Creating and building

At various points in our professional careers be it in business or volunteer work we are called to move a vision or strategy forward. Sometimes it is revitalizing the status quo. Sometimes it is building something from scratch. Rarely is it the creation of something totally new.

There is a difference between building and creating. Before you start on either path you need to know the difference. We tend to think in terms of creating something when we really only have built something. Being truly creative in business is not the norm. One example could be the use of debit cards versus cheques. Another could be the ability of accessing accounts by use of the internet. The concepts were totally different but after the idea came into play the process was built. Was the original idea creative or just a build?

Much of what I see in the marketplace is building on something previous. Sometimes it is the evolution of an older product or service, sometimes it is a greater number of features with a product. What have we seen that is truly creative?

What we need to do is continue the building but also be able to be creative. That means making sure the business has the ability to be creative. Creative concepts truly rejuvenate our entities. When someone says it can’t be done or that isn’t the way to do it, well, that is the time to get creative. We all have the same tools at hand, it is the creativity that usually makes the difference. It isn’t such a science but truly an art. Next time you need to move something forward think about it from this point — is it something I need to build or is it something that possibly could be created.