How Creative Tension Sparks Innovative Thinking.

Want to find your fighting words.

We were struggling with a high-profile project for a celebrity client.

The dialogue reached a feverish pitch.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit too trashy,” my partner shouted.

“It’s junk food for the senses.” I retorted.

The rumble grew louder and louder as we did what we always did.

We wrestled the idea to the ground.

Eventually, we took out the trash. And added some flash.

The idea became Calvin Klein’s Cyber Scent – Crave.

Today, I work with a creative director who often asks – “Have we reached violent agreement yet?” 

That’s when we know we’ve nailed it.

In my mind there’s nothing like some good old Creative Tension to spark new ideas.

Think Yin and Yang. Chaos and control. Left brain right brain.

Opposing forces mixing it up, colliding, clashing and contradicting one another.

Wow. That’s one hell of powerful catalyst for innovative thinking

 So, when a colleague recently bailed saying, “I can’t do this. It’s too stressful.”

I thought “What????”

Creative tension, vs. emotional tension, is defined as a situation where people with opposing points of view engage in lively, energetic and often heated debate that results in better ideas and outcomes.

Imagine a rubber band stretched taut in opposite directions. The greater the stretch the more tension. But when released, the thrust forward is incredible.

Peter Senge who coined the term wrote, “The gap between vision and current reality is also a source of energy. If there were no gap, there would be no need for action to move towards the vision. We call this gap creative tension.”

In the book, Made to Stick, Dan and Chip Heath wrote: “If you’re not arguing, you’re not thinking.”

For example: If I say “I like pizza” and you agree “Mmm, yes, I like pizza too.” Not much more to say. You might ask what’s your favorite pizzeria.

Beyond that we’re just talking crust. Thin or Sicilian?

But if you instead say “Yuck, I hate pizza. It’s so greasy and gross,” those are fighting words. Now you’ve got my attention. And sparked some creative tension.

I now have the opportunity to debate you on how great pizza is.

“How can you not like pizza? It’s a totally sensory experience. The aroma as comes out of the oven, the feel of the dusted crust in your hands, the crunch as you bit into it. And the creamy goodness of the sauce and cheese.”

And I just may convince you to rethink your disgust. Want to split a pie?

Of course, the word tension often suggests anxiety or stress. And our natural human response towards conflict is to avoid it like the plague.

“Can’t we just seek consensus?

When everyone agrees too soon, settles on an easy answer and leaves the table, the creative process stops.

This is great if you’ve just invented the greatest thing since sliced bread.

But there are always some chinks that can be bettered with a little fire.

The desire for harmony, calm and conformity often results in groupthink and so-so decisions.

Worse it often leads to no decision at all. “Let’s table it for the time being.”

There’s no urgency to find a solution. No need to relieve the tension.

While the discomfort may not feel good in the moment, believe me, it can release important resources for problem solving: energy, focus, passion, creativity.

One caveat: Be sure the hashing out doesn’t turn to lashing out. Try to maintain a playful attitude. And steer clear of the personal.

Struggling with an idea? I’ll show you how to wrestle it to the ground. And if we butt heads, all the better.