Creativity is not a talent. It is not a talent, it is a way of operating.

– John Cleese

This is something that a lot of people don’t realize!

I’ve watched a webinar of John Cleese the other day, in which he talked about the Principles of creative thinking in business management. And it was a really good talk! It started of with the notion that the most creative people, are those who played the most. And that being able to play around, is a good way of getting those creative thoughts going!

But in the current day and age, it’s really difficult to see how you can combine work and play, even though it’s important to have that bit of relaxation throughout the day/week. You know… “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

So how do you find the time to sit back and get those creative juices flowing?

The biggest learning is that you need to set boundaries, but also that you can’t force getting/being creative.
You need to be able to give yourself both the space and time to get into that creative mood. Speaking of mood; You also need to be in the right mindset!
There is no use in trying to come with creative ideas when you are feeling worse than usual. It makes it difficult to approach ideas from different angles.

By giving yourself the space and time to come with ideas, you are able to just think. To really take it all in and get as many great/silly/enthusiastic ideas as possible! Really! There are no bad ideas when you are in the creative stage of thinking! Anything can be a good idea. It’s once you are done with the creative part, that you can take a critical look at what came to mind, and are able to filter out the best ideas from the entire creative bucket.

But how would that work in a business setting?

That is indeed a challenge. I have found myself in situations where it felt uncomfortable to take the time and space required, because there was always something to do. The next deadline to meet, the next bug to fix, the next meeting to be had. But that should not stop you from trying to take that needed time! In most cases, the company you work with/for might already give you that time, even if you don’t realize it.

Which is also that other point of view. How do you give your employees that needed space and time to come with new ideas? It was a business management webinar after all.

It really boils down to how you run/manage a business/team.
You want to balance the active productivity, while also providing for the right creative environment. Both on an individual level, as well as in group settings.

On an individual level.

For individuals you want to communicate openly about how you want to approach ideas and how much time and space they can take around the office (or during office hours if/when working from home). After all, boundaries need to be both set by the person who needs the space and time, but also needs to fit within those of the company.
This can be done though motivating employees to take regular courses, breaks, and extra relaxation time other than just lunch or smoke breaks.
It’s an investment, but one that should repay itself in the long term when it comes to creativity, input and on overall relaxed atmosphere on the work floor.

In a team setting.

For teams it requires a bit more effort and the right active guidance.
You want to have the diversity, so that you have multiple people trying to think from different angles, but you also want to make sure that everyone can be heard. You will have to slow down the active talkers, while also motivating the quiet ones to speak up. The team will have to realize that just like with playing together as kids, they should also be able to work together. Give everyone a chance to both hide and seek. To chase and be chased in a game of tag. To speak and listen.
And for that you need to have someone in that team to basically observe. They don’t have to be an active participant, but should be able to give everyone an equal chance, without trying to enforce their own agenda.