Iam not a natural innovator. I have a lot of trouble dreaming up completely new ideas on my own and have only recently taught myself to be better in brainstorming sessions with other people.
A unit on personality in one of my business classes this semester forced me to realize that my personality type is aligned more with that of a doer than a dreamer. Perhaps that’s why I am so obsessed with ideas and innovation. I know my limits, and I am trying to find ways to take advantage of my personality type and push as far past those limits as I possibly can. In order for you to do the same and become the most well-rounded person you can be, you need to have a basic idea of who you are. Of course, being the personality type I am, I love objective measures of determining identity. Here are some of my favorite tests and some tips for people who naturally are and are not innovators.
If you have not determined your Myers-Briggs personality type, do it now. In my opinion, it has been the most helpful and accurate representation of my personality (ENTJ, if you were wondering). Additionally, Birth Order Theory is really interesting and seemingly accurate (first born, if you were wondering).
Here are the groups that are generally innovators: For Myers Briggs – those who are classified as extroverts, intuitors and perceivers, for Birth Order – those who are the last born in a family.
For this small portion of the population, innovation and creativity is pretty natural and simple. For the remainders, a little more work and attention may be needed to keep up with the ENTP last-borns. Either way, though, innovation does take some concentrated effort from both aspiring innovators and natural innovators. Here are some tips for both groups:
For the aspiring innovators: Write. Whether it is through a blog, journal or the school newspaper (shameless plug), record your thoughts. Sometimes it is hard to know exactly how you feel, exactly what you’re aiming for or exactly what you are trying to achieve; writing everything out can often help you arrive at a new idea or insight. Being comfortable as a writer can often help you become more comfortable with how your brain goes through a decision-making process. Similarly, list-making (especially in the form of pro/con lists) can help you to establish your ideas on paper in a tangible and helpful way. From here, it is easier for those who may be more introverted, sensing or conventional to discuss their ideas with others and engage in productive brainstorming sessions. Learning how to collectively innovate in a brainstorm session with peers is extremely helpful in learning how to innovate on your own.
For the natural innovators: Being smart and being creative is often thought of as a dichotomy; you have one or the other, but can’t have both. Not so. As I mentioned in my first column of the semester, connections and ideas are born when a new piece of knowledge can find a tie to something you already know. So go out of your way to read, watch, listen and talk about ideas or concepts you know nothing about. If you’re paying attention and actively trying to connect new information with that which you’re already familiar, you will remember more of what you learn and find it even easier to think in creative, diverse ways.
Additionally, personality assessments force you to realize how you go through life and make decisions. That, even without the further steps I recommended above, will help you to become more self-aware and, therefore, a more open-minded, innovative person.
