Curiosity creates Creativity

In this blog I am sharing the gist of the webinar organized by Mr Prakash Sharma of Bija Training under the Mask leadership series on 6th January 2021. The speaker was Mr sanjay Chandel, SrVP(HR), Sterling

Curiosity and creativity are mutually reinforcing qualities.  Being curious is the foundation stone of creativity. The creativity process is initiated from a place of being curious. When you give an idea a shape it becomes innovation. You take inputs from various sources and create something new and original. As for example, you could brainstorm and come out with fifty ideas. Innovating is all about translating into action the workable ideas generated. Tesla came out with a car with basically battery and software and very few mechanical parts.  Presently, with many employees working from home innovative ways of working are being explored and encouraged.  

To a question as to how creativity can be kindled, the speaker said that while humans are at their creative peek up to the ages of  5- 6 years, by age 40  creativity tends to decline to only around 2%. Getting into a routine or predetermined ways, stifle creativity. Organizations are generally designed to administer and work in a regimented manner. Today, there is a sea change in the way people work for a company.  They don’t work for the same company for 35 years. The shelf life of skills also is now only 5 to 6 years. Many organizations become redundant as the changes happening  within the organization is less than the changes happening outside.   

Creativity today is not a choice but a necessity. It is no longer about competition coming from within the industry. It can come from totally unexpected places surprising you  with new business models such as  Uber/ Ola in the  taxi  and  Airbnb/ Oyo in hospitality industries.  One has to have an ear to the ground and be humble to be able to learn. There is a need for creativity to be intentional with a framework. One should be willing and able to use tools like design thinking and Gemba walk  (walk around the place where value is being created meaning see actual process, understand work, ask questions and learn).

There is the need for businesses to be tuned to reality. We have seen a well established brand like Nokia disappear for want of agility within a span of two years of products like I phone appearing. Similarly Tesla gave a run for its money to cars like BMW in the luxury car segment. Creativity  and agility go hand in hand . One cannot be complacent in the dynamic times that we live in. In the US, the established car companies  manufacturing huge cars did not take seriously the entry of smaller sized cars in the belief that Americans (to whom  cheap gas was available) would always prefer large cars.  

 In fact the plea by an employee of Chevrolet company for manufacturing small cars was dismissed by the company. He was however, proved right when Hyundai and Japanese companies made a dent in the market offering smaller cars. The best of organizations are always open to listening to their employees. When an employee had suggested introduction of cappuccino coffee, Starbucks initially discouraged him. Later, when it was introduced as a trial, it turned out to be its highest selling product.

 To another question as to whether having a deadline would be a deterrent to creativity, the speaker said  his answer would be ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ and that it would depend on circumstances. Although deadlines can sometimes be stifling, it may be necessary when quick solutions are demanded. As for example some companies brainstormed and came up with quick responses when they were given only a week’s time to switch over to "work from home" on the Covid 19 pandemic striking the world.  Similarly vaccines normally take 5 to 10 years to be developed. In view of the present emergency the period had to be crunched and the scientists rose to the occasion. Thus it all depends on the context. The speaker signed off with the remark “ This is the best time to try out ideas.” The discussion of the evening was very insightful and enlightening.