"I’m Just Not a Creative Person" — Round 1
How many times have you gotten this explanation from someone? I’d be willing to put up a nice wager against the assumption that you’ve heard this from at least one person in your lifetime.
And, if your experience has been anything like mine, this sham of an excuse was from a time you were required to work in a small group setting to accomplish something — be it high school, college or your 8 to 5 daily grind.
F i n d a N e w S t o r y . . .
From today forward, I will no longer accept this flimsy excuse from anyone. I’m calling BS the second it gets thrown out there for my rant-taking-opportunity.
The myth that some people are born creative and some are not is an idea that has manifested itself all over the society we exist in today. We all have the ability to create and be creative. Just because you can’t draw a giraffe or knit a scarf in an afternoon, that doesn’t disqualify you from living a creative life. Business managers and entrepreneurs rely on creative thought daily.
{{ Fluffy Stuff }}
I interviewed Malcolm White a couple of weeks ago, and honestly could have stayed all afternoon listening to his stories. As director of the Mississippi Arts Commission, he works to try and convince policy makers the value of the arts…
—that they are not something extra - they are fundamental. Art is not just this fluffy extra stuff hanging on the wall.
Without art and creativity as a fundamental building block for learning in school, you’ll find more and more people who cop out with a “not-the-creative-type” excuse.
How can you convince them they just might be wrong about themselves? Get them to trash the negative label they’ve put on themselves by asking for facts to support their claim that they lack creative skills.
>>>>>Creativity requires nothing more than open-mindedness. Most often people who believe they are not creative are those who try and force creative thoughts and ideas instead of just listening and letting everything flow.<<<<<<
Listening and letting go. To really listen and let go, you’ve got to master the hardest part of this whole creativity concept: the fear of being wrong.
More to Come in Round 2…
Fear and Silence
Fear is one of the biggest obstacles to effective communication within an organization, and it can have countless other negative effects on a company. The most damaging of these effects is the creation of a climate of silence - supporting the notion of undiscussables.
Undiscussables are those secrets that almost everyone knows: problems with office politics, bad managerial practices, ethical issues, decision-making procedures and the list goes on. Don’t let the term fool you though. Undiscussables are talked about. In fact they are often talked about at length in the hall, the bathroom, on breaks and after work. They are discussed in secret and talked about in every place but the right place - a forum where the issue has the best chance for resolution.
Back to the fear issue: “undiscussables” develop because there is a climate of fear that exists within the organization. People are fearful of the repercussions that may come with speaking up and trying to make these issues “discussable.” If employee feedback is not a common practice and doesn’t receive the support it deserves, people will most likely remain silent and refrain from giving their point of view.
You wanna talk about irony? Just take a closer look at why employee fear develops: managers’ fear of negative feedback. Fear is both the cause and effect - and that’s a problem that shouldn’t be ignored.
So, how can you move toward a place where you can discuss these undiscussables? Here are three ESSENTIALS when it comes to opening a forum for the undiscussables.
1. Blame-Free Forum
If you are going to discuss an issue, the people involved should feel as if there is an actual discussion taking place. If they feel as if blame and judgment are already established, they will shut down and feelings of mistrust will almost always ensue.
2. The Appropriate Forum
Some issues should be addressed in a large group setting, but there are certain circumstances that are better handled one-on-one. Make sure you take the time to really assess which setting is the best. Ask for advice if you aren’t 100 percent sure.
3. An Open Forum
Focus on the very thing that has likely caused fear to emerge within the company. Be open to feedback. In fact, seek it out. The discussing of “undiscussables” is a new concept for you. It may take more than one attempt to get the process working right. By collaborating on the issue, you can make that happen much more effectively and efficiently.
