Creative Thinking
The imagination is literally the workshop wherein are fashioned all plans created by man.
—NAPOLEON HILL
CREATIVE THINKERS rule the world! They are continually seeking faster, better, and easier ways to accomplish goals that are important to other people. They practice the CANEI principle, which stands for “Continuous and Never-Ending Improvement.”
They are responsible for all of the great breakthroughs, innovations, and progress in human history. They know that sometimes one good idea is all it takes to change the course of a business or an individual life.
Mechanical Thinking
Mechanical thinking, on the other hand, tends to be rigid and inflexible. It is “my way or the highway.” Mechanical thinking is rooted in fears of failure or making a mistake and losing time, money, or both. It is triggered by fears of criticism or disapproval, trying something that doesn’t work.
Poor thinkers think in terms of black and white rather than shades of grey. They think in extremes of yes versus no, up versus down. They think there is only one way when there are usually many ways. In the face of change and confrontation, they develop psychosclerosis, which is defined as a “hardening of the attitudes.”
They are victims of “homeostasis,” a striving for constancy. They are stuck in their comfort zones. They resent and fear anything new or different, even an improvement in conditions. But this is not for you.
You Are a Potential Genius
You have more creative potential than you could use in a hundred lifetimes. The more of your creative ability you use, the more you can use. You actually become more creative each time you come up with something new. It is said that every child is born a genius, and this means you, throughout your lifetime.
It turns out that creativity is the single best indicator or predictor of success in life and in work. The more creative you are, the more and better ideas you will come up with to improve your life, work, and everything around you. One good idea can be enough to change the entire direction of your life.
How do you recognize creativity? Creative people are curious. They ask a lot of questions and are never satisfied. In fact, you can become more creative just by asking more questions about the things going on around you and not being content with superficial answers.
Genius Throughout the Ages
There are many studies of the qualities of geniuses throughout the ages. The first fact they discovered was that intelligence was not a matter of IQ or academic qualifications. Many so-calledgeniuses had average or slightly above-average intelligence. Genius or excellent thinking was instead more a matter of attitude and approach toward the inevitable challenges of life.
It appears that geniuses develop three qualities over time:
Keep an Open Mind
First, they approach every problem or situation with an open mind, almost a childlike attitude of exploration and discovery. The more open your mind is to completely new and different approaches to any situation in your life, the more likely it is that you are going to get insights and ideas that move you out of your comfort zone—that enable you to think outside the box. They
continually ask “Why?” and “Why not?” and “What if?”
Second, geniuses carefully consider every aspect of a problem, refusing to jump to conclusions, gathering more information to validate their tentative conclusions at each stage. They avoid a rush to judgment. They are always open to the possibility that they could be wrong, or that their idea is no good.
The Best Solution
Albert Einstein was once asked, “If there was a major emergency or potential disaster that was going to destroy the earth in 60 minutes, and you were asked to find a solution, what would you do?”
Einstein replied, “I would spend the first 59 minutes gathering information, and the last minute solving the problem in the best possible way.”
In business today, especially in new product development, the more time you spend working closely with customers to be sure that your new product or service idea is exactly what they want, need, and are willing to pay for, the more likely it is that you will be successful in a fast-changing and highly competitive market.
The Systematic Approach
Third, geniuses of all kinds use a systematic approach to problem solving and decision making. Accomplished mathematicians, physicists, doctors, mechanics, and people in other professions do not throw themselves at a problem like a dog chasing a passing car. Rather, they follow a carefully
designed checklist and work their way through a problem, step by step, toward a conclusion.
Atul Gawande, in his book The Checklist Manifesto, tells the story of two investment experts, both successful, but one far more successful than the other.
It turned out that they both had many years of experience in evaluating and making substantial investments for themselves and their clients. But the more successful adviser had developed a checklist of essential questions to ask and tests to apply to an investment proposal before making a decision.
The other adviser used many of the same techniques and tactics to appraise an investment, but he operated more from intuition and experience. As a result, he often lost money when he shouldn’t have.
Here was the interesting point that Gawande made. The first adviser was consistently more successful than the second. But on various occasions, he made mistakes and lost money. The reason was invariably the same. He had neglected to follow his own checklist. He had missed one or two vital points in his list of important considerations. When he went back to following his
checklist meticulously, his investment record improved significantly.
The Systematic Problem-Solving Method
Here is a structured/unstructured way of problem solving and decision making developed by experts and think tanks over the years. I have synthesized the best ideas I have discovered into a single simple method that you can use for the rest of your career.
STEP ONE: Define the problem or goal clearly, in writing, on the page in front of you. If you are working with a group, write and rewrite the problem or goal on a flip chart or a whiteboard until everyone agrees, “Yes. This is the correct definition of the problem.”
In medicine, they say, “Accurate diagnosis is half the cure.”
In business, developing the correct definition of the problem often makes the solution appear obvious.
STEP TWO: Once you have defined the problem or goal clearly, you ask, “What else is the problem?”
Beware of any problem for which there is only one definition. Define and redefine the problem several different ways to make it more amenable to the correct solution. (Note: It may be not a problem at all but rather an opportunity.)
The worst thing you can do is to come up with a great solution to the wrong problem or to a problem that does not exist.
Product Failure Rates
Fully 80 percent of new products and services fail within twelve months. The primary reason for this is that companies develop a product that solves a problem that customers don’t have.
It is like the story of the dog food company that invested many millions of dollars developing the perfect dog food—nutritionally balanced in every way. But the product failed in the marketplace. When the product developers were asked what had happened, they replied, “The problem was that the dogs hated it.”
Whatever definition of the problem that you settle on is going to determine the direction of the solution. If your problem definition is incorrect, your solution, however brilliant, won’t work.
Sales Improvement Process
Working with sales organizations, we take them through a systematic process of creative thinking. In almost every case, the number one problem that a business faces is low sales. So we start off with a question, “What is the problem?”
The first definition of the problem is usually “Our sales are too low.”
What else is the problem?
We are not attracting enough new customers.
What else is the problem?
The customers that we do attract are not buying enough.
What else is the problem?
We are not converting enough of our prospects into paying customers.
What else is the problem?
Our advertising and promotion are not attracting enough new customers.
What else is the problem?
Our customers are not buying often enough.
What else is the problem?
Our customers are buying too much from our competitors.
Keep asking the “what else” question until you find the correct definition of the problem.
The Definition Determines the Solution
Whichever of these answers that you decide upon—if it is the correct problem—requires a different, and sometimes a completely different, solution. This is why it is so important that you test and validate your answer to be sure you are working on the right problem in the first place.
STEP THREE: You ask, “What is the solution to our problem?” Whatever answer you come up with, you then ask, “What else is the solution to our problem?”
Beware of a problem for which there is only one solution. There is a direct relationship between the number of possible solutions you develop and the quality of the final solution you settle upon. Very often, two unrealistic ideas combined could turn out to be one brilliant idea that changes the direction of your business.
STEP FOUR: Once you have developed a wide range of possible solutions, you must narrow them down and make a decision. In most cases, any decision is better than no decision at all. If you cannot make a decision immediately, set a deadline by which you will make your decision and take action.
Steve Jobs once said, “Creative ideas come from connecting the dots in a different way.” Here is the key used by superior thinkers everywhere: If you are struggling with a decision, collect more dots. Get more information. Hire a consultant who specializes in this area. Don’t be cheap in collecting the best information possible. One new or unconsidered idea can make or save you a
fortune.
STEP FIVE: Determine how you will measure the success of this decision. Set clear measures and benchmarks. Quantify your desired results. The rule is this: “If you want to succeed in business, set measures for everything. If you want to get rich, set financial measures for everything.”
Remember, if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. And what gets measured gets done.
STEP SIX: Assign responsibility for the project, task, or subtask to a specific person or persons.
Every product, service, or project needs a champion, someone who is completely in charge of the project and whose personal success, pay, and promotion are determined or strongly affected by the results.
A major mistake that small and large companies make is that they agree on a new product or service idea, or on a project of some kind, and then everyone goes back to work. No one is assigned specific responsibility for this project. It then becomes an “orphan project” in the company—something that belongs to everyone and to no one. Don’t let this happen in your business.
STEP SEVEN: Set a deadline and sub-deadlines for completion. The more important the potential result, the more often and more accurately you must manage and measure progress. Inspect what you expect. What gets inspected gets done.
STEP EIGHT: Develop a Plan B, a fall-back plan or an alternative in case your first solution does not work for any reason. Fill out the “Disaster Report.” Ask, “What is the worst possible thing that could happen in this situation?”
The worst possible outcome is that it could fail completely, and all the time and money invested will be lost.
How could you minimize the possibilities of failure? How could you maximize the possibilities of success? What will you do if your solution doesn’t work?
Develop a Fall-back Plan
Great generals plan to win every battle, but they prepare for defeat if it occurs. They set aside reserves of men and ammunition. They develop a contingency or fall-back plan. They know that an orderly retreat is better than a complete rout.
Never “bet the ranch” on a new course of action. Only take calculated risks—risks that you can bounce back from if they fail completely.
Hope is not a strategy; it is a formula for disaster. In business, the new product idea of “build it and they will come” is almost a sure-fire recipe for failure.
STEP NINE: Take action on your idea. Move fast. Develop a sense of urgency. Do something. Do anything. But get on with it, as quickly as possible.
General George Patton said, “A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan next week.”
Apply this systematic method of problem solving to each problem or obstacle your business faces, disciplining yourself to follow the recipe for superior thinking. You will be happily surprised at the result.
Solution-Focused Thinking Versus Problem-Focused Thinking
The true mark of your intelligence and your creativity is your ability to solve problems and make decisions. Whatever title is written on your business card, your true job description is “problem solver.” From the time you start work in the morning until the time you quit for the day, and afterward, you are solving problems, small and large, all day long.
General Colin Powell said, “Leadership is the ability to solve problems.”
Success is the ability to solve problems as well. A goal or an objective unachieved, in any area, is merely a problem unsolved. This is why a systematic approach to problem solving, one that works at a higher level and more consistently, is absolutely vital for you to achieve the maximum success
that is possible for you.
Think About Solutions
As it happens, successful people think about solutions most of the time. Unsuccessful people think about problems most of the time. Successful people think about how to solve the problem or remove the obstacle and what actions can be taken immediately to improve the situation.
Unsuccessful people think about the problem and who is to blame. They allow themselves to become angry and upset about a problem that occurs or an obstacle that arises. This triggers negative thinking, anger, and the search for the guilty party—“Who did it?” But it does nothing to help them find the solution.
Unlock Your Creative Powers
There are three keys to unlocking your creative powers that we have spoken about before. They are clarity, focus, and concentration.
First, you must be clear about the goal but flexible about the process of achieving it. Keep an open mind. Be willing to consider a variety of different ways to achieve the same result.
Second, focus. Bring all of your brainpower, and that of others, to focus like a laser beam on a single problem, obstacle, or difficulty, without diversion or distraction. Stay on one subject at a time.
Third, concentration. Put aside everything else, and concentrate 100 percent until you have solved your biggest problem or achieved your most important goal.
Jim Collins, in his book Good to Great, tells the story of the fox and the hedgehog, which comes from an essay by Isaiah Berlin. He says that the fox is very clever and knows many things. But the hedgehog is more successful because he knows one big thing.
Clarity, focus, and concentration enable you to bring all your mental powers to bear on solving one big problem or achieving one big goal.
The Attraction of Distraction
In our modern world of advanced technology and social media, perhaps the greatest enemy is the “attraction of distraction,” chasing after the shiny objects of immediate stimulus—WhatsApp messages, phone calls, and social media—all of which cause your mind to scatter and disrupt your ability to focus and concentrate.
Continuously responding to electronic interruptions, especially social media and WhatsApp messages, burns up your brain fuel, glucose, at a rapid rate. The average adult checks his or her social media accounts all day long and is constantly distracted, like an attention deficit disorder dog, by signals and alarms on smartphones.
As a result, the average social media-addicted employee loses ten full IQ points each day, becoming dumber by the hour. By the end of the day, many people are burned out, unable to concentrate or make even the simplest of decisions. And they are further and further behind on their key tasks.
Multitasking Versus Task Switching
Constantly responding to social media, WhatsApp messages, and phone calls forces the individual to engage in what is called multitasking. However, this is more rightly defined as task switching. You are not doing several tasks; instead, you are switching back and forth, from one task to another and then back again. According to one study, it takes you about seventeen minutes after you have broken off a task to respond to an incoming message for you to get back “on task” again.
Throughout the day, your attention switches back and forth, like a windshield wiper, seldom completing anything of value. When you add in social media and the obsession that many people have with checking Facebook, X, and Instagram, you have a formula for career disaster. This is why they say, “Social networking is social not working.”
The solution is simple. Leave things off. Check your e-mail and messages twice a day, at 11:00 a.m. and at 3:00 p.m. Other than that, turn everything off so that you can dedicate yourself single-mindedly to the task at hand.
The Principle of Constraints
This is one of the best creative thinking tools of all. The Principle of Constraints says that between you and any goal there is a constraint that determines how fast you achieve that goal.
Sometimes this is called the bottleneck. Sometimes it is referred to as the choke point. Andrew Grove, the former CEO of Intel, referred to the main constraint holding you back as the “limiting factor” in any production process. What is your major goal today, and what is the constraint thatsets the speed at which you achieve it? To rephrase this question, “Why aren’t you already at your goal?” If your goal is to increase your sales and profitability by 50 percent, why aren’t your sales and profitability already 50 percent higher? If your goal is to lose weight, why aren’t you already at your ideal weight? When you ask this question, very often the answer you come up with is the constraint that is holding you back. Often, when you ask and answer this question, what will pop into your mind will be your favourite excuses, the reasons that you most commonly give for nonachievement in a particular area. Identify the Limiting Factor In each situation, your first job is to identify this limiting factor and then focus single-mindedly on alleviating it. This way of thinking and acting can move you toward your goals faster than almost anything else you can do. The 80/20 rule applies to constraints in your personal and business life. Fully 80 percent of the factors that are holding you back from achieving your most important goals are within yourself or
within your business. Only 20 percent are on the outside, external to you and your business. When you begin identifying and removing constraints, always start with yourself. Ask the key question, “What is it in me (or in my business) that is holding me back from achieving my goal?” Remember, the natural tendency of most people is to blame their problems on external forces and other people. The hallmark of superior thinkers is that they accept complete responsibility for any problem or difficulty and then they look into themselves for what is setting the speed at which they achieve the goal they desire.
What-If Thinking
One of the most powerful questions you can ask in triggering creativity is, “What if?” Each time you ask this question, you break the bonds of limited thinking that may keep you working in a narrow area, and you open your mind to more and more possibilities.
What-if thinking is considered the breakthrough concept that made Federal Express one of the most successful companies in the world. It started by asking, “What if it was possible to deliver a letter overnight, anywhere in the United States?”
When Fred Smith, founder, chairman, president, and CEO of FedEx, suggested this idea in an undergraduate term paper at Yale, his professor gave him a C, saying that the idea was not very realistic. At that time, first-class mail in the United States took anywhere from three to five days, and sometimes longer, to reach its destination. The idea of overnight mail delivery seemed highly improbable.
Break the Barriers
By continually asking “What if?” Fred Smith and the executives of FedEx were able to develop creative ideas that not only achieved the goal but led to one of the largest and most successful companies in the world.
“What if it was possible to put the keyboard on the screen of a cell phone?” (Apple, one of the largest company in the world.)
“What if we could sell and deliver almost any book by e-mail and direct home delivery?” (Amazon.com, now the biggest vendor of books in the world.)
“What if we could put a man on the moon and bring him safely back to earth?” (John F. Kennedy—1962.)
When President John F. Kennedy asked the scientist in charge of the American space program, Wernher von Braun, what it would take to put a man on the moon and bring him back safely, von Braun replied simply, “The will to do it.”
In many situations, in your business and personal life, what is most required for success is simply “the will to do it.”
Joel Weldon was famous for his talk “Success Comes in Cans, Not in Cannots.” It is the same with you.
The Process of Innovation
The philosophy of every successful business and successful executive is CANEI, which, as said above, stands for “Continuous and Never-Ending Improvement.”
Resolve to move boldly out of your comfort zone. Continually search for newer, better, faster, and cheaper ways to achieve your goals and to move ahead. Be prepared to fail over and over again when you are developing or introducing new products, services, methods, or strategies. Nothing ever works out the way you think it will. You will experience constant frustrations, difficulties, setbacks, and temporary failures on the way to success.
Thomas J. Watson Sr., the founder of IBM, was once asked how to succeed faster. He replied, “If you want to succeed faster, you must double your rate of failure. Success lies on the far side of failure.”
In fact, there is no such thing as failure. There is only feedback. Difficulties come not to obstruct but to instruct. The formula has always been “Try, try again, and then try something else.”
Your ability to solve problems, make decisions, and find creative, innovative ways to grow your business, increase your sales, and boost your profits is the ultimate key to your success.