The creativity test is a very useful tool to get you going with your clients from the very first session.

It gives you talking points and helps you frame what could otherwise be imprecise and confusing.

The test is not something we developed. It's not ours, but it's free, it's easy to do, and we find it to be pretty accurate.

They can even do it before they have even spoken to you.

Now it's great to start your session as well with a clear laying out of the problems they're facing outside of the test. What is it that they're wanting to work with?

This could be a project that you're getting them to choose so they can train through the Innovation Explosion under your guidance.

Or it could be the main problem they're facing that they want coaching for.

Either way get them to give you the details of the project deeper and deeper until you are completely certain you understand exactly what they're dealing with.

They know their problem very well, and they will think they've explained it clearly when it's still not that clear to you.

Make sure you use the whole range of journalistic questions. The who, what, why, where, when, how?

That's the easiest way to make sure you have no doubts.

And the great thing about this is that it takes nothing from your side except active listening.

Asking and listening.

• What is their project and the challenges that they know of?
• Who are they dealing with?
• When did this all start?
• How long has it been happening?
• Why do they consider the situation so problematic anyways?
• How have they already considered solving it?
• What were the results of those efforts?
• Where did they make those efforts? Was it in the real world or just in their thoughts?
• Who do they make those efforts with?

Once you've made sure it's all very clear, the creativity test is a great place to set a context for the way forward.

The test that we use works well and we really do recommend using it.

The numerical score they get, don't worry too much about that, and discourage them from getting too excited if it's high, or getting too dejected if it's low.

The score is really only useful in the sense that it helps them see the improvement they make working with you.

They can measure: did their score go up after they've gone through weeks of training and coaching?

After you've taken through the process, do they improve?

What matters far more is the breakdown of the eight elements that compose the score.

• Where do they already show mad skill?
• Where do they clearly need work?
• Are they better at the personality elements, meaning they're already positioned as creative minded but need to learn the skills?
• Or are they stronger in the skills areas, meaning their bigger challenge is mindset.
• Are they curious but cautious, persistent but lacking the ability to switch perspectives?

This gives them a framework for the path ahead.

But equally importantly, it gives you a framework to guide you in leading them.

Don't leave them to interpret the test on their own.

First of all, you're wasting fifteen to thirty minutes of great coaching right there.

They're not qualified to do it either.

As you can see in the sample creativity test video following this, even the most intelligent and experienced person who actually is highly creative and understands the background of this kind of thinking, even that person can struggle to understand what the results indicate and how it can apply to them.

But also it's simply a great opportunity to get related to your clients in an easy way.

It's pretty simple. Read their test and help them understand it.

And already you've created a connection and engagement without really doing a lot of work.

If all you accomplished in the first session you do with your client is understanding their challenge thoroughly and understanding in which ways their creative cranking is broken.

If all you accomplish in your first session is understanding the client's challenge thoroughly and understanding their creative thinking profile based on the test,

and explaining it to them, you've achieved a huge amount both your client and for yourself as a coach.

Mike is a highly creative person who helps companies tell their client stories. His full time work is focussed on using his sharp creative skills in a business environment for the benefit of others. He couldn’t find the first test he took so took it again, and got an even higher result. The difference between the two, while not large, provides an interesting example of what such differences could mean. Also, this session shows well how to go beyond just assessing the test results, to using them as the basis for forward coaching.