Author: JoAnna Brandi
Do you routinely encourage creativity on your team? Let them know they're safe to question the norm, suggest the unusual? Do you set aside time to work on your challenges and tap the brainpower of all your team members? Do you honor ideas?
I just got back from the Customer Care Institute Forum where I delivered a keynote address on creativity called "Thinking As If The Box Never Existed At All" It was all about what's needed for service innovation. What fun! After my talk I got to be the "Camp Director" at Creativity Camp, where we created solutions to some of the most vexing challenges facing the managers there.
All this thinking and talking about creativity has me wanting to ask you a few questions. Do you routinely encourage creativity on your team? Let them know they're safe to question the norm, suggest the unusual? Do you set aside time to work on your challenges and tap the brainpower of all your team members? Do you honor ideas?
If not, you could be in danger of developing 'hardening of the categories.' Symptoms include satisfaction with the ordinary, inflexibility, complacency, operating from preconceived notions and assumptions, and focusing on what can't be done instead of what might be possible. Policies and processes that are in place because "that's the way we've always done it here" exemplify it.
The danger of being stuck in this mindset is that it can cause your team and your business to fall behind - to lose your competitive edge, your best employees and your precious customers. The truth is, we live in a time of unprecedented, accelerated change and the companies that are always open to innovation - particularly innovations in service - are the companies that will succeed over the long haul.
As I developed my new keynote speech - I did a lot of research and thinking about what makes some individuals and companies more creative than others. I interviewed a world famous artist, spoke to companies that have built service innovation into their cultures, poured over case histories from my files and went way back to my early training in applied creative thinking. (Lucky for me - I did some of my research in my favorite creativity lab - the beach!)
Creativity grows out of a culture that is not afraid to be absurd, that is willing to be wrong, that nurtures questioning, and that honors ideas. It thrives in a culture that is curious, inquisitive, appreciative and playful. It happens in places where people are always looking ahead of the curve and trying to anticipate what the customer needs.
Service innovation comes in all shapes and sizes and sometimes it's the small innovations that will delight the customer. Not long ago I had to check out from a Hampton Inn very early - before breakfast would be served. As I walked through the lobby wondering how long I'd last on the protein bar in my purse, I was downright delighted when the clerk handed me an "On the Go" bag (simple, brown and filled with an apple, a muffin, a water and a cereal bar.) Finally - a hotel that noticed that some guests have to head out at sunrise. Simple, effective and for this hungry traveler - an awesome innovation!
That small touch meant a great deal to me, and it told me a few things about the hotel's culture: it was good at anticipating customers' needs. They were willing to go a little further than others. And they didn't let the fear (some customers might eat two breakfasts on them) stop them from taking good care of their guests. Bravo!
Innovative cultures don't spring up overnight, and they don't happen at all if managers don't nurture a culture where it's safe to ask questions, to express what bothers you and why, to talk about what feels good and how you can create more of that. And these discussions need to be ongoing because, to paraphrase a quote from Einstein, it takes the generation of a whole lot of ideas to get to the one that's 'just right.'
Necessity may be the mother of invention, but I'd guess the father is either curiosity, absurdity, dissatisfaction, playfulness, consideration, imagination, or any one or combination of things that don't "fit" into the standard business models where marketing or the research department gets to be creative and the rest of us wait to hear from them. Let's break out of the old molds and get moving!
Want to heal your hardening categories and get creative? Here are three tips to get you started:
Set aside time for creativity. Ideally, you want to do this quarterly, outside of the office, and you want to hire someone to facilitate the sessions so that the managers can fully participate. 'Limber up' by brainstorming about silly things: See how many uses you can come up with for a brick, tea bag, or anything not related to work. When everyone's warmed up, kick into high gear with crazy, no restrictions brainstorming on ways to improve your customer care. After lunch, sort through those ideas, combine them in different ways and start developing workable, doable plans.
Start an 'Idea of the Month Club.' Get everyone into the practice of questioning or looking at things differently, using questions like, "How can I make this better? How can we improve the customer experience at this touch point? How can I create more value? How can I do my job better?" Offer a monetary reward for the idea that's selected for action.
Invest in creativity. There are fabulous books, products, cards, games and activities out there to help you break out of 'normal' thinking patterns. Go get one and have some fun!
Innovating away!
JoAnna
Copyright 2005 by JoAnna Brandi. Used with permission.