Many people think that creativity – it is an unpredictable heaven-sent illumination that appears only to the lucky few. This phenomenon is shrouded in mystery and gives rise to many myths.
Mr. Burkus decided to conduct an educational program on creativity in order to dispel all doubts about this phenomenon once and for all and prove that creativity can be developed, like any other skill. What should not mislead you:
1. New ideas come suddenly. Sometimes a new idea just pops into your head as if out of nowhere. But studies have shown that in fact, such sudden insights at first glance are nothing more than the result of preliminary work on the problem. The fact is that on a subconscious level, the brain still carries out work aimed at finding the right solution and sometimes gives the result at the most unexpected moments for our consciousness.
2. Creativity is inherited. Many people believe that creativity is genetically transmitted. Perhaps in the future, scientists will be able to find a gene for creativity, but so far such information does not exist. Self-confidence and hard work – these are the main factors contributing to the development of human creativity.
3. New idea – completely your achievement. Copyright laws make us think that all creative ideas are the property of the person who came up with them. However, history and empirical research are more in favor of the fact that the new ideas – they are actually combinations of ideas that have already crossed someone's mind once.
4. – authors of the most original ideas. This is not entirely true. The flow of creative ideas does not always come from experts in a particular field. Practice shows that in order to solve complex problems that require a new approach, sometimes you need a look from a person who is not limited to a detailed understanding of what the complexity of solving a particular problem lies in.
5. Rewards stimulate creativity. A fairly common myth: the more financial or other reward a person receives for new ideas, the more he is motivated to achieve results, and therefore the level of his creativity increases. Of course, incentives, especially material ones, are good, but more often than not, they do more harm than good, as they encourage people to cheat the system.
6. Lonely Creator. Mankind has long been adept at rewriting history and attributing the authorship of various inventions to one person, while ignoring the work that preceded the discovery, which was carried out precisely in a team. As a rule, creativity is the result of the work of a whole group of people who help the leader of this group achieve the desired result.
7. Brainstorm – recipe for success. In fact, it has not yet been proven that the spontaneous expression of various good (and not so) ideas leads to innovative discoveries and breakthroughs.
8. Friendly relations of colleagues – engine of innovation. Nowadays, there are many companies that are trying by all means to "make friends" of their employees, arranging football matches, joint lunches, corporate parties and other events. However, in fact, it is necessary in the process of creating something new that it is the divergence of opinions and a reasonable degree of conflict – it boosts employee creativity more than playing games together.
9. Limitations kill creativity. Another popular claim is that restrictions stifle creativity, but studies show that creativity in the face of restrictions actually increases.
10. New idea – that's all it takes. Some people believe that for success it is enough to "give birth" to a new idea. It must be understood that the mountain will not come to Mohammed – you will have to pave the way to it yourself. You still need to convey your idea to a wide audience, promote it and find a suitable consumer.
If you think that you need to "beat" the creativity of your competitors in order to succeed in your business, don't believe the common myths. In this case, it is better to rely on the facts and evidence provided by scientists and people who have already eaten the dog on this.
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