Flowchart Creativity

The reality is, virtually nothing we do is simple.  We see a lot of things as simple but this is merely because we see most things at a higher level of abstraction.  We take a lot of the small details and do them without thinking.  Or we don't even realise we are doing them.  For the most part, this is great.  It means we can focus on the important and more interesting stuff and not get bogged down in minor and irrelevant details.  But sometimes those details can be a great source of creative inspiration.  Let's put the spotlight on them.

Your challenge this week is to take a set of tasks you perform regularly and create a flow chart for them.

You can find out more about what flow charts are here. 

Try and capture the steps and decisions you normally do without thinking.  You may find it's not as easy as you think.

Here are some examples of what you could create a flow chart for:

• How do I chose what meal to order in a restaurant?
• This is how you go about playing my favourite sport.
• When I'm solving a problem,  this is the process I take.

A flow chart is a ver simplified representation of what is probably a very complex process.  It is also limited in that it reduces the process to a linear set of steps and decisions when the reality is probably far from that.  Never the less. It can be a good way to force you to consider what is actually involved in doing something and more importantly, what the important parts are.

Reflect on what you have created.  Does it effectively represent what is involved?  In creating this did you have any revelations?  Did it change your idea of how you actually do that particular process?  Maybe you see that certain decisions you make or actions that proceed from them don't really make sense now that you've presented them in this way.  Should you change the process?  Or does this mean you haven't adequately created a diagram to represent the process?  I think that this simple activity is a great way to start a lot of thinking and discussion on the way a process is done and how it may be improved.

Have fun.

I sense creativity in you.  Use it to it's fullest.