New jobs, old jobs and telling the difference
Seriously, how do you view your role in your company? What are your boring, routine tasks AND what are your larger responsibilities?
Certainly we all need the ability to 'turn off' work and not carry around the problems, challenges and blessings we experience in the workweek. And yet, we are in a 'always on' world. Staff, who doesn't at some level appreciate and respond well to this fact, may find their seat at the table moved or removed. Organizations today need people who create solutions where only problems existed before, or to create value where expense was the common viewpoint.
Because it is so thought-provoking, I'm not just providing a link to blog post - but I'm also including it right here. Enjoy the content then consider your role and those of people around you.
Who goes first? Initiating a project, a blog, a wikipedia article, a family journey--these are things that don't come naturally to many people. The challenge is in initiating something even when you're not putatively in charge. Not enough people believe they are capable of productive initiative.
At the same time, almost all people believe they are capable of editing, giving feedback or merely criticizing.
So finding people to fix your typos is easy.
I don't think the shortage of artists has much to do with the innate ability to create or initiate. I think it has to do with believing that it's possible and acceptable for you to do it. We've only had these particular doors open wide for a decade or so, and most people have been brainwashed into believing that their job is to copyedit the world, not to design it.
That used to be your job. It's not, not anymore. You go first.
Is your work art? Should it be?
We waste a lot of time worrying about stuff, rather than just doing something productive. Or new. Or creative. Or heaven forbid, really innovative. The reasons are endless and boring. With all the stats and analytics these days, we have the mistaken notion that we can completely understand what customers (people) will do in any situation. We can't. Sure we may understand trends and options, but by the time we think we understand, the path is well-worn and tired. It has become science.
Science is fine, but it kills creativity and real innovation. I love science and all that it does for us in our daily lives. I really, really do. But that does not mean that we all have to be scientists. Many of us are artists of some sort of another. So we need to make good art.
In business language, art = innovation, however you care to define it. Why aren't you (and I) creating more good art? Find what is stopping you and remove or ignore it for a day, a week or a year. Until you can make good 'art' in your context.
Check out the video below or see it here from Neil Gaiman and this from Seth Godin about his new book The Icarus Deception.
The Power of the Stretch
When was the last time you were out of your professional comfort zone?
Did you go there on purpose or was it forced upon you? Regardless, how did it make you feel? What were the results?
If you don't grow and stretch you are going backward and the same can be said for companies. The challenge here is knowing you need to stretch and having the willpower or ability to get out of your zone are different things.
All you might need is time to think, and you can get there.
If you can't do it on your own, try this:
- Think about something you don't know how to do but you believe might be helpful to your marketing efforts (video clips, Google AdWords, Facebook ads, direct mail, TV ads, consumer behavior, whatever!)
- Go research it and figure out how to do it. If you can't work on it at work for whatever reason, do it at home. I'm sure you have a few hours in a month to spare.
Even if you don't end up using the tool, service or knowledge - you'll be smarter and it may lead you to something that IS helpful to you and your company.
Go stretch and learn. It might be the best thing you've done for yourself and your company.
Why you are not creative!
Some people and personality types are more creative than others, there is no question about that fact. However, everyone is creative no matter how it's defined. Many just don't think of their skills as creative.
Their reasons are numerous. One I'd like to remove from the list comes from too tightly defining what creativity is.
Creativity is finding a new way to fund R&D. Creativity is setting up a network to better utilize your hardware or help your staff. Creativity is hiring the people who will lead your company 10 years from now. Creativity is looking at a problem from a different perspective. Creativity is finding a way to do something - when a common path is blocked.
You'll notice that I didn't mention anything about marketing, design or the arts. Certainly that is how many define creativity, and those are valuable pursuits, but they don't hold exclusive rights to creativity.
To unleash creativity and action in your organization, make a point to publicly redefine creativity. Then, encourage new thinking about old processes. You'll be delighted by the results.