April 21, 2020

Embrace uncertainty. Turn creativity into value and growth.

'Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited'.  - Albert Einstein
 
Today's environment is uncertain and the level of change is complex. We cannot rely on the same ways to solve problems with the same thinking we have always fallen back on.  Uncertainty makes us want to avoid the anxiety of the unknown and strive to get everything aligned and perfectly correct. If teams avoid the unknown, they might miss that uncertainty can breed creativity.
 
Being creative and imaginative are critical factors for our well-being and success. Research tells us that creative people are more innovative and experience more well-being. Engaging in creative activities improves brain function, mental and physical health and is associated with superior performance.
 
So how can you start fostering a creative mindset in your team?
 
Understand your motivation
Ask yourself and your team: What is our purpose? What problem are we seeking to solve — and why?
 
Encourage healthy conflict of ideas
Creative tension is essential to making good decisions and to executing great strategies.
 
Invite unexpected contributions
Seek everyone's great ideas and worthy aspirations. Encourage your team members to connect with one another through problem-solving.
 
Develop your ability to visualize and work with multiple perspectives
There are positives and negatives to every perspective. Always ask: What’s the upside? What’s the downside?
 
Be flexible in your thinking
Do not take your own ideas too seriously.
 
Ask yourself what your team needs right now
Does it need some tension? Invite opposition. Does it beg for more cohesion? Cultivate connectedness.
 
Hone your ability to thrive in unknown territory
Make peace with uncertainty. Learn how to be comfortable being uncomfortable.
 
If you have 6 min today watch Adam Grant, an organizational psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania and author of 'Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLbfzD08_R8
 
Sincerely,
The Well-being Task Force
Faculty of Medicine