The "Almost Perfect" Creativity Strategy

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For much of our lives, we are predisposed to look for a single solution to a single problem (e.g., What is 2 + 2?). We have been “brainwashed” to think that for every problem, there is one and only one way to solve that problem. Much of our educational experiences have been focused on learning or discovering the right answer. Seldom have we been offered the opportunity to consider that there might be a multitude of potential responses to any problem. The “one-problem, one-answer” syndrome has been thoroughly ingrained in our education system as much as it has in our professional lives.

Quite simply, we are not taught how to be creative; rather, our education focuses more on “mental compliance” than on innovative expression. In the workplace, our success is often determined not by dynamic new ideas but by how well “we toe the line” or “follow pre-established rules.” For much of our lives, we are rewarded for behaviors such as obedience and conformity and criticized for independent thinking and curiosity. We are seldom given opportunity or reward for stepping outside the bounds of what is expected and into the territory of the unknown.

However, when we consider that there might be a multitude of potential responses to any problem, we break out of the “one-problem, one-answer” syndrome and begin to look for a host of potential solutions (and a host of potential ideas). One of the easiest ways to do this is to “What if” a problem or challenge. In fact, “What if” may be one of the most powerful idea generators ever used. It simply requires the placement of the two words “What if” in front of questions or situations you might normally pose (“What if we expanded our sales force into Canada?”; “What if we used dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate in our candy bars?”). When we pose “what if” questions, the brain is stimulated to think in divergent and creative ways. Most importantly, it moves us away from a tendency to look for single right answers and into domains of possibility, potential, and options. Creatively speaking, we move outside the “box.”

“What If” You Could Be More Creative?

Try two or three of the following “What if” questions. How many possible responses can you come up with for each one? (Remember, you’re not back in school—there are no right or wrong answers here.) Don’t think about the quality of your responses (that will severely limit your creativity); just think about the quantity of responses you could generate for each selected query:

• What if cats came when you called them?
• What if you could choose your life expectancy?
• What if you changed the gender of the main character in the novel you’re writing?
• What if your daughter became an artist instead of an architect?
• What if a car could be invented that would be immune to accidents?
• What if you had an “artificial intelligence” watch that could predict the future?
• What if trees were completely eliminated from the Earth?

Asking “What if” questions is one of the most powerful creativity engines ever—it has the potential of producing a plethora of dynamic possibilities, helping us move outside our “mental comfort zones” and into new and exciting venues. In addition, it propels us into an imaginative frame of mind—a frame without assumptions and without limits. It also propels us in new directions (cognitively speaking). From a mental standpoint, it helps us explore dimensions typically not within our normal field of vision. Besides the fact that it’s a fun mental activity, it’s also one that can generate an undeniable quantity of possible responses (not right or wrong responses, just possible responses).

The key to the success of this creative strategy is that “What if” is non-judgmental—it doesn’t make any distinction between so-called “good” responses and so-called “bad” responses. In fact, it makes no judgment whatsoever. Its beauty lies in the fact that it frees up the mind to produce a wealth of responses that might be hiding in the dark recesses of our minds or lodged in cranial corners that haven’t even been explored yet. In many ways, “What if” is brainstorming with yourself—opening up your mind to all possibilities and putting all those ideas on the table before you.

A Word of Caution

Asking lots of “What if” questions and supplying a range of responses to those queries will not guarantee you’ll be able to solve every problem or conundrum. “What if” is not a mental panacea. It’s highly likely that a whole bunch of “What if” questions and a whole bunch of responses to those “What if” questions won’t always give you the innovative, creative, dynamic, or necessary answers you need for every single problem at work or issue at home.

But (and this is a big but) “What if” will exercise your imagination and give your creativity a good workout. It will move your mind into new dimensions—dimensions previously unconsidered. It will break you of your dependence on practical, workable, and grounded ideas—the same ideas you have always turned to in the past. Most important, it will free your mind to look at all the implications and all the dimensions of an issue or problematic situation.

Creativity Essential Reads

The History of Creative Schmoozing

The Power of Ambiguity

Many people reject the notion of “What if” simply based on the idea that it is a waste of time. “We don’t have time for such frivolous thoughts or non-productive ideas,” they may say. Perhaps not. However, “What if” opens up new possibilities; it gets the brain cells unstuck from “same old, same old” ideas. As a result, new ideas and innovative solutions emerge.

I’m guessing that folks such as Steve Jobs, Pablo Picasso, Albert Einstein, and Leonardo da Vinci would have considered “what if” to be the “almost perfect” creativity strategy.