How to Be a Better Thinker, Innovator and Problem Solver

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Cogs replaced hands, so to speak, during the U.S. Industrial Revolution, when businesses rushed to automate manual tasks. Now the technology rush is removing the cogs as we hurry to replace people with automated systems. With true artificial intelligence not too far away, the trend for less human involvement is set to continue into the future.



So it makes sense that business is evolving too, moving from a “doing” model to a “thinking” model.



As technology handles more tasks, mental agility <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolelipkin/2021/05/25/3-simple-tips-to-improve-mental-agility/?sh=9cb284d60886" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">has never been more important</a>. If we want to future-proof our businesses—and ourselves—we need to be able to think, rethink and even unthink current processes. Like anything, <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/6-creative-ways-to-solve-a-problem/">coming up with solutions</a> and new ways to see things takes practice.



Behavioral strategists Dan Gregory and Kieran Flanagan, authors of the 2014 book<a href="https://amzn.to/DfDxnk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Selfish, Scared &amp; Stupid</a>, teach people in business how to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/the-case-for-brainstorming/">become better thinkers</a>, innovators and problem solvers. Here are their best tips to get your mind muscles working:



<h2 id="h-1-ideas-are-a-numbers-game">1. Ideas are a numbers game.</h2>



When brainstorming, you want the numbers on your side. This is the secret to the best creative and problem-solving minds on the planet. You have to generate enough options to get the obvious thinking out of the way. Like reps at the gym, you need to push through the easy and get to the difficult for the best results.



Your first ideas are obvious and thus first-level thinking. You need to go deeper than that to find gold. You must go beyond that first-level thinking to discover the unseen ideas which truly solve the problem.



<h2 id="h-2-think-in-questions">2. Think in questions.</h2>



Train your brain to<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/reframe-problems-with-these-5-questions"> </a>think in questions, not statements. The problem with statements is that they presuppose a solution and can stop you from thinking innovatively. In contrast, questions open up your mind, letting you find solutions. Asking for a shelf sticker that draws attention to a product, for example, is very different from questioning how to increase the noticeability of a shelf.



The first gives you exactly what you asked for, but the latter could lead to breakthrough ideas like new packaging or product designs, sound-activated point of sale or multiple products in new flavors.



<h2 id="h-3-don-t-come-up-with-ideas-come-up-with-solutions">3. Don’t come up with ideas. Come up with solutions.</h2>



You need a problem to solve. One of the biggest problems we see is people saying, “I need a great idea,” and then wondering why they can’t think of anything. We have never come up with a great idea in our combined 40-plus years in business, but we have come up with a huge number of innovative solutions.



Ideas solve problems (even those the market is unconscious of), and if you have not <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-solve-problems-effectively-and-ethically/">defined a problem</a>, chances are you will not miraculously have any ideas that are useful. Spend time looking for problems that need solving rather than trying to think differently about nothing in particular.



<h2 id="h-4-back-yourself-into-a-corner">4. Back yourself into a corner.</h2>



The tighter the corner, the more creative you seem to get. So much so that creative people have a mantra: “Grant me the freedom of a tight brief.”



The brain seems to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-stress-can-guide-your-way-to-success/">work better under duress</a>; perhaps our survival instincts kick in and adrenaline fuels us to find a way out. So find a problem and then<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/6-tips-to-be-a-productive-procrastinator"> </a>add parameters until you feel a little panicked. Slight beads of sweat forming on your brow are perfect.



<h2 id="h-5-collide-ideas-and-thinking">5. Collide ideas and thinking.</h2>



Your ability to think differently is crucial. A great way to do this is to get different inputs and inspirations from different people, places, industries and systems. If you want to become an agile thinker, you have to learn beyond your own role, read a lot, be interested in everything and look to other industries to see what they are doing.



The most successful patents often combine thinking or tech from different industries, and new product design can be as simple as colliding thinking. For example, putting use-by dates onto pillows as the Australian brand Tontine did is a food industry idea repurposed very successfully.



Are you ready to start working out and <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/18-out-of-the-box-ideas-to-spark-creative-inspiration/">developing those idea muscles</a>? You may be surprised at what you can do.



This article was published in May 2015 and has been updated. Photo by Ground Picture/Shutterstock

[node:summary] - 5 steps to future-proof yourself by improving your mental agility

If we want to future-proof our businesses, and ourselves, we need to be able to think, re-think and even un-think current processes. | SUCCESS

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How to Be a Better Thinker, Innovator and Problem Solver | SUCCESS

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If you’re familiar with the terms lateral and linear thinking, then you know lateral is thought of as the source of <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/3-genius-tactics-to-drive-your-next-creative-breakthrough/">creative insight</a> and opportunity. Or, if you’re like us and had to Google the terms, here is something to consider: Experts say there is more than one style of creativity. Behavioral strategists Dan Gregory and Kieran Flanagan, authors of the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/073031278X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=073031278X&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=S3GVVQPKNMSEVVEX" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Selfish, Scared &amp; Stupid</a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/073031278X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=073031278X&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=S3GVVQPKNMSEVVEX">  </a>,   explore the concept:



Although the “lateral” style of thinking is creative indeed, a particular bias toward one type of thinking does not necessarily render another one “uncreative.”



So rather than thinking in terms of lateral and linear thinkers, what if we frame people’s creative style as being that of a leaper or linker? These two thinking styles can both be creative, they can both innovate, they can both <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/the-art-of-problem-solving-4-creative-strategies-to-tackle-your-biggest-obstacles/">solve problems</a>—they simply do it in different ways.



Leapers are people who many would probably identify as creative. Their thinking style doesn’t rely on historic precedent or existing frames of reference. They have the ability to “leap” into a completely new idea or territory without any post-rationalization of how they got there. They have what might be described as “Thought Tourettes.” In other words, ideas and possibilities spring from them unhindered and unedited in an almost uncontrollable volume. They quite simply can’t help themselves—their nature is that of <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/behavioral-and-brain-sciences/article/abs/generativerules-definition-of-creativity/DF32261FF2E011C7AA78C65B00238C53" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">generative creativity</a>.



Linkers tend to create connections between previously disconnected concepts. They are more likely to bring their ideas to life through the use of such tools as metaphor and analogy. In other words, they create links between where we currently are and where we might be and explain new ideas by referencing existing concepts. Their nature is that of evaluative creativity.



Interestingly, some of the most <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/innovation-and-creativity/">successful innovations</a> around the world are not completely new ideas, but new combinations of existing ideas.



So how do you make the most of the leapers and linkers on your team?



<h2 id="h-1-be-conscious-of-the-creative-styles-within-your-team-and-yourself">1. Be conscious of the creative styles within your team and yourself.</h2>



If you tend to hear comments like, “It’s interesting, but I just can’t see how we get there,” then chances are you’re a leaper. Conversely, if you more often hear, “I think you just need to push it further,” then chances are you’re a linker.



Structuring teams for <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/4-phases-of-building-a-team-that-embraces-personality-and-individual-differences/">cognitive diversity</a> allows linkers to build platforms and connections for leapers, while leapers help stretch the scope of linkers’ thinking. Both are critical and you need a mix on your team.



<h2>2. Define the nature of the issue or problem you are looking to solve and assign the proper creative tool.</h2>



In other words, is the nature of the change you’re trying to effect evolutionary or revolutionary?



<h2>3. Create space for both styles of thinking to contribute and be acknowledged for their contributions.</h2>



One of the problems we face is that we have either defined everyone as creative (meaning all ideas are equal) or that only some people are creative (which ignores and neglects assets within our organizations).



Neither is true. Although we are all born imaginative, creativity is applied imagination, a capacity to solve particular problems and <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/the-choice-of-the-purpose-driven-leader/">create value on purpose</a>—both deliberately and congruently to our goals. So perhaps, rather than deciding who has the superior thinking style, we would do better to develop the discipline in our entire organization, not just the few.



This article was published in April 2015 and has been updated. Photo by @Polinaloves/Twenty20

Rather than thinking in terms of lateral and linear thinkers, what if we frame people’s creative style as being that of a leaper or linker?

Rather than thinking in terms of lateral and linear thinkers, what if we frame people’s creative style as being that of a leaper or linker? | SUCCESS

How to Build a Team That Supports Multiple Creative Styles | SUCCESS

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A behavioral researcher and strategist, as well as an author, educator, international speaker and social commentator, Dan Gregory specializes in behaviors and belief systems – what drives, motivates and influences us.  One of the most respected voices in the industry, Dan is a regular on ABC’s Gruen Planet and has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world: Coca-Cola, Unilever, Vodafone, MTV and News Ltd.

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Steve Jobs has been quoted so often it is almost a cliché. Why? Because Apple has consistently been rated as one of the most influential and innovative companies of our time. And yet, by most accounts, Jobs was not the nicest guy to work with. In fact many claim he was a jerk.&nbsp;

So the question is this: Does being nice matter as much as we tell ourselves it does? Or is nice something we get to be when we are happy to accept the status quo?&nbsp;

The revolutionaries, the people who have changed and who are changing the world, are not always popular or loved by all. They are not always nice. They challenge things. They go against the grain. All of them have a willingness to be unpopular, to be a jerk, not for the sake of being a jerk but for the sake of something that matters to them.

That’s not to say, “Go ahead, be a jerk.” Sure, sometimes there is a distinct advantage to not giving a damn what people think about you. Because when you are willing to be disliked, you gain a power most of us struggle with—the power of doing what is right rather than popular. The power of non-conformity.

We all need to acknowledge that part of ourselves, the part that can stand strong in the face of criticism, pressure to conform and get along. Sometimes we need to rock the boat. Sometimes we need to find and release our inner jerk.

How? Do what “jerks” do:

<h2>1. Jerks speak up.</h2>

Your mom always said, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” But that’s not really the best advice when it comes to changing something you believe in. If you are passionate about an issue, it is better to think, If I don’t have anything nice to say, I need to speak up bravely, prepare to be hated and fight for what I believe in.

Throughout history, so many people sat by and said nothing because they feared being isolated and shunned. We still do it today. We sit quietly when we should shout. In those moments when your instincts tell you otherwise, think like a jerk—think for yourself and say something.

<h2>2. Jerks speak the truth.</h2>

Jerks don’t lie to be polite. They speak the truth even when there will be fallout. This does not mean being brutally honest when someone asks, “Does my butt look big in this?” It means speaking a truth that needs to be spoken. It means having the courage to tell the emperor (or even ourselves) that he is wearing no clothes, that sort of truth.&nbsp;

<h2>3. Jerks stand against something.</h2>

“If you’re not getting stabbed in the back, you’re not leading the way.” This quote reminds us that jerks are not jerks in the eyes of everyone, just some people. They are jerks to the people they rile against. To the systems, injustices, prejudices they look to topple. So find your inner jerk and stand against the things that drive you mad. Lead thinking. Lead a revolution and lead the change you want to see in your world, community, office, house or even yourself.

<h2>4. Jerks stand for something.</h2>

Be a jerk on purpose. Both deliberately and for a purpose.&nbsp;

Being a jerk for no reason other than you are in a bad mood makes you another expletive we shall not mention in print. But you get the jerk advantage when you see something more for your people, your team or if you want to aim big, the world.

<h2>5. Jerks ignore the haters.</h2>

You get the jerk advantage when you do not actually care that some people might hate you. In life not everyone will like us. If we are too nice, they might say we are fake. If we are forthright, they may call us rude. The point is, haters gonna hate. So when it comes to haters, be a jerk about it and get on with getting what you want.

If we want to change things (big or small) we have to be willing to cope with some criticism, to not please everyone and to stand strong. If our motives are good, then being a jerk is a pretty good thing to be.&nbsp;

Jerks don’t need to be liked. 
Jerks speak out. 
They stand up. 
And they stand out. 
Jerks stand for something better and bigger and bolder. 
Jerks change things.

So next time you are out to make a change, to do something big and bold, don’t be offended if someone calls you a jerk or something worse. It means you are doing something potentially great.&nbsp;

Jerks stand for something better and bigger and bolder. They change things. And they don’t care if you like them.

Jerks stand for something better and bigger and bolder. They change things. And they don’t care if you like them. | SUCCESS

The Jerk Advantage—Do You Have It?

The Jerk Advantage—Do You Have It? | SUCCESS

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Everybody loves a good joke, right? Sure. Until it’s not funny anymore. Even your guaranteed hit, the joke you could tell anywhere on any night and people would laugh, is not invincible forever.Unlike music, no one wants to hear your greatest hits more than once. You have to constantly write new material, while retiring your (old) favorites.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It’s the same at work, where our communications strategies, employee engagement tactics, and even how we retain and converse with existing customers can get old and stale.A decade ago, this was less of a problem. Internet connectivity and social media was not what it is today and our tolerance for the same message was a little higher, given the reduced saturation. But today, we run the risk of not only boring our audience, but driving them away in the process.Now we have to be more flexible in our approach and ensure that when we do engage, we keep it fresh and interesting—which is not always easy to do as few people in the business world have been trained for life in the “entertainment industry.”But behavioral strategists Dan Gregory and Kieran Flanagan say there are some steps you can take to increase your influence and engagement by learning how to refresh your shtick and develop your capacity to not just transmit but to hold attention:1. Learn what really interests your audience.No audience is precisely the same, and what makes one group roar with laughter can set another searching for their pitchforks and a rail to run you out of town. It means coming from a position of understanding of their points of view and aligning how you communicate with those views. Too often, our communications are all about us, not them.2. Stop talking like a “businessperson.”<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/how-to-speak-well-and-listen-better" target="_blank" title="How to Speak Well... and Listen Better | SUCCESS.com" rel="noopener">Communications is a human art</a>, and it may surprise some of you to learn that your people and the people you serve are just that—people. Corporate communications is largely defined by jargon and dehumanizing language that none of us use outside of the business context. Consider how you might talk if you were gathered around a barbecue, not a boardroom. Professional and boring do not have to be synonymous.3. Test your material on yourself.If the positions were reversed, would your messaging be something you would pay attention to (be brutally honest here). If it would bore you, why would you subject those you wish to engage to it? People are largely more open-minded, more attentive and have greater retention of <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/do-these-12-things-before-your-next-speech-or-presentation" target="_blank" title="Do These 12 Things Before Your Next Speech or Presentation | SUCCESS.com" rel="noopener">communications that are entertaining and engaging as well as informative</a>. This doesn’t mean you need the polished style of a professional stand-up comedian, or even to be funny at all, but if you intend to lead or to sell, you’d better learn to be interesting.4. Stop trying to look and sound like everyone else.Part of the reason our customers and staff are experiencing record levels of disengagement (according to Gallup Research) is that they’re not only hearing the same message from you—they’re hearing it from all of your competitors as well. It’s reported that the average human being in the first world is exposed to approximately 3,000 formulaic commercial impressions a day—and two or three tellings can ruin even the funniest joke. Consider how much your communications deteriorate in 1,000 times that figure.<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/9-tips-to-say-it-better" target="_self" title="9 Tips to Say It Better | SUCCESS.com" rel="noopener">Do you want people to listen to you and take you seriously? It’s not just what you say—it’s how you say it. Check out 9 tips to say it better.</a>

Everybody loves a good joke, right? Sure. Until it’s not funny anymore. Even your guaranteed hit, the joke you could tell anywhere on any night and people

Everybody loves a good joke, right? Sure. Until it’s not funny anymore. Even your guaranteed hit, the joke you could tell anywhere on any night and people | SUCCESS

4 Stand-Up Ways to Get People’s Attention

4 Stand-Up Ways to Get People’s Attention | SUCCESS

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Gallup’s latest workplace engagement study says 20 percent of people are actively disengaged in the work they do and that at least 50 percent are not engaged whatsoever. For the less mathematically inclined, that equates to, at most, a mere 30-percent engagement. Now, many Type A personalities who define themselves through work (as most leaders of business are) seem to find this notion unbelievable. Surely we are all meant to find meaning in our work.But perhaps this is a narrow view of human beings and what drives us. Some people seek inspiration and acknowledgement, others seek connection and a sense of belonging, others are driven by intellect and the satisfaction of solving something difficult, and some love being in action and getting things done.<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/stop-trying-to-motivate-people-it-wont-work" target="_blank" title="Stop Trying to Motivate People—It Won’t Work | SUCCESS.com">The same things do not motivate all people</a>, and it would be foolish of us to think it is so. Equally, it is naive to presume everyone cares about his or her job. For many people, their work does not define them; it is merely a means to an end, a pay packet, a roof over their head, cash to travel with or money for raising their children.As simple a truth as this may be, we seem to struggle with it, judging by the billions of dollars employees spend every year attempting to ignite passion and inspire people. Rather than calling people wrong for not getting their inspiration from work and constantly trying to change it, we can look to make work serve what matters to them, thus <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/what-happens-when-you-realize-your-work-really-matters-its-called-a-mission-moment" target="_blank" title="What Happens When You Realize Your Work Really Matters? It’s Called a Mission Moment | SUCCESS.com">making the job more meaningful</a> on their terms.Here are some ideas to get you started:1. Link your values to theirs.The problem with so many mission statements is they are longwinded and semantically loaded. No one can remember them let alone apply them in a way that has any meaning to them (no wonder people are so disengaged!). A far better approach is to make mission statements so simple that everyone who comes across them can remember them—so straightforward that anyone could think of a way they could contribute (or at least not contradict them).The T-shirt test is a wonderful way to tell if your mission has any hope of sticking. Ask yourself this question: Would someone willingly wear it on a T-shirt? Making electric cars awesome for Tesla, beauty that isn’t ugly for The Body Shop and making tech human for Apple would all pass that test, and so should your mission.2. Make failure difficult.Making failure hard is a fantastic way to work with people who don’t care about their jobs. After all, if the job is a temporary measure—for example, while a student gets through college—expecting unwavering commitment and passion really is a big ask; it is more effective to focus on making our systems foolproof. To do this, we must put as few steps as possible in place and imagine that people are too lazy to be bothered to do anything extra.Design beats discipline after all. Now this may seem a pessimistic view, but if we design imagining we have a workforce that does not care and our systems still work, then anything above that is a bonus. If even our worst employee on a bad day can get something useful done because the process is that simple, then the business is in good shape.3. Incentivize them with something relevant.What you value is not what the people who work with you or for you necessarily care about. Leaders tend to think everyone is motivated by promises of <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/5-ways-to-go-from-co-worker-to-manager" target="_blank" title="5 Ways to Go From Co-Worker to Manager | SUCCESS.com">promotions and recognition</a>. Yet if someone’s motivation is to see their kids grow up and to be present at every baseball game, a promotion may be the worst thing that could happen. A better strategy in this example might be extra time off for family moments or a pay raise in the form of a college fund. Get to know what the people around you value and then make sure your incentives marry up to what they care about.4. Look for clues.In selling, the sale is always in the interest of the person buying—and a job is no different. If you are an employer, then you are selling working for you. There is a reason people fight to work at Google. They have sold the dream, not to mention the kudos that comes with it.Think about what you are selling and look for clues about what people care about. Someone with a great number of family photos is probably motivated by making a better life for their family; someone who displays awards may seek promotion and recognition; and someone who puts up images of exotic places may be motivated by extra time off to travel. Better still, ask them what they care about—a direct question is really quite engaging.<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/7-warning-signs-of-an-unhappy-employee" target="_self" title="7 Warning Signs of an Unhappy Employee | SUCCESS.com">How can you tell if an employee is unhappy? Know the 7 warning signs to watch out for.</a>

Gallup’s latest workplace engagement study says 20 percent of people are actively disengaged in the work they do and that at least 50 percent are not

Gallup’s latest workplace engagement study says 20 percent of people are actively disengaged in the work they do and that at least 50 percent are not | SUCCESS

4 Tips for Working with People Who Couldn’t Care Less about Their Job

4 Tips for Working with People Who Couldn’t Care Less about Their Job | SUCCESS

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In an effort to achieve more, one of the traps we fall into is spending a greater amount of time on the things we are good at and, perhaps more importantly, the things we like. We are wired with a bias toward things that make us feel good.But in taking this approach, we can overlook opportunities to create an advantage for ourselves—because, often, our strengths are generic. For example, if you're a carpenter, chances are you enjoy working with your hands, and you will most likely hone this skill and become masterful at it. Yet if you find yourself in a room full of other carpenters, this same skill suddenly becomes not so remarkable. So focusing on other areas of skill would be a wise way to stand out.It can be the same with our routines. We tend to focus on making the good parts better and become resigned to the less-than-stellar parts simply being part of "doing our jobs." We all have those parts of our lives and jobs that we find tedious and boring. We leave them until last, we avoid doing them, and we resent every second we spend on it, if we ever do get around to tackling them. They are our "boring bits"— the parts of our routine that we begrudge.But they don't have to remain that way. If we stop trying to avoid and ignore them and instead put energy into changing them, they may just become our best bits. It is a means doing more than trying to avoid the boring bits and instead re-thinking them and seeing them for the potential they hold.If we took this approach to many of our lackluster tasks, they would become less of a liability. We tend not to think this way, and we should.Behavioral strategists Dan Gregory and Kieran Flanagan, authors of Selfish, Scared &amp; Stupid, share some things you can try to turn your boring bits into better ones:1. Create a dual purpose.&nbsp; Try giving boring tasks a second purpose. It can quickly make them meaningful.We were discussing this idea with a friend who told us he had created "TEDMilling"… a way to make the time spent on a treadmill more useful by setting the length of a TED speech as the time spent running. It is a great example of making a boring bit something fun, or at the very least not akin to visiting the dentist for a root canal. &nbsp;2. Spend time re-thinking. Get clear about what you want to achieve and then rethink how you could get to that place.We tend to just ignore our boring tasks so we never give them a chance to be anything but. If we want to improve them, we must <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/8-ways-to-effectively-prioritize-the-things-on-your-to-do-list" target="_blank" title="8 Ways to Effectively Prioritize the Things on Your To-Do List | SUCCESS.com" rel="noopener">take some time to think them through</a>, versus accepting that it is "just the way it is."3. Make it a game. Just as games passed a rainy afternoon when we were kids, they can help us to transform the ho-hum parts of our days. Turn a tedious task into a race, a competition against yourself or even a quest.In the past, when trying to come up with unique and compelling headlines, and we were bored of staring at blank pages or creativity block had set in, we would hold a competition. We would roll the dice from the Scattergories game and have to come up with a headline that started with the letter on the dice. Making the boring bits fun can relieve tension and unleash hidden ideas.4. Reward yourself. This one is a little old school, but when all else fails—bribe yourself (or others) to make the boring to-do's something far more compelling.Parents have been using this technique probably for as long as there have been children.&nbsp;If you do this, you get that!&nbsp;Translation: If I do my time sheets, I get a coffee (or a cookie or a wheatgrass shot, depending on your inclinations).5. Shift your perspective. Looking for benefits in a task can shift your mental state just enough so that you don't hate every second of it.Knowing that getting coffee is in fact passing a test to see how patient and how much of a team player you are can change how you approach the chore (and how quickly you no longer have to do it!).<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/john-c-maxwell-the-daily-routine-of-successful-leaders" target="_self" title="John C. Maxwell: The Daily Routine of Successful Leaders | SUCCESS.com" rel="noopener">Routine doesn't have to be boring—and the right daily disciplines can lead to success. Check out what the most successful leaders do every day.</a>

[node:summary] - Here's how to change the "boring bits" of your daily routine into things you look forward to (or at least don't shrink away from)

In an effort to achieve more, one of the traps we fall into is spending a greater amount of time on the things we are good at and, perhaps more | SUCCESS

Dreading Your Next To-Do?

Dreading Your Next To-Do? | SUCCESS

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Who is the ideal employee? Someone who&rsquo;s diligent, unquestioning, dedicated and hardworking, right? That&rsquo;s what we in corporate behavioral research have always assumed. But what if another style of employee&mdash;one that&rsquo;s a little more &ldquo;lazy&rdquo; in mindset&mdash;is equally valuable and essential to business survival today?How could laziness be an advantage in business? First off, it&rsquo;s not laziness in the way you typically think. Instead, let&rsquo;s look at the disadvantages or traps that the most diligent employees might fall into.Because diligent employees are so focused on steady, productive action, they often act first and think second. They do incredibly well when someone else has thought through the strategy of what they&rsquo;re doing and prescribed a plan for action. But if the strategy still needs some thought or is incomplete, this type of employee usually won&rsquo;t pause to think through things first and create their own.This work style was incredibly important as the United States came out of the Industrial Revolution, when much of the work people did was repetitive, routine and needed to produce homogenous production-line results.But today&rsquo;s modern industry requires less of that and much more creative, innovative, problem-solving output, which requires something other than diligence. It requires a different skillset, an ability to look for efficiencies, shortcuts and&mdash;honestly&mdash;ways to do less work, all things a lazy mindset is predisposed to seek out.What makes this kind of thinking even more important is the fact that it aligns with human nature. We all seek ease and simplicity in what we do. Take this example: Given the choice between the stairs and an escalator, human beings will overwhelmingly choose the less labor-intensive option (much to the disappointment of our personal trainers).However, by designing work that sits with our natures rather than forcing us to adapt or force-fit ourselves to the work we do, we also increase the chances of increased engagement and success.So believe us when we say it: We all need lazy employees. Here are the reasons why:1. &ldquo;Laziness&rdquo; drives creativity.A lazy mindset is always looking to simplify the process of doing things&hellip; anything. It doesn&rsquo;t just get down to work&mdash;it questions first. And questioning sits at the <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/top-of-mind-get-your-creative-on" target="_blank" title="Top of Mind: Get Your Creative On | SUCCESS.com" rel="noopener">root of creativity</a> because it allows for open-ended options, rather than the closed loop of an instruction. If we want innovation and efficiency (and we do), we need to be open to &ldquo;thinking lazy.&rdquo;2. Challenging the need for work helps us avoid contextual blindness.One of the greatest issues we face in business is that of <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/dont-let-your-blind-spots-distort-reality" target="_blank" title="Don't Let Your Blind Spots Distort Reality | SUCCESS.com" rel="noopener">contextual blindness</a>. We have so much knowledge about the way we think things should be done that we fail to see alternatives. This is where questions like &ldquo;But why?&rdquo; and &ldquo;Do we have to?&rdquo; actually benefit organizations.Innovation often comes from sources outside an industry, because insiders lack an objective eye. The underground transport maps now used around the world weren&rsquo;t the product of the great cartographers of the time but of an electrician&mdash;someone who was not bound by the limits of distance and scale the way a mapmaker would be, someone who could simplify a diagram and design so that it was easily and universally understood.3. Hard work isn&rsquo;t the same as smart or effective work.Do you know this metaphor? A team efficiently cuts their way through a forest only to have the leader rise up above the canopy and say, &ldquo;We&rsquo;re in the wrong forest.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s a parable warning about the bias toward hard work over smart or successful work. Sometimes a lack of action, or delayed action and a little more thinking first, is precisely what we need to ensure that our team is working effectively, not just hard.Obviously no one wants employees who coast along, just riding the coattails of their hardworking co-workers until the job&rsquo;s done. But maybe employees who seek the path of least friction, who have a &ldquo;lazy&rdquo; way of thinking, of doing things, are an asset we should embrace.<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/john-c-maxwell-how-to-create-a-culture-of-innovation" target="_self" title="John C. Maxwell: How to Create a Culture of Innovation | SUCCESS.com" rel="noopener">Find out 6 ways you can create a culture of innovation at your workplace.</a>&nbsp;Behavioral strategists Dan Gregory and Kieran Flanagan are the authors of the new book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/073031278X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=073031278X&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=IHZIEMKDGZNPRLYH">Selfish, Scared &amp; Stupid</a>.&nbsp;They specialize in unlocking human behavior to create organizational and cultural change and to build environments that lift performance and engagement.

Who is the ideal employee? Someone who&rsquo;s diligent, unquestioning, dedicated and hardworking, right? That&rsquo;s what we in corporate behavioral

Who is the ideal employee? Someone who&rsquo;s diligent, unquestioning, dedicated and hardworking, right? That&rsquo;s what we in corporate behavioral | SUCCESS

Why You Need Lazy Employees

Why You Need Lazy Employees | SUCCESS

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The Gen Y and millennial generations have been harshly criticized by its Gen X and baby boomer counterparts, people who have survived economic downturns, recessions, the digital revolution, outsourcing and off-shoring and still managed to maintain their “greed is good” work ethic. So they often look at their younger co-workers and think, You just wait, kid…. Life is going to hit you hard!And as the managers of this new, seemingly entitled, generation, we constantly complain of the fact that they won’t just knuckle down, do their time and earn their stripes.These Gen Y’ers and millennials demand things like work-life balance, time off to donate their labor to charity work, a sabbatical to pursue a foreign placement, a clearly planned path to management—and then they clock-out at 6 p.m. so they can spend time with family and friends because they place human relationships ahead of a singular focus on career advancement. Seriously, what is wrong with these people?All this angst is despite the fact that many of us from the more senior generations are disillusioned, suffering burnout, dealing with broken relationships and perhaps not doing as well in business as we think we should.Legendary New York adman Bill Bernbach is reputed to have always carried a card printed with these words: “They might be right.” It was there to remind him that his clients sometimes had a point. Maybe we should apply the same wisdom when dealing with our younger team members.What if a more balanced view of work, seeing it as a part of our broader lives, is no bad thing? How can we learn from those who will follow us instead of constantly assuming that we know better?Clearly <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/the-joys-of-hanging-out-with-my-elders" target="_blank" title="The Joys of Hanging Out with My Elders | SUCCESS.com">all generations can learn from each other</a>, but given that the older one is usually doing the lecturing, let’s consider what the attitudes of these so-called slackers have to teach the rest of us:&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Learn to seek work-life congruence.Work-life balance is a myth. The lines will always blur and, from time to time, one part of our life will dominate the others. So rather than seeking balance (whatever that is), we should seek a level of congruence between our work, our personal values and our lives.Consider the fact that Gallup’s Global Workplace Engagement Study has workplace disengagement at around 50 percent, and you begin to understand why. At least half of us, from all generations, are not engaged in the work we are doing. Add to this the fact that employee surveys of younger staff consistently rank a sense of meaning in their work ahead of things like money, and we begin to understand why a <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/answer-6-questions-to-reveal-your-life-purpose" target="_blank" title="6 Questions to Reveal Your Life Purpose | SUCCESS.com">establishing a sense of purpose</a> in our work, one linked to our own, is so important.2. Challenging the status quo is useful (if also slightly irritating).Of course the world would be a better place if everyone around us just did what we asked without questioning our motives or methodology. But all progress requires a level of agitation and dissatisfaction with the current way things get done.Constant questioning is critical to innovation, to improvements in efficiency and also to ensuring that we mitigate risks that we hadn’t planned for. While challenge can often come across as disrespect or insolence, <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/7-parts-of-your-life-that-suffer-when-you-fail-to-change" target="_blank" title="7 Parts of Your Life That Suffer When You Fail to Change | SUCCESS.com">being open to questioning the status quo is essential</a>.3. Shift from using metrics like time and physical presence to measuring results.Just because someone is burning the midnight oil does not always mean they’re being effective. In fact, oftentimes it’s an indication of poor time management and a lack of planning and proficient systems.The move away from Industrial Revolution models of productivity toward those of the digital and information age necessitate a re-evaluation of the metrics we use to assess our output and that of our teams. In this reality, <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/want-to-get-more-done-know-the-no-1-productivity-tip" target="_blank" title="Want to Get More Done? Know the No. 1 Productivity Tip | SUCCESS.com">achieving greater results with less effort is a critical asset</a>.So the next time a younger member of your staff starts to push your buttons, remember Bill Bernbach and consider, “They might be right.”<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/john-c-maxwell-how-to-be-an-empathetic-leader" target="_self" title="John C. Maxwell: How to Be an Empathetic Leader | SUCCESS.com">Find out how to step into others’ shoes for fresh, enlightening perspectives with John C. Maxwell’s 4 tips on how to become an empathetic leader.&nbsp; </a>&nbsp;Behavioral strategists Dan Gregory and Kieran Flanagan, authors of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/073031278X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=073031278X&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=YDY5527N6S2LOA2U">Selfish, Scared &amp; Stupid</a>, specialize in unlocking human behavior to create organizational and cultural change and to build environments that lift performance and engagement.&nbsp;

[node:summary] - 3 things the newest generation of employees can teach senior managers

The Gen Y and millennial generations have been harshly criticized by its Gen X and baby boomer counterparts, people who have survived economic downturns, | SUCCESS

Gen Ys and Millennials: 'They Might Be Right'

Gen Ys and Millennials: &#8216;They Might Be Right&#8217;

Gen Ys and Millennials: 'They Might Be Right' | SUCCESS

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