How communicators can break out of a creative rut

Many PR tasks are the same for each campaign we work on.

There are certain deliverables or approaches we adopt again and again—and that can work just fine. Yet, do PR pros run the risk of being on autopilot? Too many times, you preform as task a certain way because it’s always been done it that way.

It’s good to remember that different situations call for different solutions. So how can you train yourself to think outside the box?

1. Always think it through—even if you’ve done it 100 times.

Do you honestly always think through what you’re doing?

The brain has two modes of thinking, according to change leadership consultant Gustavo Razzetti in an article for Psychology Today piece.

“’System 1’ is an automatic, fast, and unconscious way of thinking—it’s our autopilot. This system is autonomous and efficient, though deceiving too. It’s more prone to bias and repetitive errors,” Razzetti says. “’System 2’ is slow, conscious, and effortful—it requires attention and energy. It’s more reliable and can filter the misjudgments of System 1.”