Whilst talking about her life as a musician a young cellist mentioned that when she was even younger she had questioned the need for orchestral conductors, especially when they were conducting top orchestras and the number of players was relatively small.

Then one day this young cellist saw Carlos Kleiber conducting a top orchestra and she began to understand what a great conductor could contribute to a performance. Kleiber’s gestures clearly communicated his deep felt interpretation of the music. More than this, Kleiber encouraged the orchestra to become an active part of the communication. His gestures coaxed skillfully crafted musical phrases from his players. These in turn helped him to refine his gestures, so encouraging even more finely honed playing from his orchestra – and so on throughout the performance. A virtuous feedback loop had been created between conductor and orchestra that melded and enhanced the talents of both.

Outstanding creativity is about more than individuals having innovative ideas. It is about realising even greater innovations by taking advantage of the synergy that results from combining people’s varying contributions.

Gain maximum advantage from your creative problem solving by identifying how your ideas and contributions can combine with and enhance those of others and how others’ ideas and contributions can do the same with yours. Then keep repeating the loop to create a virtuous cycle of ever – increasing innovation.

To start your virtuous feedback loop and increase its momentum ask yourself the following questions:

• How can your ideas make others’ ideas more efficient and/or effective (and vice versa)?
• How can your ideas widen the scope and potential uses of others’ ideas (and vice versa)?
• How can your ideas make others’ ideas more attractive (and vice versa)?
• How can your ideas make others’ ideas more practical and useful (and vice versa)?
• How can your ideas make others’ ideas easier to implement (and vice versa)?
• How can your ideas combine with others’ ideas in order to create not only better ideas but also new and ground breaking ideas?
• How can your ideas make others’ ideas easier to understand (and vice versa)?

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