Replace the Right Answer With the Interesting One—How to Spark Creativity and Innovation
Industrial mindsets teach us to value the 'right answer'—the one that matches the standard, earns high marks, or avoids risk. While this ensured efficiency in factories, it stifled creativity and left little room for innovation or personal expression. In contrast, creativity flourishes when we give up the search for rightness in favor of what’s compelling, resonant, or surprising.
Consider a classroom where students are taught to memorize facts for tests, compared with one where they’re encouraged to solve open-ended problems with many possible solutions. The first group delivers consistency; the second discovers and invents. A business notorious for following market best practices might maintain stability, but the businesses that make headlines are those that ask, 'How can we surprise and delight—even if it’s risky?'
Research on divergent thinking supports this approach. Generating novel solutions, even without clear answers, primes the brain for insight and unlocks hidden talents. At first, this feels odd or 'wrong,' but over time it becomes the source of all remarkable work.
Letting go of the security of rightness lets artists, leaders, and everyday innovators spark breakthroughs—and meaning.
Pick one daily problem and resist the urge to simply get it 'right.' Instead, ask what new, weird, or fun approach might surprise someone. Gather input without immediately dismissing the oddball ideas, and let a bit of messiness into your process. This shift will unlock creative energy and may even lead to a solution that matters far more than the 'right' one. Start with tomorrow’s most boring task and see what happens.
What You'll Achieve
Internal: Freedom from fear of mistakes, enhanced creative problem-solving, and renewed engagement. External: Recognition for originality, better solutions to persistent problems, and more fun in routine tasks.
Practice Asking Questions With No Clear Solution
Identify a routine task or problem that’s usually solved by following instructions.
Pick something you or your group do by habit—filling forms, designing reports, or even planning family meals.
Reframe it by seeking a more interesting answer.
Instead of asking, 'How do I do this right?,' ask, 'How could I make this surprising or meaningful to someone else?'
Gather diverse input and encourage messiness.
Reach out to a variety of people (including those outside your usual circle) for their offbeat suggestions. Embrace chaos and ambiguity in brainstorming—don’t just filter for correctness.
Reflection Questions
- Where do I always look for the 'right answer'?
- What’s the most interesting way I could change this process?
- What’s the worst that could happen by trying something weird here?
- When was a messy idea actually the best one?
Personalization Tips
- A teacher throws out the usual worksheet and invites students to redesign a lesson as a game.
- A family asks everyone for new dinner ideas and treats the weirdest suggestion seriously.
- A business team reimagines the company newsletter as a podcast.
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