Released by: Manager@Work, The Edge
Date: 23 June 2008
Have you ever had the notion that only a select number of people are creative? If so, have you wondered how they are able to tap into a seemingly unlimited pool of creative power? And most importantly, can anyone or everyone develop the ability to unleash one's power of creativity and innovation so that others may benefit, too?
If you struggle with the doubt above, note that you are not alone. Many people find it hard to be creative or to have a creative mind. So, is creativity an in-born trait or can it be cultivated? According to Dr Edward De Bono, the leading authority in the field of creative thinking in his book, Lateral Thinking: A Textbook of Creativity quoted "creative thinking is a skill, and like a skill, it
can be developed and improved if one knows how."
In the context of an organisation, the term innovation is often used to refer to the entire process by which an organisation generates creative new ideas and converts them into novel, useful and viable commercial products, services, and business practices, while the term creativity is reserved to apply specifically to the generation of novel ideas by individuals or groups, as a
necessary step within the innovation process.
Amabile et al., 1996 suggest that innovation "begins with creative ideas." He asserts further that "...creativity by individuals and teams is a starting point for innovation; the first is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the second." Alternatively, there is no real difference between these terms, as creativity is both novel and appropriate (which implies successful
application). It seems that creativity is preferred in art contexts whereas innovation in business ones.
Below are some suggestions on how to enhance your creative thinking, innovative powers and keep your brain juices flowing:
Management Insight #1: Think the Unthinkable.
Spend some time thinking and developing your own thinking or thoughts. Imagine. Daydream. Think of the unthinkable. Imagine a world in which your creative talent can be unleashed. George Bernard Shaw, an Irish dramatist and socialist once said, "Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will become what you imagine and at last you create what you will". Albert
Einstein also said that "Imagination is better than knowledge". This way you can awaken the slumbering giant in your brain and discover your secret genius power! It is time to get yourself some golden geese (brilliant ideas) that will lay golden eggs (inventions, commissions, profits, love, respect, fame and fun) for you.
Management Insight #2: Lateral Thinking & Connecting the Dots.
Be aware of how our thoughts interrelate with our senses and how we can use our senses to trigger thoughts. For example, if you are preparing a family dinner and are running out of some ingredients for your cooking, you will have to find a substitute that will be able to replace the ingredient if there are no other alternatives available. This is what we call `lateral thinking and connecting the
dots!' The same goes with creativity and innovation. It's been said that all creativity is the act of putting old things or old ideas together in a new way. For ideas within a specific field, look at the old ideas within that field or related fields. Ask how you can put them together in a different way, a new format or perhaps the opposite way. If you are just looking generally for ideas, then you
can reach out and let anything be the thing that starts off your creative idea storming process. Just look to combine the old in new ways...
Management Insight #3: Step Outside Yourself.
Practice looking at things from a different and broad perspective that will sometimes lead you to solutions that you have never think of before. Instead of seeing things within a framework or paradigm, challenge yourself to expand your horizon and think outside the box. Step outside yourself and discover new things. Who knows, you might stumble upon a creativity cap and get things going. Leonardo
da Vinci for instance, had an insatiable desire for new discoveries and knowledge. He wanted to know everything and he kept detailed records of what he observed. He even called himself a "Disciple of Experience" meaning that he learnt from life by experiencing, experimenting and observing. Learn to keep a notebook to capture your ideas, thoughts and observations.
Management Insight #4: Do the Impossible to Know What is Possible.
Be committed that there is not necessarily only one solution to the problem you encounter. Being creative produces change. Most people resist change or at least resist being `changed'. Being creative often requires that we take a chance. Being creative requires that we venture into unknown territory and chance failure. Until you do the impossible, you wouldn't know what is possible. Curiosity is
the driving force of learning and development. Just as hunger drives us to eat and fill the stomach, curiosity drives us to learn and expand the mind. Knowledge is a tool of modern days' survival. We are born and built to be inquisitive because in life you have to discover, learn quickly or die!
Management Insight #5: Get in Touch with the Child Inside You.
Think of the possibilities, probabilities and alternatives in every situation and analyse how or why we react to such a situation. Get in touch with the child inside you. Look at issues in life and ask: "How would I look at and react to this situation if I was a child?" Many great discoveries came about through childlike imagination. Albert Einstein discovered E=MC2 with imagination of a child and
rationalisation of an adult. So be childlike and intuitive to discover something new!
Management Insight #6: Not Discovering New Land but Seeing with New Lenses.
Make unusual comparisons by exposing yourself to visual and performing arts. Develop an eye for aesthetics and kinesthetic. You must develop respect for proper proportion, movement, form, symmetry, balance, and good line to understand good emotional `art'. It is only by frequent exposure to the best the world has to offer that this can be assured. Go try your hand at painting or dancing; you could
be a latent Michelangelo or Fred Astaire! Learning to really look at something is... a magical experience. Sometimes it is not discovering new land but seeing the same things with new eyes or lenses. When you observe something closely, and follow it moment by moment, you disengage from the stream of consciousness. A great stillness and profundity comes over you. The chattering mind drops away. By
focusing on something, it is as though you are being brought into focus.
Management Insight #7: Dare to Be Different.
Do things differently. Dare to be different. Drive to work and home on different routes and stretch your comfort zones. You will be able to see things that you have taken for granted and discover new things about your environment and yourself. Each dawn is never the same! As Walter Russell asserts, "Mediocrity is self-inflicted, but Genius is self-bestowed." It is time to change your thinking by
giving yourself AMMO - `A Me Make Over' by changing your self-image and learning the techniques to develop creative thinking. It will loop the time and you will become more creative and insightful as it is how you think of yourself.
Creativity and innovation are topics of wide scope that is important at both the individual and societal levels for a wide range of task domains. At an individual level, creativity is relevant, for example, when one is solving problems on the job and in daily life. At a societal level, creativity and innovation can lead to new scientific discoveries, new social programmes, new inventions, new
business models and new thinking. The economic importance of creativity and innovation is clear because it creates new enterprises, demand for products or services which in turn create wealth and jobs. Furthermore, individuals, organisations and societies must adapt existing resources to changing demands to remain competitive, relevant and resilient for long term sustainability.
In today's dynamic `global business village', managers cannot afford to ignore creativity and innovation. Advances in information technology demand a steady flow of creative ideas and innovation, without which organisations will become obsolete and attrite. A smart manager, being aware of this, should encourage ideas from subordinates, allowing brainstorming sessions, providing incentives and
rewards to employees for initiating and participating in the creative and innovation process. In this way, people are encouraged to share more and cultivate a healthy generative thinking culture in the organisation.
Dr Wilson Tay, MMIM, MIM-CPT is CEO of the Malaysian Institute of Management, the national management organisation of Malaysia. MIM invites companies and professional managers to be members. Contact MIM Membership Support and Outreach at (603) 2164 5255; fax (603) 2165 4681; e-mail: enquiries@mim.org.my or visit www.mim.org.my.
