Thinking Differently…

Rod Judkins’ ‘The Art of Creative Thinking’, published in April, looks at how innovative thinking can be encouraged – and applied – across a variety of different occupations.

Writing in this week’s Psychology Today, Judkins – a lecturer at Central St Martins and the Royal College of Art describes the impact of conditions such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) on students. Clearly ADHD can pose difficulties and present challenges for individuals. But individuals with ADHD, and those who think differently from the ‘norm’, can be just as creative and successful as others. ADHD is not ‘essential’ for creativity, but it does not preclude it.

Indeed it’s only been in recent years the value of ‘introverts’ has started to be recognised in a growing body of books like Susan Cain’s ‘Quiet – the power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking.’

Not only is there nothing ‘wrong’ with thinking differently, it’s often essential that teams and organisations are made up of people who do this (the ‘big thinker’ and the ‘detail’ person, spring to mind). Not only would the world be a dull place if we were all the same and all thought the same. It is an impossibility. Difference is simply a characteristic of individuals. It would be impossible for us to all think in one way. So, by implication, there cannot be only be one way of thinking, of doing, of being… and thank goodness for that!

It’s a good analogue of how coaching works. Just as there’s no one ‘creative’ way to think, there’s no one answer to someone’s coaching needs. You don’t ‘need’ ADHD to be creative. But having ADHD doesn’t necessarily stop you being creative. Indeed, it may mean you bring something unique (indeed genuinely creative!) to what you do.

Coaching isn’t about finding (or being told how to find) an ‘ideal’ way of achieving something. It’s about you discovering what’s right for you, at a particular moment in your life. About identifying and acknowledging your goals and talents and deciding what’s next for you.

Interested in finding out what’s next for you? Then drop me a line…