They're much sought after qualities, being more productive, creative and innovative.
But how to go about finding them within yourself?
Good question!
And here are five thoughts to help, based on my experience and talking to others.
Find Time for Thinking
I've noticed something strange while working at the University of Cambridge, and indeed in the BBC, and government circles.
All three are prestigious employers, which attract some of the finest talent.
I tend to work alongside the people at the most senior levels, and this is what I've noticed:
- They don't have a second to think
Typically, almost their entire day is blocked out with meetings.
And when there is a gap, the poor thing never lives long.
It just gets filled with more urgent business that needs action.
In other words, the days are largely spent firefighting, with no time for that beautiful and absolutely critical thing called:
- Thinking
Which, to my mind is all wrong.
These people are employed to look after the next five, ten or twenty years.
Not the next five, ten or twenty minutes.
That's my most important point for this blog:
Only with time and space to think can you hope to be creative and innovative, and being productive follows from there.
Block out some time in your day to reflect, consider the present and form ideas about the future.
It might not always happen, because troubles do come.
But try to find that space to think, each and every day, even if just a little.
It may seem like a luxury, but it's actually a necessity.
Ruthlessness
If you're going to find the space to think, you might well need to bare your teeth (metaphorically!) and take control.
Do you really need to go to that meeting? Or sit on that committee?
I know senior people whose lives would be taken up committees if they allowed it.
One tells me he technically sits on around 60, but deals with that by making it very clear he's not going to be at most of the meetings.
And who wins from that? But anyway, that's another story.
The point is, it's important to be ruthless with your time.
It's your most precious commodity, after all.
Whenever I have to run meetings, firstly I check they are absolutely necessary.
Next, I schedule them for half an hour, and half an hour ONLY.
With discipline, you can almost always deal with the business in hand in that time.
It's also amazing how fast the people you work with get used to the rhythm of sorting your stuff in half an hour.
(I've noticed that nearly all also come to appreciate it.)
Finally, I want the fewest people possible in a meeting for maximum efficiency.
Meetings in my BBC days drove me mad.
There were always far too many people, many with nothing to contribute who seemed to come along to avoid work rather than do something useful.
The meetings often wandered, and ambled, and strayed way away from the point, and it all, frankly, went to make up one of the circles of my personal hell.
These days I feel as though I'm a strange form of Knight.
(Yes, I did really write that, bear with me for an explanation and a little indulgence...)
I'm having my revenge on the foul beast that is pointless and bloated and boring meetings, and slaying as many as I can before they take over the world!
Exercise
This is a more controversial way to be creative, innovative and productive, but I swear by it.
When I go out for some exercise, both my brain and body start off in a sulk.
They really don't want to play at all.
But after about ten minutes, my body gives in and gets going.
A few minutes later, my brain starts working as well, maybe to distract me from the pain of working out.
The key point is this:
I've noticed that, almost always, if I exercise for an hour, and I set my mind a problem or challenge before we start...
It'll have a solution by the end.
Quiet
Creativity is a beautiful but shy creature.
Like one of the Jays, who sometimes visit my garden, noise can scare it off.
If you're working in an office, try to find somewhere to go and think where you can do so in peace.
If you've got your own office, hang the Do Not Disturb sign outside the door, and train your colleagues to respect it.
Finally, if you're working at home, however hard it might be, even if you have to bribe the family with treats later, try to get them to give you some thinking time.
Make the space, provide the peace, and creativity and innovation, which you can then turn into productivity, are much more likely to come calling.
Outdoor Time
This is my favourite way of giving yourself the best chance of your brilliant brain doing its best for you.
- Get outside
Blue sky thinking is so named for a reason.
It's not always easy at the moment, of course, with the spite of the winter weather.
But a quick walk through a green space is as close as it comes to a miracle spark of a creative infusion.
Here in Cambridge, I often walk by the river when I need to think.
In London, when I'm in Westminster, I love St James's Park, and all its fantastic wildlife.
One final thought here:
Take out your earbuds.
Don't get me wrong, I love music too.
I'm currently listening to a playlist of the 1980's New Romantics, since you ask - Duran Duran live were quite something - or have I shared too much there?!
But the point is that music can drown out your thoughts.
Listen to the breeze in the trees, the chatter of ducks, or the lapping of the river...
And creativity and innovation are much more likely to follow.
If you've got any other tips for being more creative, innovative and productive, do let me know.
I'm always up for more help!