an open mind, embracing creativity as a “stunning opportunity”. Fostering the right culture can be a lengthy process and it would help to introduce it on a viral basis to encourage team members to become excited about new ideas. Small groups of like-minded people receptive to novel ideas can themselves trigger other people’s curiosity.
Dr Hall recalls his MBA studies at the Open University in the mid-1990s while he was working in manufacturing. A group of managers working on a project at the firm was so inspired by the modules on creativity they came up with “stunning” ideas which led them to think differently on their areas of business. As the solutions were implemented, people began to ask about the processes and the creative thought was communicated to a wider group.
In his talks, Dr Hall encourages participants to consider finger painting as a medium to express and illustrate their work problems. No two pictures are ever the same, and people are often surprised by what is revealed by their paintings as they are explaining them to the rest of the group. It is one way of encouraging the two sides of the brain to communicate.
“Also, try asking people how they feel about a problem, rather than what they think of it,” Dr Hall suggests. “The answer will be completely different. Have sensitivity. Creativity applies everywhere but leaders must introduce it slowly after they themselves have clearly understood the business and the organisational culture. I once introduced creative groups to a company during lunchtime learning sessions and it took off from there as more and more people became curious.
“If you define the vision for the culture you are trying to achieve and you are consistent, it becomes self-fulfilled. It takes nerve and determination to see it through. Creativity depends on open thinking and people’s willingness to tolerate people who let go of patterns. Patterns dictate lives.”