If you haven't read my other articles in the series, read them before continuing:

TIP #4 LEARN TO MEDITATE

An interesting study was released by psychologist Lorenza Colzato & al from Leiden University in the April 19^th issue of Frontiers in Cognition. You probably haven’t read the article but it explains how certain meditation techniques can help the creative thinking process.

When I speak to executives about mediation, they often think it is for relation and stress management but it does so much more. The study clearly shows that the right meditation can help substantially change your life experience by positively impacting cognition and perception of world events (aka how you experience the world).

Convergent and divergent thinking

Convergent thinking is the process of finding one possible solution to a problem using many different inputs. (many to one)

Divergent thinking is the process of finding multiple solutions to problem using one input. (one to many).

Open Monitoring or Focused attention meditation

Open Monitoring is where the meditator is asked to think about all thoughts and sensations experienced (not focusing on anything in particular).

Focused Attention is the exact opposite and the meditator is asked to think about one thought, sensation or object.

The results

The research shows that Open Monitoring improved divergent thinking and was a multiplier for new ideas.

Focused Attention on the other hand did not improve convergent thinking

My 2 cents

Beyond the clinical research, I am a meditator and find that when I do it consistently, it helps tremendously. The life of an executive is chaotic at best and I find mindful meditation helps by creating new focus and allowing me to channel my mental energy towards creative productivity.

I believe the subconscious mind (or as some call it, the other than conscious mind) is a wondrous and powerful tool if you know how to use it. It is faster than the fastest supercomputer and more detailed than the strongest electron microscope. By meditating, I feel my mind becoming more sensitive to the subtle message of my subconscious mind. These subtle messages, if help and acted on, can be incredibly powerful catalyst.

I previously wrote an article entitles "How To Deal With Stress - Tips And Tricks". In it I talk about meditation and how it can be helpful. I also cover 2 meditation tools that non-meditators can use to get started. I write:

"If you want a fast food type method for quick mediation, take a look at Paraliminal audio technology from Learning Strategies corporation or the Holosync mediation program from Centerpointe Research (the granddaddy of audio aided meditation.)"

Creative Thinking Tip #3 - Small is the new big

November 7, 2012Leadership StrategiesEdward Kiledjian

If you haven't read my other articles in the series, read them before continuing:

TIP #3 START SMALL

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu

Chinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC)

I love the writings of Lao tzu so it is only fitting that he provides my third tip to break the creative deadlock. As executives, we often try to see “the big picture” which is usually an asset but in the case of creativity, may become an 800 lb anchor weighing you down.

I’ll talk about some creativity techniques in a future article but most of those techniques require you to think much smaller (smaller but faster actuallu). Accept that you will eventually get to the right level of detail but for now, accept the fact that you will start by looking at a very small subset of the situation. Pick one aspect, any aspect, and start thinking about that one thing. Don’t criticize yourself that you may be missing something or going in the wrong direction. Just accept that creativity is a strange creature and thinking small will lead to that big breakthrough later. The important is that you start the creativity wheel moving regardless of how small of movement it is.

Creative Thinking Tip #2 - Make a friend

November 7, 2012Leadership StrategiesEdward Kiledjian

If you havent't read tip #1 (take a Day Off), go and read it now.

TIP #2 Make a friend.

Some problems are seem much more challenging to solve and sometimes may even seem impossible. If tip #1 hasn't solved your mental block then its time to move to tip #2, make a friend.

This is a simple exercise where you pair up with someone you know and trust. You explain to them the exact situation (being as brief and concise as possible) and then you ask them to explain the situation back to you. You may realize that even though you explained it as clearly as you can, they end up with a slightly different understanding. This slightly different reality may be enough to jiggle your creative thinking by allowing you to see the problem through the eyes of someone else.

Creative thinking tip #1 - take the day off

November 6, 2012Leadership StrategiesEdward Kiledjian

As a business leader, you are paid for your creative thinking and not your ability to follow process. But there are times when you are stuck. You find yourself unable to make a breakthrough. I will write a series of very short snippets to help get you out of your rut and encourage the creative juices to flow.

Tip #1 STOP THINKING ABOUT THE PROBLEM

There comes a time when you have to take a step back and stop thinking about the problem at hand. It may seem counterproductive but trust me, it works. When coaching executives, I sometimes ask them to take a “real day off”. We determine what the perfect relaxation day would look like for them (e.g. golf, spa, reading a book in bed, etc) and then we make plans to implement that perfect day. No cell phones, no emails and absolutely no connection with work or responsibilities.

It is amazing the number of times an executive has come back the next day full of ideas and energy. Try it and I guarantee you will love the results.

Creative Thinking Tip #4 - Learn to mediate