Like many places across the country, temperatures in Denver reached triple digits last weekend.  Looking for a fun indoor activity to do with my kids, we landed on constructing a 12-hole mini golf course in our home.  The course stretched from our bedroom, down the hallway into the living room, through the kids’ rooms, down the stairs, through the basement and into the workout room.  We used books, plastic cups, pillows, bathmats, sheet pans, stuffed animals, a poster tube, step stools, a mini trampoline, couch cushions, furniture from a doll house, remote control cars, a camping air mattress to create a ramp, and Hot Wheels’ track pieces to create a high-risk high reward hole in one possibility on one of the holes.  This project led to countless hours of fun, many rounds played, practice attempts on the most difficult holes, a record board, and our house is still torn apart so play can continue into this week.  The end result brought a lot of joy to our family and equally if not more impactful was how much we enjoyed the creative process of building the course.

Most people believe that creativity is something that you either inherently have or don’t have, however the ability to be creative lies within all of us. And creativity is an essential element in business.  It’s been proven to increase productivity, expedite problem solving and improve happiness.  Positivity psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has found that creativity is key to getting into a “flow state.”  He said, “When we are involved in creativity, we feel that we are living more fully than during the rest of life.”  So, the question becomes; How can we infuse more creativity into our lives?

At its core, creativity is about connecting things that are seemingly disconnected.  A mentor of mine, Mike Roman once told me: “Creativity is nothing more than opposites.”  In our industry we have to look no further than a plated meal where guests are brought their food by servers, contrasted by a buffet where guests serve themselves.  One of my favorite examples of creative opposites was an ad campaign launched by Snowbird Ski Area featuring one-star reviews.  The obvious choice is to feature the reviews from your raving fans in an ad campaign, but in Snowbird’s case the opposite targeted the specific audience they were looking to attract.

Creativity is not something that magically occurs.  Like a muscle that is strengthened through weightlifting, it is a skill that takes practice.  And those who are intentional about practicing creativity, get better at it.  Engaging in creative hobbies, spending time daydreaming outside, or coming up with alternative uses for everyday objects (like our in-home mini golf course) are all ways we can begin to flex our creative muscles in low-risk settings.  These activities help us connect the dots between things that would otherwise not be considered when the stakes get higher, and we encounter bigger challenges at work.

This week I hope you’ll take stock of creativity in your life.  Are you in a rut and need some inspiration, or are you thriving because you allocate ample time to creative pursuits? Companies known for being great places to work, have high levels of creativity. Where does creativity show up in your organization?  And how are you helping your team members to flex their creative muscles more often?

ALSO, FLEX YOUR LEADERSHIP MUSCLES:

• We still have a few spots available for the MIBE Workshop: August 5-6th, 2024

• Looking forward to opening August 1st for the MIBE Summit: January 26-28th, 2025

• The retreat SOLD OUT, but there is a waitlist opportunity as we look into increasing capacity if you are still interested in MIBE Retreats: November 16-20th, 2024