Barriers To Thinking More Creatively

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), March, 1999

Most people can tackle problems at work and home more successfully by overcoming common obstacles to creative thinking, business consultant Alexander Hiam told the World Future Society, Bethesda, Md. "In creativity, effort counts." He has identified nine barriers to thinking creatively that can be surmounted if one is willing to form new habits:

Failure to ask questions. Taking things for granted can kill creativity, while asking impulsive questions can generate insights. Try looking at the world through more inquisitive eyes.

Failure to record ideas. You never know which ideas will help you tomorrow, so keep them all: in a notebook, on scraps of paper in a folder, on voice mail messages to yourself--whatever method works. Doubling the number of ideas you save enriches the raw materials needed for thinking.

Failure to revisit ideas. Review your notes from past projects. Become more aware of old assumptions that become "comfort zones," making it hard to see creative alternatives.

Failure to express ideas. Articulate your thoughts to others (or to yourself when alone). Expressing stray thoughts is a good way to consider them carefully.

Failure to think in new ways, Get out of the box by doing something new. Instead of making a list of pros and cons, for instance, draw pictures or diagrams of the problem you are working on, then generate fresh perspectives by analyzing those images.

Failure to wish for more. Creativity thrives on optimistic speculation. New inventions arise from the wish to improve the status quo. Learn the value of wishful thinking.

Failure to try being creative. Avoid the trap of thinking you aren't a creative person. Failing to try is the quickest way to derail your creativity.

Failure to keep trying. "Breakthrough" concepts usually come only after you generate hundreds of ideas. It is a big mistake to become discouraged and abandon productive lines of thought prematurely because they appear fruitless.

Failure to tolerate creative behavior. Most supervisors communicate a "Stop thinking and get back to work" message to workers, argues Hiam. The way to unlock the creative potential of staff is to encourage imagination, not censor it.