Practice Makes Perfect, But It Doesn't Make New

Adam Grant, professor of management and psychology at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the author of Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World (Viking, 2016), looks at what fosters creativity and original thinking in business.

→ Hear more: Adam Grant will be in conversation with Malcolm Gladwell at the 92nd Street Y on February 10th. See here for more details.

A Few Creativity Myths, Debunked

1. Practice makes perfect. Many child prodigies go on to become experts in their fields and/or leaders in their communities but most of them never make the leap to actually becoming “revolutionary creators.” Practicing something over and over and over again, dilutes the originality because the more you practice, the more you are conforming.
2. A good set of rules can set you up for greatness. Only a certain type of greatness. You can succeed but rules and restrictions inhibit originality. In the case of children, give them freedom to explore their imagination but also explain that there are consequences to their actions. Additionally, as a parent or teacher, children can be more creative if they are more aware of values than of rules.
3. Quit your day job. Entrepreneurs who keep their day jobs and devote their free time to a passion or pet project are more likely to be successful with whatever they are creating in their spare time than people who quit their day jobs and start a company with lots of confidence.
4. Groupthink fosters creativity. Groupthink, which is where we want a consensus instead of looking for or encouraging dissent, is actually the enemy of originality. Disagreement in group meetings or in brainstorming sessions can prompt diverse ideas, especially ones that challenge our notions and eventually make us work harder. In the group consensus format, dominant voices eclipse many shy or quiet ones and then the pack mentality usually strives for overall agreement.
5. Self doubt is the enemy and you need to be optimistic. Defensive pessimism can be a positive resource when you are committed to task at hand. In some cases, self doubt can be a healthy motivator.
6. Don’t procrastinate. There are benefits to moving fast, but studies show that acting quickly and being the first to the market can have more disadvantages than advantages. By putting off doing work, you get more time to ruminate on your job, allowing you the space necessary to improvise and engage in “divergent thinking.”
7. Once we reach a certain age, we are no longer creative and/or can’t produce creative ideas. It’s never too late to have an original idea. Peak creativity is dependent on who we are and our way of thinking.

Paraphrased from Adam Grant's Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World (Viking, 2016).