We Didn't Get Creative Overnight.
We Rediscovered How Creative We Already Were.
The displays of creativity during this crisis are way too many to count!
Just as a reminder for us all, here are a few of them below.
We've been:
singing in the streets, on terraces and balconies, in our homes
running marathons on terraces (that's about 5 hours of running on a terrace!)
baking, cooking, trying out and sharing all sorts of recipes
reciting poems or reading stories
having lunch or dinner together from one balcony to another, from one home to another
reinventing our work spaces
moving classes and courses online without an online platform to support that, but making use of what's at hand!
moving or creating dance classes online
looking for a new vaccine
looking at how we can help each other
sharing this all
I'm sure you have your own creativity examples to add to the list, and please do! It's a good reminder of our capacity to change things for the better in a very short time!
Creativity blooms in a crisis.
One of the reasons is that, when we know what the problem is, we know what we want to fix.
In this case, we wanted to fix the cause, so obviously doctors started to look for a cure against the virus.
But what we also wanted to address is one of the effects: isolation.
And that opened the door to incredible displays of creativity.
Creativity blooms in a crisis because we let it.
We suddenly have the space that allows us to be creative. That almost makes it compulsory for us to be creative if we want to get out of this situation sane and in one piece.
In a crisis, creativity equals survival.
Because it helps us adapt to the new circumstances FAST.
We all know the famous Charles Darwin quote:
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most adaptable to change.”
The difference between 'change' and 'change in a crisis' is speed.
In a crisis, we have less time to figure out how to adapt.
Less time to go with the flow and see what happens.
Less time to strategize.
Less time for everything.
As paradoxical as this sounds, given that we're supposed to have all the time in the world now that we have to stay indoors, we still had so little time to react and adapt.
And that's where creativity stepped in.
We let it flow. We opened the door. We had nothing to lose, we couldn't go wrong.
We went back to basics, back to trial and error.
It didn't matter that it wasn't perfect. All that mattered was that it was present. Genuine. Live. Shared. Connected.
And no, we did not 'get' creative overnight. We already were.
We simply rediscovered creativity and made it work for us.
It's one survival skill we had almost forgotten about, unless we were in a creative industry.
We thought it wasn't strong enough, necessary enough.
In fact, creativity is crucial.
It's what saves us and lifts us up each time.
And I think this time round, it's here to stay.
Stay safe & creative!
Roxana
Creative Brainstorming for Creative Teams
Edward de Bono's 'Six Thinking Hats'
For all of you looking to keep your teams motivated and engaged these days, there is an amazing method that you can use.
Called the 'Six Thinking Hats', this system was created by Dr. Edward de Bono and it's a tool frequently used in critical and parallel thinking processes.
Apart from the fact that it helps you make decisions and brainstorm better, it's also a fun tool to use with your team.
I created some short videos explaining how this works and what each hat is responsible for (the videos are created last summer, thought it helps if you see some outdoor landscape, too).
I'm happy to answer any questions on how you can make this tool work best for your team.
'The Six Thinking Hats' - a critical thinking and decision making technique
As this episode of the podcast was recorded before the current crisis, it was a great reminder that we were discussing topics like 'change as the new normal', the 'new kind of leadership' and 'adaptability' way before this new 'new normal'!
My guest was Naphtali Hoff, President of Impactful Coaching & Consulting.
He is an accomplished executive coach, organizational consultant, and sought after trainer and lecturer.
He earned his doctorate in human and organizational psychology, which analyzes successful individual or organizational change and development.
Naphtali’s personal experience in the leadership field allows him to understand leaders’ needs and craft solutions to help them optimize their performance and success.
He is the author of 'Becoming the New Boss: The New Leader's Guide to Sustained Success', a leadership book that helps new leaders hit the ground running and enjoy sustained success.
I found this conversation so relevant especially in times of crisis (and creativity)!
Listen in to find out (among other things):
What kind of leadership today’s world needs: not just hands-on top-down, but also an integrated collaborative approach that allows people to grow
Why managing change means you have to be an emotionally intelligent leader
What makes feedback the ‘breakfast of champions’
How creating healthy relationships at work helps leaders be connected rather than ‘lonely at the top’
How important delegation is for the trial and error process
If you would like to share your own story of passion for what you are doing, you are welcome to be my guest on the podcast! All You need to do is email me.
Click on image and listen in.
Quarantine Self-Development
Free One Stop Shop:
Music, Yoga, E-books and More
Your page of free resources to help you swim these virtual, quarantined waters!
I added videos, leaders interviews and useful resources, such as free Yoga classes you can do at home, free classical music to help you focus while working from home, podcasts and articles on virtual work.
This page is our dynamic one stop shop! I will keep adding information to it.
If you have resources that you found useful and you'd like to share with others, email meand I will add them on the page.
Managing ourselves is a big part of Emotional Intelligence as a skill muscle. And it's even more important now that the world around us has changed so much and so abruptly!
Here are a few resources for you to work out your self-management skills muscles and work well with everyone on your team and with your clients, even remotely.
Learn how you can listen effectively, what motivates you, what the universal expressions of emotions are, how to meditate and so much more.
Be well & stay safe! We're all in this together. We'll go through this together.
