This is a one page summary handout I developed to accompany a fantastic 30 minute YouTube talk by John Cleese (of Monty Python fame). There is no slide deck as the video really does all of the hard work (link to the video is embedded). The handout also includes a link to a Harvard Business Review article that I usually send out as prerequisite reading homework. Enjoy. :)

1. Summary and notes © 2012 Ben Robbins. All rights reserved. All other linked material, names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
The default mode for most of us, this is how we spend much of our
time. Once a decision is made, the mind enters closed mode. In this
execution stage, workers focus only on implementing a decision.
This mode applies to the planning stage, problem solving, and
brainstorming sessions. In this mode, humor and a casual
atmosphere replace judgment, insecurity, or ridicule of any idea.
Space –There should be a defined space for creativity process to take place. Isolating oneself in an oasis
nurtures the mind for generating great ideas. “You cannot become playful, and therefore creative, if you’re
under your usual pressures.”
Time – A defined period of time is necessary to safely leave the closed mode. Feeling temporarily protected
from normal interruptions, the mind enters the open mode and original solutions begin to flow. “It’s not
enough to create space; you have to create your space for a specific period of time.”
Time – Beyond allowing time, commit to it. Learn to tolerate the discomfort of pondering and indecision, taking
full advantage of the available time. “Giving your mind as long as possible to come up with something original.”
Confidence – “Nothing will stop you being creative so effectively as the fear of making a mistake.”
Humor – “The main evolutionary significance of humor is that it gets us from the closed mode to the open mode
quicker than anything else.”
While workers must also be action oriented, they should be allowed time to think and come up with variations on a
solution. When planning work, whenever possible allow time to apply multiple approaches to routine problems.
A penalty free thinking environment is vital to the creative process. Humor encourages exploration of ideas that would
be otherwise rejected, while at the same time serving to soften the rejection of less than ideal solutions.
When leaders boost the confidence of the team, both creativity and productivity increase. Encourage workers to seek
original solutions to problems, and praise their participation in the process. Read this Harvard research paper indicating
that on balance, praise and other positive feedback should far outweigh criticism for mistakes and negative outcomes.
“To be at our most efficient, we need
to be able to switch backwards and
forward between the two modes. But
here’s the problem — we too often get
stuck in the closed mode. Under the
pressures which are all too familiar to
us, we tend to maintain tunnel vision
at times when we really need to step
back and contemplate the wider view.”