Wicked or Messy Problems?

 

 

One of the basic issues in deciding whether to use creative problem solving to solve a problem is to determine if the problem is a wicked or messy problem. If it isn’t then a more logical approach to problem solving can be taken.

So how do we determine this?

Wicked, or messy problems, have the following characteristics.

• They are interconnected with other complex problems and complicated in terms of the relationships around the problem. They are never clear-cut, stand-alone problems.
• They exist in an uncertain environment.
• They display ambiguity because they can be interpreted in many ways, and this ambiguity is or can lead to conflict.
• The solving of complex problems will involve social, organisational, and political as well as technological constraints.

A current classic example of a wicked problem can be seen in ‘how to resolve climate change.’

The CPS process addresses how to tackle wicked problems offering the best possibilities for finding a way forward and resolving them or at worst to really uderstand them before leaping into soltutions that will not make a difference..

The 1^st stage of the 3-part process is to understand the problem. This is where it is crucial to check out all the assumptions that are being made around the problem and to clarify the facts.

To do this, it is very helpful to use tools and techniques that open up all aspects of the problem so that for example, ambiguities can be surfaced.  Drawing a Rich Picture is one of my favorites because it engages the intuition as well as the more logical aspects of our brains.

The rich picture attempts to capture all aspects of the problem, the interconnectedness of it, the environment in which it exists etc.

When reflecting upon this picture, teams can draw out any assumptions that have been built into the problem.

Assumptions serve a purpose in our lives. They short circuit the thinking and decision-making process which in our daily lives can be helpful. As a manager, you may wish to ask yourself if your assumptions are well founded. Challenging your own assumptions is a great start to enabling creativity. It opens up new thinking.

So, what exactly are assumptions? They are part of our attitude building mental process. The Oxford dictionary defines an assumption as ‘A thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof.’ For example – ‘they made certain assumptions about the market’,  ‘we’re working on the assumption that the time of death was after midnight’.

We need to be very careful about the assumption we make. For example, in the former example above, assumptions made about markets can often lead to hasty decisions which cause damage and can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy. In the latter case, an assumption can be useful as a working position to start, with the proviso that evidence will then be found to support. If this evidence is as objectively handled as possible and does provide a challenge to the original assumption, then a healthy conclusion can be reached.

When assumptions are made, it is important to be willing to challenge them. Chris Argyris developed a model to show how assumptions develop and a framework for challenging them. This is the ladder of inference.

When reflecting upon this picture after it is produced, teams can then draw out any assumptions that have been built into the problem.

So, to return to creativity, by challenging our assumptions, we can begin to think differently and develop new ideas.

Challenging others’ assumptions is a little more difficult. As a manager you may believe that someone is acting on what you see as a wrong assumption. If so, it is wise not to challenge in a confrontative way. Take a coaching approach to challenge. Ask for the evidence to support the assumption you are seeing, offer an alternative way of seeing.

Questions to ask:

• What is the observable data behind the statement?
• Does everyone agree on what the data/facts are?
• Can you run me through your reasoning?
• How did we get from that date to these assumptions?

Barbara is an executive coach, leadership and creativity facilitator. She has coached  in a variety of corporate settings, and has developed a unique approach to using creative techniques in her coaching and workshops to enable change at a group or individual level. She has co-authored a book on creativity for leaders,  Creativity Cycling , with Dr. Tracy Stanley.   

The Power of Story Telling

Stories and storytelling help shape our identify, as we listen to others’ stories, about us, our history, our upbringing. It is how we are socialized.

Stories are a simple but also complex way of passing on details about lives, perceptions, cultural values. We grow up with fairy tales, the big bad wolf in Little Red Riding hood, Sleeping Beauty. Maybe some of the messages are not ones that some of us value, but they somehow represent the culture we live in. They can pass on stereotypes, of women for example, and how they should look etc.

The same happens in organisations. Culture is passed on through stories. For example, stories about other people who have been successful or not in the organisation. We become socialised into a different culture through stories. It is more often an unconscious process.

Equally, stories are things we create to explain our lives. They are useful therapeutically. They offer us an explanation of why things are happening, help us make sense of our world and what is happening. Equally people can recreate their lives through storytelling.

We share our stories to help others understand. This has been very helpful in my life in teaching and coaching. People can relate to a story rather than just a list of facts.

In creativity, and training and development facilitation, I have used story telling in working with vision. I was very much influenced in my early work by the work of Marjorie Parker. In the 1980 ties a new MD was appointed to one of the Norwegian plants, Karmoy Fabrikker (KF) which was coming out of a period of crisis, and Ms Parker was invited in to work with him. As a result of early discussions, a vision was created for a future state of Karmoy. This was based around a garden metaphor that was drawn up by a local artist and was then presented to the workforce to inspire them to design their interpretation of the vision for their parts of the organisation.

This is a great example of a story being created to inspire. The vision was not just a set of figures, but a story of how things would look once the vision was realised.

This process can be very helpful in change processes, or creative problem solving. I have worked with this for example, asking groups to describe the situation as it now in their own words. Then they recount stories of what is wrong. Then asking them to describe what it would be like if it was working perfectly. Again, a story is created to describe this. It is then possible to create a story about how what needs to change etc. Metaphor often helps here, as does the technique of building a storyboard and drawing rather than using words to describe the before, after and steps along the way.

I believe that what is mysterious is the way we can tell a story, listen to others and then leave it to the unconscious to work through. Often resolving the dilemma etc. It is difficult to say exactly how our minds, our brains work at the neurological level, however they are constantly processing, matching with what we know already, looking for mismatching etc.

Turning this unconscious thinking into actions is probably the most challenging! For example, many organizations state that they wish to change their culture and specify actions which they believe could do this. I believe the work needs to start with minds/brains, or hearts and minds as we often say. Actions result out of this. We need to believe the stories we are being told in order to take action. I am reminded  here about the current spate of storytelling around vaccinations, and how easy it is to spread false stories. This in itself is testament to the power of storytelling.

As a leader, do you know what stories are being told around your organisation and understand how this may be shaping culture. If you sense a change is necessary, help to create new stories, co-operativly with oher members of your team, staff, and other leaders.

Barbara is an executive coach, leadership and creativity facilitator. She has coached  in a variety of corporate settings, and has developed a unique approach to using creative techniques in her coaching and workshops to enable change at a group or individual level. She has co-authored a book on creativity for leaders,  Creativity Cycling , with Dr. Tracy Stanley. 

Is procrastination healthy for creativity?

 

Recently I read an article which seemed to imply this.  The main theme of the article being that a certain amount of procrastination is good for creativity.  My immediate reaction to this was that procrastination was being misinterpreted. I had always understood procrastination to mean something negative. This is confirmed by checking out dictionary definitions. The Collins dictionary defines procrastination as ‘to put off or defer (an action) until a later time; delay’.

Adam Grant in his TED talk discusses procrastinators and concludes that moderate procrastinators were more creative whereas high or low ones were not so. Of course, there is a problem here in determining whether our procrastination level is low, moderate, or high! However, when you listen to Grants talk, it becomes clear that what he is really talking about is incubation and not procrastination. The same is true of the original article I had read that sparked this trail of thoughts.

 

So, what is the issue you may ask?

I have on numerous occasions coached someone who was a procrastinator, in that they left things undone until they became urgent. I have done this myself, and in fact am doing it right now in that I promised myself I would write this blog last month and have put if off several times.

Some people have a tendency to procrastinate and this mostly comes from a negative place.

• They may be perfectionists who put off things because the result needs to be perfect, and they may be afraid of taking the task on for this reason.
• They may just not want to do the task because it bores them or they dislike aspects of it.
• Or they are just too busy to get going on it.

All these reasons are undoubtedly genuine however, I would doubt whether any of them would result in a more creative approach given some delay in tackling the problem. Procrastination can create anxiety and that is not conducive to creativity.

The second is that just delaying the task is not good enough to improve creativity around it. What Grant and others have confused is the state of procrastination with that of incubation.

Incubation

Incubation is a part of the creative process and is particularly valuable in a creative problem-solving approach. However, there is an important point to consider here that sets it apart from procrastination. Incubation requires a prepared mind.  This means that the incubation occurs after some thinking or work has been done on the issue at hand. Then a period of incubation can allow the unconscious mind to process ideas, and this will eventually be brought into the conscious mind.

So, what is happening in this period of incubation?

Professor Gilhooly refers to the importance of forgetting during incubation. I have experienced this many times as a facilitator of creative techniques. When someone takes on another activity totally unrelated to the issue they had been working on, they continue to incubate unconsciously and consciously focus on the new task. This can result in a kind of forgetting process and when they come back to the issue fresh insights can arise. Alternating techniques can also work to produce this, as can introducing an element of play, or even a walk whilst problem-solving.

How often do we prepare something such as a speech, then when we are doing something else, like taking a shower, fresh thoughts come into our mind to improve on what we had prepared? This is the process of incubation.

Turning procrastination into Incubation

We can therefore turn procrastination into incubation by taking some action on the task. Any action will start the process of our minds working on it while we continue with our lives. The result will be richer for this.

However, a final warning, that if you do not start the process rolling with some work, then the task will end up in that pile of procrastinated tasks and put even more pressure on you.

Barbara is an executive coach, leadership and creativity facilitator. She has coached  in a variety of corporate settings, and has developed a unique approach to using creative techniques in her coaching and workshops to enable change at a group or individual level. She has recently co-authored a book on creativity for leaders, called Creativity Cycling , with Dr. Tracy Stanley. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Positivity, Playfulness, Passion, Persistence and Creativity

Positivity, Playfulness, Passion and Persistence. What do these mean in terms of creativity?  This is a framework I came across when studying creativity back in the early nineties as part of my MBA and it resonated with me. The 4 Ps are characteristics or behaviours that are conducive to creativity. They can equally apply to developing a creative climate in an organisation or as a checklist for ones own level of creativity.

Let me take these 4 Ps one at a time.

Positivity –this is an attitude of mind, where opportunities are perceived rather than problems. when we are being positive we can look at issues in a more open way. this can lead to reframing issues as opportunities rather than problems. if we are negative , then we build up barriers and see little hope of change.

We often talk of seeing a glass half full or half empty and this is a useful analogy for positivity.  Another example of how this can play out is when some people habitually respond with a ‘yes but’ to suggestions made. If we do this, then people will stop involving us in new projects. We will be putting up barriers to any change.  Instead of using ‘yes but’ when faced with discussion of change why not try ‘yes and’, and to introduce any further thoughts you may have that you think have been overlooked. This confirms that you are open to new ideas and at the same time are aware that there may be issues that have not yet been aired.

The next of the 4 Ps is Playfulness. It may be helpful here to reflect upon how young children use their imagination when playing. For example, observe how a basic cardboard box can become a vehicle or a house. Young children  do not have the censor, that adults have learned to adopt, which tells them that this won’t work etc.  In a work situation it can be also about being flexible as well as introducing an element of fun. A playful attitude will enable openness to new ideas and taking risks. Risk taking is crucial to creating something new.

The next of the 4 P’s is Passion. This is very much related to motivation and commitment. If you are passionate about something you are likely to lose yourself in its pursuit and can get into that state of flow that Csikszentmihalyi talks about. Being motivated and committed to what you are doing also enables you to be persistent in pursuing a result. Our passion for something keeps us interested and committed to the process and this is important because we will inevitably face times when progress can’t be made, when we face obstacles to the change we want to happen.. This leads us into the next of the 4 P’s, Persistence.

The final of the P’s is Persistence. This is characterized by trying again and again to achieve something. Trying to solve that problem or move forward to implementation for example. Persistence is a trait demonstrated by many artists who work with their craft consistently until they feel satisfied with the result. It is about not giving up when we hit obstacles or receive negative responses from others.

As a checklist for individual or collective creativity, I hope that you will find this useful.

Barbara is an executive coach, leadership and creativity facilitator. She has coached  in a variety of corporate settings, and has developed a unique approach to using creative techniques in her coaching and workshops to enable change at a group or individual level. She has co-authored a book on creativity for leaders,  Creativity Cycling , with Dr. Tracy Stanley. 

Adaptive versus Innovative creativity

We often hear talk of adaptive creativity versus innovative creativity, and in this blogpost I will reflect upon the differences and implications of the two types. Everyone has the capacity to be creative, and everyone expresses creativity in their own way. Some of us express our creativity by taking something already in existence and make small changes to it. This is adaptive creativity. Others may be inclined to develop something totally new. Both are creative. ‘Adaptors desire to do things better; Innovators seek to do things differently.’ 

In organisations, probably the most frequent type of creativity is the adaptive type. For example, when Apple or Samsung update their mobile phone ranges, or Nikon and Cannon, their cameras. Occasionally companies have a need or desire to take bolder steps and create something completely new in the market.

This requires innovative creativity in order to think ‘outside the box’.   This can equally apply to individual creativity. The person who takes inspiration from a well-known artist and copies and builds upon their style to paint, or take a photo is demonstrating adaptive creativity. On the other hand, the person who develops their unique way of painting, or of any creative activity, is expressing innovative creativity. Michael Kirton developed an adaption/innovation theory to explain these differences. The theory is based upon two assumptions. The first is that creativity, decision making and problem solving are outcomes of the same brain function, and the second assumption is that everyone can solve problems, take decisions and be creative. What differs is their style. Kirton developed an instrument, KAI, to measure and define where someone falls on the spectrum of adaptor to innovator. This is useful for pulling together teams for work on creative projects. As with all differences in style, conflict can arise between people at either end of the spectrum. Adaptors may see innovators as too risky, argumentative, not focused, whereas adaptors can be seen as too methodical, and rule bound. However, both styles are needed for diversity of thought and balance. So in creative problem solving, the adaptor limits the scope of their ideas to solve problems. The innovator would go for the wild ideas, which when developed would be ‘out of the box thinking’. However, I believe that it  is  possible to develop our style of creativity, with the use of creative techniques. There are a couple of other factors to consider here that I believe influence style:

• The first is that differences may be as much about our own limiting beliefs as about style. Sometimes we put up our own boundaries and limit the extent to which we allow our ideas to roam freely. If we give ourselves permission to think more widely then more ideas may flow. Creative workshops which encourage people to use techniques to expand their ideas can be helpful here.
• Secondly. the more adaptive person may be limited by the role they have at work, for example, working in finance. Whereas the innovative person may be in a role that allows more freedom to express their ideas. On the other hand, people may choose their work domains to reflect their style.

So, to sum up, everyone can be creative:

• Some people express creativity in an adaptive way, others are more innovative.
• This may be due to their individual style.
• It may also be due to their limiting beliefs or the roles they have taken on.
• It is possible to expand our style and experiment with different ways of being creative, especially if we give ourselves permission to do so.

Barbara is an executive coach, leadership and creativity facilitator. She has coached  in a variety of corporate settings, and has developed a unique approach to using creative techniques in her coaching and workshops to enable change at a group or individual level. She has recently co-authored a book on creativity for leaders, called Creativity Cycling , with Dr. Tracy Stanley. 

Reflections on creativity in a time of anxiety

 

I wrote this blog during COVID 19, and although we are now some years on from this, I still believe it is relavent to the anxious times we seem to be living in.

What a year it had been.

‘Crazy and scary with some hopeful signs. Covid 19 for me was  probably the most impactful occurence in 2020, and the one that has caused the most disruption, particularly in Europe. In this blogpost I review its impact on creativity from a personal perspective and offer some takeways that may help with your creativity..

Together with Tracy Stanley, I have been recording podcasts all year under the umbrella title of creativity snippets. These have come from the book, Creativity Cycling that we jointly wrote, and from our blogs on creativity.

We have looked at some of the changes that were occurring as the world faced the health and economic impact of the spread of COVID. For example, the shift in Europe to more home working has led to an extensive use of online platforms for meetings and conferences. We looked at how we could apply some creativity to these in order to raise energy and continue to develop teamwork.

My experience has been that many people have found creativity harder during this period of Covid 19. It may also be that the anxiety around the pandemic was creating a huge wave of procrastination. A ‘rabbit caught in headlamps’ type of situation.’

So, what are my personal reflections of the effect of covid 19 on creativity that are relavent today?

I had found it difficult to work on creative projects that year. We were in a lockdown situation in spring, which meant little opportunity for inspirational inputs from outside the home. This illustrated to me how important it is when encouraging creativity to be able to change one’s surroundings and have a variety of stimuli to inspire.

This lack of inspiration occured in all of my creative pursuits. With writing, through developing a habit of daily practice, I was able to keep up some form of writing. This was  sufficient to allow some space for creativity to grow.

What I found helpful through the emotionally draining times was discovering and listening to podcasts. One of the most inspiring was that produced by Brené Brown.  Her ‘Unlocking Us’ series of podcasts touched on creativity, neuroscience and play. One of her references that resonated with me was to a blog produced on the Medium platform by Tara Haelle.  She wrote about how our surge capacity is depleted and why we feel awful. She took us through the stages of grief, because in lots of ways this is what we were all dealing with. I particularly like this quote from her article:

‘Our new normal is always feeling a little off balance, like trying to stand in a dinghy on rough seas, and not knowing when the storm will pass.’

Another podcast I  enjoyed listening to was that of Elizabeth Day interviewing Alain de Botton as part of her ‘How to Fail’ series. Alain was talking about how to cope with anxiety in a time of Coronavirus.

So, to summarise my learning about creativity in a time of anxiety, I would offer these points:

1. When we are worried, anxious, preoccupied with things, we don’t have the mental capacity or space to be creative.
2. We need at times to stand firm and spend time without purpose until we can regain our strength to move forward.
3. We need to be kind to ourselves and others around us and not strive too hard.
4. Allow the space for creativity to re-enter.
5. Develop small daily habits that can enable creativity to grow.
6. When possible get out to seek inspiration and then renew and regrow as people.

With these thoughts, I wish you all a healthy, successful and much better 2026!

Barbara is an executive coach, leadership and creativity facilitator. She has coached women and men in a variety of corporate settings, and has developed a unique approach to using creative techniques in her coaching and workshops to enable change at a group or individual level. She has recently co-authored a book on creativity for leaders, called Creativity Cycling , with Dr. Tracy Stanley. 

Learning about creativity through photography

I have been learning to be a better photographer for many years, as well as  writing about and facilitating creativity. So, it is natural for me to connect these two and to ask, what am I learning about creativity through photography?  This is what I want to share with you today.

Starting with photography, the first point  I want to make is how important it is to learn the technical skills of photography. This requirement never stops, as technology evolves and as our skills develop there is always more to learn. However, as a baseline there are some skills that are essential before you can start to enjoy your photography shoots.

 

Technical skills

• ‘Know your camera’ is a phrase I hear so often and which for me, someone who doesn’t read technical manuals willingly, is painful to hear. However, it is very true. If you must spend precious time checking your camera each time you reach for it, then the shot may be lost. I don’t mean the obvious checks, like is the battery fully charged, is there a card in the camera and even what ISO is it currently set at. These are essential before you even step out of the door. It is the other aspects; how do I change the settings to…? which is the button for this? So, have a good knowledge of all the buttons and settings on your camera before you set out. This is a must if you want to be in the moment when taking photographs.
• There are compositional skills to be aware of, even if later you choose to ignore them: Rule of thirds, leading lines, negative space for example. It is important to understand why they are ‘rules’ and how they enhance your photography.
• Then there are editing skills. I like to keep editing light and to have spent the time to get a good photo without much editing, however understanding editing software will be very helpful in making those final touches.

Yes,  a great photo may be due to beginners’ luck.  However, it requires  knowledge and skill to be able to stop and take a photo in the moment and capture it as you see it.

Then after technical skills, there are other aspects to consider:

Motivation. I will also include perseverance and persistence here. We need to be motivated to pick up our cameras and all other equipment and set out mindfully to take photographs. This year with its endless restrictions and lockdowns, I have certainly lost my motivation. This is something that I am aware I need to work on. Roll on 2021!

Inspiration is something that I need to get me motivated. I need to be inspired to set out to take photographs. What inspires you? The beauty of the landscape, the street with all its noise and activity, the quiet moments when the sun is rising or setting? Find that inspiration and go with it.

Mindfulness which I associate with observing and seeing what is happening around you is important. To be in the moment and not distracted. My best photos have come from the times when I have been absorbed by my surroundings. When I was not in a rush to get somewhere else or distracted by other thoughts or actions to take. This can lead us into  a state of flow, which Csikszentmihalyi describes as happiness in which we can lose all sense of time.

So, what do these points tell me about creativity in general and how does this relate to creativity in business?

To review how these ideas resonate with creativity in business I recommend the  work that Teresa Amabile  has done on identifying  ideal conditions for creativity at work. She asserts that in order to encourage creativity, it is important to have expertise, creative thinking skills and intrinsic motivation.

Creative thinking skills include:

• ability to problem-solve in an open, positive and playful way,
• being able and willing to challenge assumptions, both our own and others,
• reframing our perspective.

When these three conditions interact, then creativity can emerge.

You can apply all of these to the creative realm of photography or any other creative activity.

Barbara is an executive coach, leadership and creativity facilitator. She has coached women and men in a variety of corporate settings, and has developed a unique approach to using creative techniques in her coaching and workshops to enable change at a group or individual level. She has recently co-authored a book on creativity for leaders, called Creativity Cycling , with Dr. Tracy Stanley. 

Why change is difficult and what to do about it

Change is difficult, that’s what we often hear, and yet the pace of change is unrelenting.

Let’s start by looking at why change is difficult.

All change involves people and their habits . We build habits over time and these change our attitudes and behaviours. It is possible to change these and to develop new habits, however, it is not easy because habits become embedded. This is particularly strong when we look at cultures in organisations and the habits that have developed within them. Habits show up when we try and answer the question, ‘what is the way we do this in my organisation?’ For example, it could be a simple action taken on a daily basis such as how the leader addresses everyone first thing in a morning.

How often have we heard  the response, ‘we have done this before and it hasn’t worked’ when a change initiative is introduced. Yes, this could be due to a general reluctance to change. However, it can also be due to other factors.  Often people do not see the need to change and are therefore not engaged in the change process, or, the change may not have been addressing the ‘real’ problem.

So, what can help overcome resistance to change?

A way to address these concerns is to treat the change as a messy problem. That is a problem with many dimensions to it and which does not have one clear solution. This is particularly appropriate when change is required around people and their actions. I would suggest therefore that any change program start with a creative problem solving process. This ensures a thorough investigation into the reason why change is needed; that is, asking the question, what is the problem to be resolved by change?

By introducing a creative problem-solving process involving those affected by the change, there is more likely to be a higher rate of engagement in the change. When you engage people and they can understand the need for change, they are much more likely to work to make the change happen rather than resist it.

Engaging people in the change process

Engaging people requires a participative leadership model. To rely on deciding strategy at the top and disseminating it downwards does not engage them. Leaders need to involve people in the process of why the change is needed and what it will look like. It is a top down and bottom up approach.

An excellent example of engaging people in change can be seen in the change process facilitated by Marjorie Parker and detailed in her book ‘Creating Shared Vision‘. The leader created a vision for the culture change that was needed. This was shared throughout the organisation. Each department  interpreting the vision in order to make the changes needed.

A process I undertook when leading a culture change programme involved something similar. We started by involving everyone in identifying the problem, then creating a vision for what it would look like when the problem is resolved. The gap between the current situation and the future vison was identified by teams of people working together. Then behaviours were identified which were needed  to get from the present situation to future vision.

When individual behaviours are identified in the process of change, it breaks the process down into manageable parts. A great overview of change and the importance of behaviours in the change process can be seen here in the interview with Edgar Schein, one of the gurus of culture change.

Change is difficult, it is also a long process and can take years, particularly if it involves culture change. Therefore it is important to keep people energised and engaged throughout the whole process. In the example above, we had regular small collaborative meetings in the different areas where change was needed, and there was constant follow up on the actions required. It was important to keep the momentum and energy up.

Summarising the key points:

• Change is hard, habits are enduring, and there will be resistance to change.
• Engage people in order to overcome resistance to change; in the analysis of the problem, and the steps to change.
• Provide or co-design a compelling vision of the new post-change situation to engage people.
• A participative and collaborative leadership style is needed to engage people in change initiatives.
• Working at the level of behaviours makes the change process more tangible.
• Change takes time and energy and requires resilience of all involved.

Barbara is an executive coach, leadership and creativity facilitator. She has coached women and men in a variety of corporate settings, and has developed a unique approach to using creative techniques in her coaching and workshops to enable change at a group or individual level. She has recently co-authored a book on creativity for leaders, called Creativity Cycling , with Dr. Tracy Stanley. 

Facilitating creative techniques

I have written previously about the importance of different creative techniques to help with creative problem solving. One of the barriers to introducing these into the workplace may be the confidence of the leader in facilitating them. Here I want to simplify the process and offer some guidelines for facilitating creative techniques in the workplace.

The first point to make is that for many people at the moment, being at work no longer means being present in the workplace, so many of the techniques may need to be adapted for remote working.

To keep this relatively simple, I have divided the topic up into the main issues to consider,   and will address each one in turn.

 Purpose

If people are going to buy into a creative workshop, in whatever form, they need to believe that it has a useful purpose. So, clarify the purpose and consider justifying why this requires a creative workshop? For example, the need to resolve a wicked problem, or a space to create new ideas for the future generation of products.

 Space

The ideal space to hold creativity workshops, would be a flexible space, off-site with outdoor space available. Off site is always best as it signals a different way of working. It is hard to change to a creative mode when working in the same environment as your everyday work. If off-site is not an option try and find a space where a conducive atmosphere can be created – for example where there are no tables, nor computers, and plenty of wall space to exhibit outputs as you go along.

If working remotely, for example using Zoom, then ask that participants come with space around them to work, and with the possibility to move around a little. Ask them to have resources at hand, such as coloured pencils and paper.

 Timing and structure

I have linked these two together because one will determine the other.

If timing is a constraint, that is you only have a couple of hours, then it is impossible to structure that time for a complete problem-solving process. It would be more realistic to introduce a couple of creative techniques such as brainstorming and a playful variation on it, like reversals.

If, on the other hand it is more important to address a serious wicked problem or plan for a future product, then structure the process and carve out the time required.

The level of experience in use of creative techniques will also influence the time required. The more experienced you and/or the team are, the less time you will need to get into the creative mode.

Choice of technique

• If you are new to this, stay with a technique and structure you feel comfortable with. A facilitator needs to be able to guide participants and then let them free to work on the technique. If you are nervous about trying a new technique you may be tempted to intervene.
• Choose  according to the purpose of each session.
• The individual differences of participants may be a factor here. Introverts may take longer to think through their inputs. Build in techniques which they will feel more comfortable with, otherwise the extroverts will dominate.
• In choosing the techniques and planning the sessions, reflect upon whether each technique will work best done individually, in pairs or as a whole group.
  • Working alone will work well if it’s an early input around perceptions of a problem.
  • Working in pairs for some of the exercises can offer a level of support and comfort.
  • Working as a whole group can produce more ideas, as with brainstorming, however there may be issues around everyone being involved. It will depend upon the group. My advice would be anything beyond six needs to be broken down into smaller groups.

Setting ground rules for the creativity session

 This is crucial and you will need to think this through in advance and present them for agreement at the beginning. Here are the rules I like to establish:

• Brainstorming rules: defer judgement, go for quantity, the wilder the better, build upon others ideas.
• Be constructive – no negativity
• Be flexible and open to other ideas
• Encourage active listening

You might want to add rules about keeping to time, confidentiality, mobiles off etc.

Resources

What resources will you want, or can have?

For example, I usually have lots of coloured pens, post-its and paper for writing and drawing as well as flip chart boards or walls to put paper on.

In general, for successful facilitation

•  Have a structure and be flexible enough to change it if necessary. Not all techniques work with everyone. Sometimes you need to try something different to achieve the objective of the session.
• When facilitating a group, start with some warm up exercise, and also have a couple of short energisers to use when energy is starting to flag.
• Set out the instructions for the exercise and then stand back and let the participants work with the technique. It is important not to step in unless it is needed to clarify something. Do not try to influence what is happening.

For more ideas around techniques and how to use them, check out the book I co-wrote with Tracy Stanley.

Barbara is an executive coach, leadership and creativity facilitator. She has coached women and men in a variety of corporate settings, and has developed a unique approach to using creative techniques in her coaching and workshops to enable change at a group or individual level. She has recently co-authored a book on creativity for leaders, called Creativity Cycling , with Dr. Tracy Stanley. 

Six barriers to being more creative.

In July, I wrote about the benefits of creativity and offering ideas on how to be creative.

Today I will reflect upon the barriers that get in the way of us being creative.

1 Negative thinking –  prevents us from seeing opportunities because it changes our perception about the world around us. We see a glass half empty rather than half full. It is of course the same glass however it is how we perceive and frame it that makes the difference in terms of our attitude and our behaviour.

Negative thinking can be seen often in the answer of ‘yes but’ to new ideas.

If this is you, try a ‘yes, and’ next time and consider what merit there might be in the new idea before stepping in to offer the negativity. Positivity is about seeing opportunity and having hope, even when things do not look so good.

2 Imposter syndrome  – is a syndrome where people feel that they should not be there because they are not good enough. This is more typical of women, and can result in less confidence in ourselves to propose new ideas. This happens because we don’t believe we have the legitimacy to do so. It can lead to a heavy amount of self-judgement.

To overcome imposter syndrome, it is important to be able to recognise it, and then to work on self-confidence to overcome it. With self-judgement we live with the critic always sitting on our shoulders and looking on, influencing our thoughts.

3 Not being open to new ideas –  this can be due to negative thinking, however, it may also be due to the assumptions we develop over time. I am reminded here of the ladder of inference developed by Chris Argyris, where assumptions form a step on the ladder to fixed attitudes.

We need to challenge our own assumptions when we start to review problems or evaluate new ideas.

One way to do this is to try a simple exercise. Draw three columns. In the fist write the heading facts, the second, feelings and the third assumptions.

Then take a situation where you may have felt that the outcome could have been different. Firstly draw out the facts as you saw them and in the timeline you lived it. Next to each fact, note the feelings you had at that stage, then the as a result of those feelings what assumptions did you make?

Look back over the this and check out whether any assumptions were made based on feelings and not fact and how this influenced your actions. What can you learn from this?

4 No time to spend on creative pursuits – Often this is because we don’t put enough value on play in our lives. We have a need to play and with play a more creative side of us opens up. Take that time out and have a play – even if it’s a playful walk. Recapture that spirit of enquiry, observe closely what is happening around you. When we play, we bring our imagination to the fore and let all sorts of possibilities take place. Look at young children when they play with cardboard boxes and the range of ‘things’ that this can become; a train, a car, a house for example. Somehow as we grow older, we lose this ability and start to value a logical, rational way of thinking.  This can inhibit our creativity.

Take time out to just stand and stare, to look at things mindfully, and then see what thoughts arise.

5 Not taking risks  – The fear around risk is that we may fail. However, if we never take a risk, we may never live life at our best, and we may never know if we would have failed. In fact, failure can often lead to greater success if we can be positive around the learning from it.

This fear of failure is prevalent in organisations.  Failure is often punished and the consequences of this is a reluctance to start or try anything new or different. This is detrimental to creativity and innovation.

6 Rigid goal setting – I am not a fan of setting SMART goals. I accept that there are times when it works well, however it can be too rigid to allow the flexibility and breathing space that creativity and innovation need.

Planning and goal setting are important activities that keep us moving forward. However, none of us can really predict the future, although some try, so whatever we plan cannot cover all possibilities. We cannot plan for every eventuality as Mintzberg stated.  What would be helpful and inspirational for creativity to flourish is to develop a vision  to guide us, and then to create intentions from this. This will allow us to be flexible and open to new opportunities as and when they happen. The vision is our guiding light here and the goals are intended and can be changed if the need arises, for example due to external change or new opportunities occurring. So, we craft our own strategy towards emerging goals and stay aware that life happens, and we may need to adapt these goals.

I hope that these ideas have helped you to reflect upon any barriers you may have to being more creative.

Barbara is an executive coach, leadership and creativity facilitator. She has coached women and men in a variety of corporate settings, and has developed a unique approach to using creative techniques in her coaching and workshops to enable change at a group or individual level. She has recently co-authored a book on creativity for leaders, called Creativity Cycling , with Dr. Tracy Stanley.