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Last fall, Idea Champions conducted an informal web survey on their site, and asked people to rate when and where they get their best ideas. It sought to identify the catalysts that help people to be more creative. It recently published the results, along with an extensive analysis of them.
The top 10 catalysts for best ideas are:
- When you're inspired
- Brainstorming with others
- When you're immersed in a project
- When you're happy
- Collaborating with a partner
- Daydreaming
- Analyzing a problem
- Driving
- Commuting to and from work
- Reading books in your field
In their analysis, Tim Moore and Mitch Ditkoff discovered an intriguing paradox: creative people seem to have a need for solitary retreat and reflection, but also enjoy opportunities to collaborate and brainstorm with others.
Another interesting finding is that a number of top-rated catalysts had to do with activities and environments where people are exposed to a profusion of new inputs - such as reading books, being in nature and surfing the Internet.
"Humans are programmed to hunt and gather purposefully in the wild and you have creative people who enjoy hunting and gathering information in books and on the Internet, trolling for serendipitous new surprises that might spark the imagination."
That definitely describes me! I'm constantly on the lookout for new ideas and inspirations; books and the Internet are two primary ways that I come in contact with exciting thought catalysts.
Not surprisingly, respondents rated work environments and deadline-related stresses very low as catalysts for good ideas. Moore and Ditkoff point out that "few companies have evolved to the point where they create a time and place where employees are allowed to pursue the joy of discovery." Notable exceptions include Google and 3M.
They are also somewhat critical of what passes for a "culture of innovation" at many companies: "In the name of ‘getting the job done,’ they produce more overload and stress than is healthy for a culture of innovation. The obsessive pursuit of efficiency is often framed, spun and sold as ‘innovation.’ We think this is a misrepresentation. Great ideas do not issue from efficiency tweaks. A constant drum roll of incremental quality improvement can be another way to keep workers’ heads down. It rarely spurs the creation of truly imaginative and disruptive ideas, or leads to next-generation products."
If you couple work overload with uninspiring work environments, it's not surprising that people don’t feel even remotely creative at their jobs. Few companies provide creative environments, equipped with stimulating books, creativity tools and other resources that support brainstorming and discovery. When economic downturns come, as they inevitably do, these creativity centers tend to become victims of corporate downsizing and cost-cutting.
On the positive side, this intriguing survey provides plenty of insights into what you need to do more of an order to support the creative muse of your team members. This is a fascinating report and I strongly urge you to read it! |
