{"id":2542,"date":"2015-02-17T10:00:54","date_gmt":"2015-02-17T08:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hatrabbits.com\/?p=2542"},"modified":"2019-10-22T15:29:01","modified_gmt":"2019-10-22T13:29:01","slug":"conservative-colleagues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hatrabbits.com\/en\/conservative-colleagues\/","title":{"rendered":"How to lure conservative colleagues out of their comfort zone"},"content":{"rendered":"

Someone once said to me \u201cYou definitely convinced me of the importance of creative thinking. However, I\u2019m not quite sure how to get some of my more sceptical colleagues on board. They believe creativity is not important in our field.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Some people find it hard to accept that creative thinking can be valuable for them too. They don\u2019t see themselves as creative people and believe that creativity has no role to play in their field.<\/p>\n

Luckily, it\u2019s quite easy to get these people to try some creative thinking. Here are three steps you can take to convince even the most stubborn colleague:<\/p>\n

TELL THEM<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Some people are afraid of what they consider a fuzzy term. Creativity in their eyes is good fun for artists, but of no importance to serious business people like them. They\u2019d rather not be bothered (and distracted) by something as elusive as \u2018creativity\u2019. They understandably (yet mistakenly<\/a><\/span>) assume that creativity is merely an artistic skill\u2026<\/p>\n

Of course, you are NOT talking about artistic creativity. You\u2019re talking about Business Creativity<\/em>. Not something frivolous, but something essential in any business.<\/p>\n

Creativity<\/em> is the act of combining existing elements (materials, processes, ideas etc.) to create something new. The difference between Business Creativity and artistic creativity lies in the goal for which creative thinking is applied. Business Creativity focusses on added value from a financial point of view<\/em>, whereas artistic creativity focusses primarily on an emotional impact.<\/p>\n

Most people will be reassured and a lot more reasonable once they realise that creative thinking is a skill that can be employed for business purposes. Creativity is hardly mysterious. It’s mostly psychology and it needs structure. Everybody can learn to think creatively and everybody can excel in it, as long as you practise enough. Creative thinking is a sure-fire way of coming up with clever ideas, and that\u2019s something no business can do without.<\/p>\n

SHOW THEM<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If explaining the meaning and benefits of Business Creativity doesn\u2019t seem to have the desired effect, it might be necessary to illustrate how the theory works in practice. This will require some action on your part. Try out the various thinking techniques<\/a><\/span> and strategies<\/a><\/span> mentioned on this website. Experiment individually or with others who are willing to give it a shot. As the techniques and strategies are bound to result in clever ideas, you should soon be able to share your successes with the sceptics. While showing them how some creativity has benefited the organisation, don\u2019t forget to explain how these smart ideas came into existence.<\/p>\n

CHALLENGE THEM<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Some people are so firmly rooted in their own comfort zone, that they are practically immune to reason. While they are not likely persuaded by arguments or successes of others (who they presumably consider \u2018those who are born with the gift of creativity\u2019), you might be able to nudge them into action with a little challenge\u2026<\/p>\n

If all else fails, simply ask the sceptics what the biggest challenge is they face at the moment. Now ask them how long they\u2019ve been struggling with this. Days? Weeks? Months?<\/p>\n

Well\u2026 that\u2019s how long conventional thinking has been failing to deliver results. And counting…<\/em>! Now, would this desperate colleague be willing to try some thinking techniques<\/a><\/span> for just half an hour? A measly half hour that will undoubtedly lead to surprising ideas? You bet!<\/p>\n

I\u2019d love to hear your experiences with convincing doubters to try some structured creativity. Do you know any other ways of getting conservative colleagues to embrace creative thinking? Please let me know in the comment box below.<\/p>\n

Like this article?
\n<\/strong>If you enjoyed reading this article, feel free to share it with your network by hitting one of the\u00a0buttons below. This way other people can benefit from the article as well.<\/em><\/p>\n

Flickr Creative Commons Image via Kevin McShane<\/a>.<\/small><\/em><\/small><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It can be hard to convince conservative colleagues of the importance of creative thinking. 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