Sophie Kleber, for HUGE, will discuss how to make sure creativity happens and let the best ideas break through, how to keep teams inspired so creativity can thrive, and how to give your teams the tools they need to be creative.
34. June 22, 2014
Digiday Innovation Bootcamp
45 Main St #220 BKLN / 718 625 4843 / hugeinc.com
Hinweis der Redaktion
how to make sure creativity happens and let the best ideas break through, how to keep teams inspired so creativity can thrive, and how to give your teams the tools they need to be creative.
The difference between creativity and just plain spinning is the purpose. Therefor, first the purpose of each exercise of creativity must be defined.
Define the goal: A clear problem statement. The business model and business goals. The end users.
Also define the framework of the project: Deadline, form of desired outcome (sketches, code, video).
Creative people love boxes. It makes creating guided vs overwhelming. It gives us a comfortable box in which to go nuts, and it gives us boundaries to push (on the goal, seldom the framework ;-)
When defining, don’t only lay down the rules. Inspire.
Define success, from multiple angles: Specific (for the business, the users), broader (changing industries, setting new standards, helping people become better), but most importantly…
personal (your portfolio, your place within society, your life goals). Help creators find what motivates them.
The key is to create Empathy. Empathy opens up the heart, and the heart is needed to be creative. Establish an environment of empathy, between the creators and the business, the users, between themselves.
When designing for NutrySystem, I was motivated by reading the success stories. Up to this day, I watch the Biggest loser, because that moment, when I understood what weight loss means to people, stayed with me.
Respect for your team mates’ skills.
We all know productivity is higher when the team is small. But there are a lot more benefits in a smaller team.
In a small team, the individual counts. And with that, the opinion, expertise and skill of the individual is respected and must be trusted. Different skilss bring different angles to the table, very important for looking outside the box.
With that respect comes accountability. And accountability strengthens personal investment.
What kills this personal investment is layers of approval that take the responsibility away from the individuals who made it into your organization because they were exceptionally smart. While not everyone is born
Bond. Trust.
An environment of “yes, and”.
This is what it feels like some times, when you have the idea, but you just can’t…
Meetings, client management, budgets, all these things that get in the way of being creative…
It is your job as a leader to protect your team from bullshit. That’s why there must be dedicated managers. Have respect for what allows a team to be creative. Let them…
Respect for the process of being creative.
The biggest driver of creativity is concentration.
We mistake it for “enough time to do something.” but we don’t want and can’t handle endless time.
It’s really concentration we are talking about here. The ability to get into the flow and not look up until you have created something fantastic.
Concentration needs a clear mind, a worry free environment, few distractions and true breaks.
Over the past few decades, we’ve adopted a few strange ideas.
Like the idea that when something is not perfect, saying so would be awkward, when actually it’s the only way someone will get better, through feedback.
There is no “fail big and fail early”. It’s got a word, it’s called practice. Simple as that.
Like the idea that not succeeding immediately is the exception, when actually, it’s the norm.
Like the idea that pressure is killing the creative process, when actually it’s one of the major fuel sources.
Stop coddling your creatives. They are not babies. They came here to be pushed beyond what they capable of achieving on their own.
So, please, hurt my feelings. Please, make me uncomfortable. Please, realize your responsibility of making me better.