Self-study 21// [Stanford's most popular creative class]

I have participated in the online reading training camp in the past few days. This week has been very fulfilling and every day has challenges. It even makes me feel anxious. My life is full but with the new boot camp infusing my life with new learning challenges, I need to start learning to adjust and even allocate my time and even adjust my mindset.

I think it's really not easy for a person. You have to keep learning all the time, and constantly improve yourself from the process of learning. From each book we learn new tools to apply in our lives, and while we may not be very talented, we can fill in our imperfections with great effort.

There are several points in this [Stanford University's most popular creative class] that I particularly like, one is brainstorming and the other is the six thinking hats. In the end, why the so-called innovation is not achieved by individual smart people, but by an overall mechanism? Here are nine tricks for us to practice.

The first trick of innovation: connect many disparate things into a new thing.

This is a possibility to develop our brainstorm, that we can put two unrelated things together and create a new thing. For example, shower cream and coffee, I combine coffee and shower cream, can I make a shower cream with coffee aroma, so that every time I take a shower, there is a coffee scent? Or can I feel stimulated and refreshed like drinking coffee after using the body wash? Or make the shower gel like coffee liquid with different colors, and even can be presented according to different roasting degrees? It's really a creative game, it's a lot of fun!

The second trick of innovation: brainstorming

A very important principle of brainstorming is to prepare everyone first. Everyone has a lot of ideas, and then, without the interference of others, speak out the ideas one by one. After speaking, you must pay attention to absolutely not allow criticism or discussion . In this process, many ideas may sound possible. Very unreliable, but actually there is a good creative idea behind it, especially if it is a bad idea, so what? Remember when brainstorming not to comment on any ideas, otherwise it will prevent more ideas from coming out.

The reason why brainstorming is important is because human beings have a very important thinking defect called "inertia". We often find that when we discuss a problem, as long as one person expresses a similar idea, everyone will stop the idea. Come down and think that the answer has been found, we will be too lazy to go further and continue to do it.

Brainstorming can effectively break the inertia of people's way of thinking, and most importantly, brainstorming can make your team dynamic, because the biggest reward for team members is not from the money you give them, but from adopting their ideas. The most important thing is to jot down every idea and don't judge him lightly, because the most important goal of brainstorming is to get new ideas and not to make decisions.

The third trick of creativity: careful observation, looking for opportunities

Innovation comes from your in-depth observation of the customer, that is, you need to be able to understand him better than your customer himself. When you can observe your client deeply, you will be able to find out what he is uncomfortable with. We look for a variety of opportunities through careful observation.

Creativity Tip #4: Create a Creative Environment

Here are seven factors for us to create a creative environment

1. Private space: To keep a relatively quiet private space, there must be an environment where he can think about problems.
2. Collective space: a space scene where everyone can get together, a place where you can have a meeting or chat together.
3. Self-expression space: There should be a board next to each employee's desk, where he can write his motto or post pictures of his family and pets, or hang his favorite paintings and medals when he was young, etc. This self-expression space is a private space that can inspire creativity.
4. Talent show space: It is a movable conference room or classroom. In this space, everyone can speak on stage. There is a one-to-many space.
5. Participation space: a space that everyone can build together, and everyone can arrange this place together to make this place more interesting. This is a place to use your imagination.
6. Information space: If you want to find information, whether it is electronic or books and magazines, this space makes you feel safe after entering, and there is a lot of information waiting for you.
7. Spectator space: a space for passive observers and listeners. For example, we have one-way glass in many places. Meetings and discussions are held over the one-way glass. There are people here who observe calmly. At this time, it is possible to observe a lot of Be creative. (How this feels a bit like a place for censorship of prisoners...)

Creativity Tip 5: Constraints to Generate Creativity

You can use the compression time to bounce ideas back. For example, in the movie "Steve Jobs", when he wanted to create a Mac, Jobs asked the Mac to say Hello at the press conference, and there were only two transmission holes. Although the process of creating things under constraints is difficult or even lost, with less time and resources, more creativity will be created.

The sixth idea of creativity: good system can bring innovation

There are four game rules to turn innovation into a fun game. These four rules can turn innovation activities into a game.

1. Timely feedback : For example, every time you solve a task when playing a game, you can get points or prop rewards.
2. The task is divided into measurable short-term and long-term goals, and each goal is rewarded : this is very helpful whether it is applied at work or in your own life. When we set a goal for ourselves or our employees, don't let them or ourselves feel that the goal is like I can't do it at all, but take these goals apart and turn them into an easy-to-achieve short-term goal, into a specific goal. Clear, quantifiable goals and tasks. This is a lot like the strategy and tactics approach in the book "Advertising Persuasion".
3. Make sure there are uncertainties or surprises : Throughout the innovation process, always give everyone some surprises, often give you something that breaks the rules, so that everyone thinks it's fun, and it's okay. Even encourage employees to do the same.
4. Increase the sense of collective belonging: to make our team a star, let everyone feel that after this is done, the whole team has a special sense of honor, not just the result of me alone. This will also make each partner more centripetal.

The seventh idea of creativity: stimulate team creativity (parallel thinking method)

The Six Thinking Hats, invented by Debno. The six hats are:

• Blue cap: It is a commanding cap. When wearing this cap, you must assign everyone's hat color. If there is another meeting to discuss issues, we should tell everyone which hat we are wearing now and what we are going to do.
• White caps: Represent data and facts. What is the data analysis and factual situation of this matter, it is more rational at this time.
• Red Hat: Represents emotion and is an intuitive judgment. Each speaks what personal intuition is about this matter.
• Yellow hat: Represents optimism. At this time, everyone must talk about the benefits of this matter, especially those who do not support it.
• Black hat: It represents risk and needs to be treated with caution. At this time, everyone must talk about why this matter is not possible, what the risk is, how high the cost is, and how difficult it is to implement. Especially those who support this matter must express their opinions. .
• Green hat: Represents innovation and creativity. At this time, everyone says how to change this matter and how much room for improvement.

Creativity 8th trick: Only by trying boldly can creativity be produced.

For example, when Edison invented the incandescent lamp, he went through tens of thousands of experiments and continued to experience failures. Even though he experienced countless failures, he still had the courage to try. ", let's be adventurous adventurers.

Creative ninth trick: sunshine mentality

Our own mentality is very important to our innovation. Only the same bold attempt can produce creativity. If we have experienced countless failures, we must have a sunny mentality. First of all, we must believe that we can learn how to innovate. Yes, through continuous efforts to improve our mechanism, brainstorming and six thinking hats are good tools.

Like Liu Bang, who has experienced countless failures, but always stands up constantly, recognizes his own shortcomings and builds a team. With the help of Zhang Liang, Han Xin, and Xiao He, compared to Xiang Yu's mentality after facing setbacks, The two are very different. Maybe we don't have a lot of talent, but through continuous learning and accumulating energy and constantly adjusting our mentality, we dare to try and accept failure. This is the process of our experience.

📚Study today: [Stanford's most popular creative class]

🙎‍♂️️By Tina Seelig

⏳Professor of Stanford University, Executive Director of Stanford University Technology Entrepreneurship Program (STVP) and Director of National Center for Engineering Innovation (NCEPI).