Creativity and Mistakes

Challenging times are the best times for creativity and mistakes. Yes, I said mistakes!

As I write this, I’m on day 21 of self-imposed house arrest (aka “sheltering in place”). They say the COVID-19 pandemic is starting to subside ever so slightly, but I think we have a ways to go.

As a business owner, and a Venturepreneur, I’m telling all my people that now is the time to innovate. I recently had a phone meeting with one of my private advisory board CEO’s and I was telling him, as I’ve told all my CEO’s, that now is the time to encourage all your people to think outside the lines.

You need to give yourself, and all the people who report to you, (even if that’s only you!) the permission to generate ideas. And you need to let them know that there is no such thing as a “bad idea”.

As they say “necessity is the mother of invention”. The “necessity” in this case is getting your product or service in to the hands of those who will benefit the most, and the “invention” is actually figuring out who your product or service benefits most in this moment. Hint, hint – that might not be your current (pre-pandemic) customer, and your ”new” innovative product or service might not look like it did six months ago.

Hey, car companies are making ventilators, restaurants are selling their uncooked inventory to grocery shoppers, and professional sports teams and athletes are playing certain virtual live games like HORSE, a game I grew up playing with my friends when we didn’t have enough people for a pick-up basketball game.

Obviously you don’t want to jump at every shiny object, or implement every new idea. Some thought before action is always the way to go. But as soon as you’ve thought it through you need to take action; and do not let the possibility of failure or making a mistake handcuff you. The path to almost every great success is littered with mistakes!

This is the perfect time to make mistakes, why, because your people, and the public, will give you a built-in pass because of the current crisis situation. As long as you notice the mistake, correct it, and move on, no one will ever remember.

So go ahead and dip your toe in some uncharted waters, observe, and course correct and innovate to survive in these most interesting of times. I can almost guarantee that the innovations you make now will pay exponential dividends in the future.

I’ll leave you with my three rules for surviving in a crisis and thriving afterward…

1. Get clear and be realistic about your situation and the value you offer
2. Think differently
3. Act NOT through fear, but with optimism. But ACT you must!