Where Does Creativity go to Die?
Originally published on LinkedIn on 27th April 2018
Creative thinking is in decline and you don’t really need a statistician to tell you that. Just in case you do, there is a graph below that shows annual decline in out-of-the-box thinking in Americans (statistical data is difficult to find in India because that would mean statements made in public will have to be accurate) measured by Dr. Kyung Hee Kim in her article titled – The Creativity Crisis (2011).
The above findings are a result of the most widely accepted test for Creative Thinking – called the Torrance Test for Creative Thinking (TTCT). It shows a very steep fall in fluid and original thinking, open-mindedness and an overall decline in thinking in depth, focus and an increased thinking in more black-and-white terms.
This becomes more surprising when you see a lot of research that shows that intelligence has been rapidly rising. There is an average increase of nearly 3 IQ points every decade since the 1930s. So where exactly are we going wrong?
My analysis of the factors began by establishing that intelligence and creativity are not the same thing and not necessarily related how we would normally imagine. Simply put, intelligence is the capability to acquire knowledge and reuse it. Creativity is simply the ability to come up with new ideas. These ideas do not need to be Nobel-worthy, they should simply be new to the thinker (so if you ever had a brilliant idea – and later discovered that it has already been done before, don’t worry – you may still be a creative genius).
"Highly creative people are highly intelligent but highly intelligent people are not always creative. The fact that highly creative people have a higher correlation with intelligence than vice versa suggests creativity is simply a higher form of intelligence."
The global decline in creativity is caused mainly by how an individual’s worth is perceived – these factors are more prevalent in Asians that stifle creative thinking.
Filial Piety
Filial Piety is predominantly an Asian, Confucian concept of respecting one’s elders. In its most aggressive form, filial piety shows elders – who are arguably less informed and limited by their personal worldview, as superior decision makers.
Social Hierarchy
In most situations wherein creativity is most important to be exhibited – mainly the workplace or educational institutions, authority is to be obeyed and again, often dictates the norm. As has been established by years of research, experience and knowledge are great indicators of intelligence, not creativity.
Societal Conformity
Every society – depending on geography, economic status or belief has its own definition of right or wrong. Conformity often establishes certain default rules. Creativity almost always resides outside the realm of the status quo.
High Stakes Testing
The easiest, and arguably the most inaccurate, method of testing is the concept of tests conducted over a very specific and short period of time. While they may be decent indicators of intelligence, the pressure to perform better in any high-stakes test – SAT, JEE, CAT, GMAT, CLAT or whatever you had to endure – is a creativity killer!
(PS: This is not an attempt to take anything away from the intelligent minds who have put in the hours for mastering these tests so if you are one of those, please have my respect but this article addresses something else).
Our education system – specifically the Indian system, is globally infamous as the one that prioritises rote learning. Students are taught to avoid risks to get predictable rewards, prfioritize narrow thinking to succeed, while educators are judged on inaccurate parameters which mainly include only test results.
The current trend of startups and faux innovators devoting all their time to preempting trends – whether it was Cloud Computing in the late 2000s or the Cryptocurrency bubble of last year, a very major percentage of the wave-riders lacks both creativity and intelligence.
While a lot of damage is done early on, organizations today can do a lot more - and are doing a lot more to prioritize creative thinking.
An increase in focus on the following will lead to a more creative, and a more productive workforce:
Being Result Oriented
A focus on clear goals rather than tactics like micromanaging and employee surveillance.
Clear Performance Metrics
Performance management has been one of the trickiest challenges but technology is making this simpler. The impetus is on performance measurement becoming more autonomous and less influenced by personal biases.
Collaboration
As collaboration among and within teams becomes easier using technology, creativity flourishes.
Flatter Hierarchies
Most organizations recognize the insecurity that comes with managing a higher potential employee. By eliminating layers and facilitating easier communication between the entry level workforce and top level executives, creativity does not get lost within the cracks.
Fostering Trust
While a lot of companies are still plagued by a focus on putting in the hours rather than on the quality of work, trust enables minds to worry less about staying seated till 6pm or till the boss leaves and focus on more on collective growth and the impact it has on personal growth.
While every company cannot be run like how Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson run Basecamp, identifying the role you play in being a speed breaker to creative thinking is the first step.