If you’re here because you don’t agree with the title, then I’ll admit, that was just a ploy to get you to click on it; that was creative of me, wasn’t it? Creativity is overrated only to the extent I don’t have it! and yet I am reasonably successful! That’s because I recognize creative brilliance when I see it and leverage it.
But now that you’re in, bear with me, and you’ll find out just why; and when you leave at the end of 4 mins (that’s what LinkedIn says it will take you to read this article) you will have more than you bargained for!
All my life I’ve been surrounded by brilliantly creative minds. Whether it’s an innovative shot played by a friend during a snooker match, a beautiful “accidental” chord played during a band rehearsal, or a clever way to solve a problem at work, I have always been impressed by the creativity of people around me. While I was awed by the awesomeness of the people around me, it also gave me a feeling of insecurity that made me feel like I was not good enough to come up with these moments of “brilliant creativity”, as I like to call it.
Then it hit me. Maybe I don’t need to be the one to be “creative”. Rather it is the ability to recognize this brilliance in other people and be able to apply it in your own life that is key!
Do you recognize this man?
If you are a fan of the show “Shark Tank” you might. On the show, Rohan Oza mentions, on multiple occasions, that his success has not stemmed from any of his own ideas. Rather it was his ability to identify a great idea that someone else has come up with, and use his own experience to grow that idea into a real business, that has led to his success.
That message resonates with me in a large way. While I did mention that I do not think of myself as a creative person, I do possess what I believe is a valuable ability to learn quickly from those more creative around me and apply it to add value.
So what does this mean for you? (Finally!)
If you are at a job that requires you to “think out of the box” to solve a problem (and no, not just engineers – everybody’s job requires problem-solving) then here is a framework you might find useful.
- Do not reinvent the wheel – Yes, don’t. If it’s been done before, let it be. But make sure the wheel is turning, and not just turning, but turning in your favor. Modify the existing solution by redefining the problem. In my professional career to date, I have not seen a problem, which has never been seen before. You just have to search hard enough! (Now I have only about 5 years of professional experience, but I firmly believe that the rule applies no matter what!).
- Always look for creative brilliance around you – And it’s not just at work. It’s not always easy to spot this if you’re not looking for it. Creative Brilliance in my book is when it does not fit in your box. For that, you must know your box. The moment you realize it’s out of your box, pick it up and roll with it.
- Flex that creativity muscle – Yes, I know it contradicts what the title says. But, being creative, just like everything else can be learned. You might not have had the most innovative ideas in the past, but that does not mean you do not have it in you. All it needs is practice. Try this as an example – Look at a brick, or a wall or house (or pretty much anything), and think of all the different ways to describe them, their different uses. Do this exercise every day with new words, new objects and soon you will find yourself looking at a problem and reframing it differently. Once reframed – the solution offers itself.
In closing, let me leave you with a small example to help you put this in perspective.
About 6 months into my first job, I was given my first “interesting” project – design a solution for a complex business problem. Having always been super ambitious, I was very enthusiastic about making my mark and being noticed, I worked hard for days (and even nights) to come up with an innovative solution to solve the problem but without much success. It was then, I realized, that it just can’t be, that this problem never was!
It was not a new problem but the existing solutions did not fit the current circumstances – that is usually the case. So what did I do? I looked at the problem from angles it had not been looked at before. How did I do that – by practicing my own brand of creativity. Once I reframed the problem, the solution came easily – I did not reinvent the wheel, just moved it along!
What did I learn in the process?
- You can be smarter than you think you are – if only you practice reframing the problems you encounter in more than one way.
- Creativity can be learned through practice! Think differently every day, every time and it will become a habit!
Remember, you don’t always have to be MJ. Sometimes, it’s just as valuable being Scottie Pippen! (Final tip: If you have not watched “The Last Dance” on Netflix yet, please do!)
About the Author
Bradley is a Solution Architect at SAP Qualtrics, based out of Dublin, Ireland.
