๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ ๐ผ๐น๐ฑ: ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐บ-๐ฆ๐ผ๐น๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐
๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ ๐ผ๐น๐ฑ: ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐บ-๐ฆ๐ผ๐น๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐
STEM pros are often expected to "think outside the box" - but no one ever tells them where the box came from in the first place.
Creative problem-solving in science and tech isnโt about chasing unicorn ideas. Itโs about creating the conditions where experimentation, cross-pollination, and fresh thinking are not just allowed, but ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ.
So how do you get your team to stop coloring inside the lines... when everything about their training told them to stay within them?
๐ญ. ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ค๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐, ๐ก๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ป๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
If every team meeting is a quest for the โrightโ answer, you're killing innovation before it starts. Instead, create space for what-ifs, wild cards, and contrarian takes. Bonus: the best ideas often come wrapped in a terrible one.
๐ Try asking: โWhatโs a completely opposite approach we could take - just for fun?โ
๐ฎ. ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐จ๐ฝ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ป๐ฝ๐๐๐
Innovation doesnโt come from staring harder at the same data. Encourage your team to explore adjacent fields, connect with non-STEM colleagues, or even spend time observing customers. Creativity feeds on variety.
๐ก Cross-disciplinary exposure isn't a distraction - it's fuel.
๐ฏ. ๐ก๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ โN๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒโ
Creative teams donโt just succeed more - they fail better. That means making it safe to pitch ideas that flop. The moment your team starts self-censoring to avoid embarrassment, you've lost the thread.
๐ โFail like a scientistโ: Test, learn, iterate.
๐ฐ. ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐
Oddly enough, giving people ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ boundaries helps creativity thrive. Define the sandbox, then let them play wildly within it.
Try this: โYou have 48 hours and no budget. How would you solve this?โ
๐ฑ. ๐ ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณ
Leaders who default to the safest route create teams that do the same. Show your team youโre willing to be a little weird, challenge assumptions, or say, โI donโt know - letโs find out.โ
๐๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐น๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ, ๐ก๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐
Encouraging creative problem-solving isnโt just about tools or templates - itโs a mindset shift. And that often starts with the leader. If you want to cultivate innovation, it helps to explore your own leadership habits, assumptions, and blind spots.
๐๐น๐ฆ๐ค๐ถ๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ค๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฑ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฏโ๐ต ๐ซ๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ข๐ค๐ค๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ต ๐ค๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ช๐ต๐บ - ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ต ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐๐จ ๐ช๐ต.
