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Being creative in a business environment is easy for some, but for most of us it is a challenge to find innovative and unique solutions to our most pressing problems.
It’s usually easy to see why a problem occurred or even suggest what everyone else should do to solve the problem. But when it is our responsibility to address the problem, that is when things get complicated. We often see unlimited options and analyze the consequences of each choice. We see an uphill battle with uncertain results. However, we can overcome the fear of the unknown and focus on the best option available. We can be creative. And the good news is that if being creative doesn’t come naturally to you, there are specific action steps to choose a path forward.
1. Define the box
Everyone knows the concept of thinking outside the box, but at the same time, we all have limits within which to operate. We cannot use an endless supply of resources or completely change the rules of the business. In other words, sometimes we need to be able to solve problems inside the box, sticking to reality.
The first step is to outline the boundaries of the situation and our control over it. Define the problem. Develop the scope. See the limitations you have so you know where you can trade. This will give you an idea of what’s possible and start revealing options for resolution.
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2. Brainstorm
This is the brainstorming step, where we throw out a bunch of half-baked ideas to see what has legs. The more ideas the better at this point in the process. This is not the critical point where we evaluate the options. Instead of trying to see which options are the best, we want volume.
I used to teach an audio engineering course on MIDI technology, but the technology spread to other areas as well. I had an exercise where students would think of different ways to use it, but couldn’t relate it to music or audio production. They all thought it was weird at first, but by giving them a framework for the problem, they were able to come up with some interesting ideas.
The goal is to generate multiple responses. The crazier the better. Some came up with the idea of using technology to control the lights in a house. Some said they could use it to train their dog to do tricks by playing dog whistle sounds. This exercise highlighted how developing many creative ideas helps sharpen our ability to solve any problem.
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3. Limit ideas
In this step, we want to get rid of ideas that require incredible resources or that just seem too far fetched. Seeing obvious holes in an idea means that too much work would have to be done on the solution to make it effective.
We are not looking to eliminate all options. We’re not even ruling out all the bad options. The key is narrowing them down, not finding the perfect fit. We want the ones that seem to have the best chance of solving the problem with minimal business consequences. Once you have a short list of ideas that might work, you’re ready to move on to the next step.
4. List the pros and cons
Each solution will have positive and negative aspects. There is no perfect option. By listing the various pros and cons, we can get a clearer picture of each and see how it impacts other areas of the business, making it easier to identify the issues and ramifications of implementing each strategy. From there, think about the total system. How would this affect other areas? What ripple could this potentially create?
5. Choose from a bunch of bad options
I have used these five steps many times in my career. At this step, I am often still left with several options. But after evaluating each one, clear and costly ramifications would emerge. Perhaps it required lowering our margins to sell the product. Perhaps it was increasing production or delaying other initiatives, or even reducing staff or investing in new technology.
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This is where great leaders separate themselves from average leaders. This is where the hard decisions are made. But this is also where you can control your destiny. Instead of looking for a perfect option, choose from a bunch of bad options. All options will appear faulty at this stage. If a perfect option existed, I would have discovered it earlier in the process and gone ahead with its implementation. Move forward to do your best to maximize the pros and limit the destruction of the cons.
By following these five steps, you will expand your ability to come up with creative business solutions. When a problem arises, you will immediately define the box you are trading on and start thinking of options and be able to identify pros and cons to guide you towards the best option, even if it has flaws. The more I use this process, the easier it gets and the more valuable it becomes, which helps avoid analysis paralysis or short-sighted decisions that backfire, so I hope you keep those in mind.
