The Creativity Leap

1. Creativity is a competency that can be developed through inquiry, improvisation, and intuition

"To be human is to be hardwired to be creative."

Creativity is accessible to all. It's not limited to artists or "creative types," but a skill that can be cultivated by anyone. The 3iCreativity™ model focuses on three key practices:

• Inquiry: Asking better questions and framing problems effectively
• Improvisation: Building on ideas within minimal constraints
• Intuition: Tapping into unconscious pattern recognition for decision-making

By developing these skills, individuals and organizations can increase their creativity quotient (CQ) and drive innovation. This approach democratizes creativity, making it a learnable competency rather than an innate talent.

2. Toggle between wonder and rigor to solve problems and deliver novel value

"Creativity is our ability to toggle between wonder and rigor in order to solve problems and produce novel value."

Balance curiosity and discipline. Wonder represents the capacity for awe, dreaming, and asking audacious questions. Rigor embodies discipline, attention to detail, and mastery. The interplay between these two states is crucial for creativity:

• Wonder: Generates new ideas and perspectives
• Rigor: Refines and implements those ideas

Effective creativity requires both the expansive thinking of wonder and the focused execution of rigor. By consciously shifting between these modes, individuals can enhance their problem-solving abilities and generate innovative solutions.

3. Cultivate a culture of inquiry to drive innovation and adaptability

"Inquiry is the root of wisdom and the precursor of empathy."

Foster curiosity and questioning. Organizations that encourage inquiry are better equipped to innovate and adapt. Key strategies include:

• Normalize asking questions at all levels of the organization
• Create safe spaces for employees to express uncertainty and explore ideas
• Use inquiry as a tool for building empathy and understanding diverse perspectives

By framing questions effectively and valuing the learning process, companies can uncover new opportunities and challenge the status quo. This culture of inquiry helps bridge information gaps and drives continuous improvement.

4. Embrace improvisation to navigate complexity and uncertainty

"Life's ambiguity is not diminishing."

Develop adaptive skills. In today's VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) world, the ability to improvise is crucial. Improvisation in business involves:

• Working with minimal structures and adapting on the fly
• Building on ideas collaboratively
• Embracing mistakes as opportunities for learning and innovation

Organizations can foster improvisation by:

• Encouraging experimentation and calculated risk-taking
• Creating diverse teams to bring multiple perspectives to problem-solving
• Designing flexible work processes that allow for rapid iteration

By treating work more like jazz musicians approach their craft, businesses can become more agile and responsive to change.

5. Harness intuition as a strategic tool for decision-making

"Intuition is a data point."

Trust your gut. Intuition, often dismissed in favor of purely rational analysis, is a valuable complement to data-driven decision-making. It represents:

• Unconscious pattern recognition based on accumulated experience
• A rapid synthesis of complex information
• A way to navigate ambiguity when data is limited or conflicting

To leverage intuition effectively:

• Create space for reflection and inner listening
• Document and analyze intuitive decisions to refine this skill
• Combine intuitive insights with rigorous analysis for balanced decision-making

By recognizing intuition as a valid input, leaders can make more holistic and nuanced choices, especially in fast-paced or uncertain environments.

6. Build creative communities to amplify collective problem-solving

"Community is the ideal space in which wonder and rigor can thrive."

Foster collaboration and diversity. Creative communities enhance problem-solving by:

• Bringing together diverse perspectives and skill sets
• Encouraging boundary-spanning and cross-pollination of ideas
• Providing support and motivation for sustained creative efforts

To build effective creative communities:

• Design physical and virtual spaces that facilitate collaboration
• Encourage interdisciplinary projects and knowledge sharing
• Cultivate a culture of trust and psychological safety

By leveraging the collective intelligence of a diverse community, organizations can tackle more complex challenges and generate more innovative solutions.

7. Prepare for the future by amplifying uniquely human skills

"Creativity drives us to produce variations on the old and design ready-made experiments for anticipated future states."

Embrace human-centric innovation. As AI and automation reshape the workplace, uniquely human skills become increasingly valuable. Focus on developing:

• Complex problem-solving abilities
• Emotional intelligence and empathy
• Creative thinking and innovation

To prepare for the future of work:

• Invest in continuous learning and upskilling
• Design work processes that complement rather than compete with technology
• Cultivate a growth mindset and adaptability

By amplifying these distinctly human capabilities, individuals and organizations can remain relevant and thrive in the face of technological disruption.

8. Remix, reframe, and repurpose existing ideas to spark creativity

"Originality is a steep expectation."

Build on what exists. True originality is rare; most innovation comes from remixing and reframing existing ideas in novel ways. Strategies for creative remixing include:

• Borrowing concepts from other industries or disciplines
• Reframing problems to uncover new solutions
• Repurposing existing tools or processes for new applications

Examples of effective remixing:

• Fashion industry's ability to cycle and reinvent trends
• Applying design thinking principles to business strategy
• Using storytelling techniques from entertainment in marketing

By embracing the remix mentality, creators can alleviate the pressure of pure originality and focus on novel combinations and applications of existing ideas.

9. Get out of the building to gain fresh perspectives and insights

"Until we shift our perspective, we can't possibly know what we don't know."

Seek diverse experiences. Breaking out of routine environments is crucial for sparking creativity and gaining new insights. Strategies include:

• Attending conferences or events outside your industry
• Conducting field research to observe customers in their natural environments
• Engaging with people from different backgrounds and disciplines

Benefits of getting out of the building:

• Challenges assumptions and uncovers blind spots
• Provides real-world context for abstract problems
• Inspires new ideas through unexpected connections

By actively seeking out diverse experiences and perspectives, individuals and teams can break out of mental ruts and discover innovative solutions.

10. Integrate play into work to enhance creativity and innovation

"Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning."

Embrace playfulness. Incorporating elements of play into work processes can significantly boost creativity and problem-solving. Benefits of play include:

• Reducing stress and improving mood
• Encouraging experimentation and risk-taking
• Facilitating unexpected connections and insights

Ways to integrate play at work:

• Design brainstorming sessions as games or challenges
• Create dedicated spaces for unstructured exploration
• Encourage regular breaks for physical activity or mental relaxation

By reframing work as a form of purposeful play, organizations can create more engaging and innovative environments that tap into the natural creativity of their employees.

Last updated: September 23, 2024