What's the Big Idea?

By John Steiner

Have you ever really stopped to consider the power of a new idea? Creativity and innovation are some of the most important skills we possess as human beings. In fact, we survive on our ability to solve problems. Many years ago, the British people were starving to death because they had so little arable land to grow food. Over time, they invented crop rotation and quadrupled their agricultural yield. One idea saved a civilization!

Economist Paul Zane Pilser, as he studies modern society, points out that we have never run out of a natural resource. He goes on to say that the reason we have never run out of a natural resource is that our creativity determines what a resource is. Coal sat under the crust of the earth for most of our history until we learned how to refine it and gain energy from it, thus making it a resource. The exact same story applies to oil. The same is true of air, water, land, or anything else that we use to make things. We use our ingenuity to stay ahead of our challenges.

Many people believe that creative thinking skills are somehow limited to artists, writers or a special class of "creative types." The fact is, we apply creativity every day to fields as diverse as business, healthcare, education and child development. In the words of Stephen Covey, "All accomplishments are created twice: first in the mind, then in reality."

According to author Roger Van Oeck, we embark on a very specific journey when we set out to get creative. We actually play four roles in the creative process: the explorer, artist, judge, and warrior.

The Explorer
The key quality of the explorer is curiosity. Before we do anything else, we must be willing to see things in new ways. Creative people look for stimulus or input that can spark new thoughts. They try new experiences like foods, festivals, travel, books, magazines and movies that might inspire new ideas. The impetus can be simple. Sometimes we can become more creative just by taking a different route to work in the morning!

The Artist
Once we've gathered some information, we need to do something with it. Creativity has been described as the rearrangement of known commodities. When we put on the artist's hat, we tweak things to create something new. To illustrate this point, you might consider your favorite movie. Hollywood, California is probably the world capitol of adaptation. Whatever your favorite movie may be, the story has probably been told before. 'Casablanca' has obvious comparisons to 'Romeo and Juliet.' James Bond has been compared to Baroness Orczy's 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' set in the aftermath of the French Revolution. Even 'Gone with the Wind' has been compared to Thackeray's Vanity Fair. In the words of Thomas Edison, "Originality is the art of concealing your source."

The Judge
Once we have enjoyed the role of the artist, we need to put on the judge's hat. The judge's job is simple: render a verdict. Have we arrived at a good idea or not? What was our original mission? Maybe our idea is great — but not right for the moment. What haven't we thought of? To play the role of the judge in the right sequence is very important. One mistake we often make is to leap to the judgment role first and shoot down new ideas too quickly. In a brainstorming meeting, this is sure to inhibit any further participation. Nobel Prize winning chemist Linus Pauling famously said, "The best way to get a great idea is to get a lot of ideas!" Save your editing process for the third step.

The Warrior
Finally, we come to the role of warrior. The warrior is the role we play when it's time to get something done. Once the judge gives our idea the green light, it's the warrior who implements. Of course, smart warriors do not just march out to battle: they have a plan. This is where we consider the resources, skills, timing and preparation we will need in order to do something new.

Are you willing to get out of your comfort zone? If you will work to develop your own creativity, it can provide wonderfully elegant responses to problems and challenges. In fact, we often find that a little serious brainstorming today can make a huge difference in our quality of life going forward.

As you begin to stretch and think in new ways, it might help to remember the words of Michelangelo, "If you knew how much work it took, you wouldn't call it genius!"

John Steiner is a corporate trainer and executive coach based in Los Angeles. He has helped many business people improve their efficiency and effectiveness; in some cases as much as 40 percent. He provides free initial consultations at 323.969.4614 and will be a featured speaker at the 2005 Annual Glovia User Group Conference May 22-26 in Long Beach, California.