Unlocking Everyday Creativity: How To Bring Big Ideas to Life in Your Customer Experience

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I’m just not an idea person,” while a blank Zoom screen stares back at you? You’re not alone—and according to our recent Science of CX episode with creativity guru Robin Landa, tapping into your imaginative side might be easier (and a lot more fun) than you think.

As your host, I’ve spent years turning average customer experiences into unforgettable journeys, but there’s always been one place many leaders get stuck: the creativity gap. How do you develop new ideas, especially when old habits and organizational comfort zones keep us circling the same familiar ground? In our conversation with Robin, a distinguished professor with 26 books and a mambo championship under her belt, we break down what it means to truly think differently—for your company, your customers, and yourself.

Why “What If?” Is Your New Superpower

Robin spells it out clearly: “My whole life is about thinking creatively. Everything I do, everything I look at, I ask questions such as ‘what if.’”

That single question—what if?—isn’t just for daydreamers or artists. According to Robin, it’s a tool available for anyone striving to shake the status quo in business or customer service. What if your delivery never arrived cold? What if your product made customers feel truly understood? It all starts with curiosity, which Robin says is the foundation of every creative act.

“Curiosity is key," she explains. "If you’re curious about things, it really, really helps if you ask a lot of questions. If you go back to being a child and when we were children, we’d ask, ‘Why is the sky blue?’ But that kind of melts away as you grow older.”

She believes anyone can rekindle that sense of wonder—sometimes, it just takes stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new.

The Comfort Zone Conundrum

It’s so easy for professionals to get locked into patterns—using the same routes, seeking out the same information, brainstorming in the ways we always have. We default to what we know. As Robin puts it: "Most of us stay in our comfort zones." But she challenges us all, herself included, to notice those moments and choose something different.

For instance, she recalls resisting a radio segment about the French horn, only to lean in with a new mental prompt: Why not listen? That willingness to be interested in “different” is the first step to developing new thinking.

Likewise, your business can intentionally break old habits by seeking out new perspectives—visit unfamiliar museums, watch films in genres that don’t appeal to you, or let team members take the lead on something outside your own preferences.

Strategic Creativity: Beyond Just Expressing Yourself

When it comes to customer experience, it isn't about personal expression—it's about connecting meaningfully with others. Robin introduces the idea of “strategic creativity,” stating:

"You have to have the power to conceive something that solves a problem, which anybody in the field understands, but that also is incredibly compassionate, respectful, appropriate of the target audience. You have to have some kind of multicultural intelligence, and… it really has to benefit people."

It’s about putting your customer at the center of your creative brainstorming. She even draws from a classic Calvin and Hobbes strip to hammer home the point: “Any potential customer is thinking, 'What’s in it for me or my aunt Maria or my daughter? Or what are you going to do for me?' What’s the either the functional or the emotional benefit?”

As I like to say on the show, "We’re not just about the voice of the customer and all the technology being used for customer experience. We try to dig in and say, where are people having issues? Where do people end up with problems? Because creativity, developing ideas— that will help our audience frame it up in their minds."

Robin Landa’s 3 G’s Framework: Goal, Gap, Gain

Forget old-school brainstorming, which, as Robin admits, “people are self-conscious. They are afraid to appear foolish.” Her alternative is the 3 G’s:

• Goal: What do you hope to achieve?

• Gap: What’s the unmet need, the pain point, or what’s missing for your customers?

• Gain: What is the benefit for your audience?

Robin assures us, “If you can’t generate an idea, it’s not you. It’s the framework you’re using.” Start by identifying where your customers struggle, then imagine the possibilities that fill those gaps—and always look for the tangible benefit each new idea brings.

Practical Ways to Spark New Ideas in Your Team

Ready to try it? Here are Robin’s top two exercises to get your creative muscles moving:

• Reverse Brainstorming: Ask, “What could we do wrong that would absolutely get rid of our customers?” List out all the worst-case actions, then reverse-engineer those into positive change.

• Social Listening: Dive into social media, hashtags, or product reviews related to your product or industry. “See what people are saying,” Robin says. “That’s a free way to do research.”

Anyone Can Be an Idea Person

It’s a myth that creativity is only for the select few. As Robin puts it, “Are all people capable of being idea people? I think so. But I do think it takes teams sometimes… there are a lot of people with expertise, and they are all working together.”

If you can nurture curiosity, break from routine, and work with frameworks that welcome all voices, those “aha” moments are much closer than you think.

Want to listen in on this conversation and discover even more ways to close your creativity gap? For more insights, practical tips, and the Science of CX podcast episodes, please go to www.scienceofcx.com.