Creativity

Creativity

The definition of creativity is the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations with originality, progressiveness or imagination. Creativity can help us to survive by being adaptable and is a strategic asset. Creativity can arise from internal characteristics of non conformity and external associations or interests. Adaption often involves finding a niche within environmental constraints and innovation of an existing idea, product or process. Person, press, process and product describe the elements of the creative endeavor. Routine thinking involves using mostly logic to solve issues within existing paradigms while creative thinking involves searching for new ways to see and address problems. Styles can range from environmental scanning, adapting existing methods to reframing and creating new ones. 

Blockers

Cultural blockers can be taboos, behavioral norms, favoring logic over creativity, perceptual filters based on belief systems and experiential or dogmatic issues. Emotional blockers sometimes have to do with fear of failure, ridicule or ambiguity, biases and rushing to judgment. The ideal environment is safe, not too autocratic without sanctions and free from distractions with social support structures. Make the environment and social interaction conducive to creativity. Previously successful methodology may not be appropriate in this instance. A mix of left and right brain thinking may be required along with sufficient rigor and openness to new ideas. Preferred cognitive style is better if balanced. We need to constantly challenge our perceptions by being aware of their limitations and experiment with looking at problems from other perspectives. Failure to correctly identify the underlying problem or the necessary information required to solve it by using unsubstantiated assumptions, viewing the problem too personally, narrowly or broadly or missing inputs. 

Creative Problem Solving

When we observe others doing things that we would like to do but are currently unable to do the reason is that they know things that we don’t know or perceive the situation differently. This causes them to look at the problem in a different way. If we knew what they know then we could do it too. Creative problem solving entails defining the underlying problem and moving from the current situation to the desired one by applying the necessary skills and generating ideas.

Perspectives come in various forms on complexity that can be cognitively thought of as rungs on a ladder. Depending on what you are trying to do there is a right position to be on the ladder. Down in the detail or up in the clouds. In the detail solutions are limited to the activities within the paradigm. At higher levels a broader set of paradigms and alternatives can be considered.

Knowledge builds on knowledge in the way that the foundations of a building support its upper levels. There are levels of thinking that we can be unaware of depending on our stage of development. As Donald Rumsfeld famously said “Reports that say that something hasn’t happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known known’s; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don’t know we don’t know.” 

Types of Problems

Solving structured problems can be like solving puzzles. Semi structured problems can have complex or ambiguous elements. Some problems are novel, complex and ambiguous. The technique used can depend on the nature of the problem. 

Techniques

There are various creative problem solving techniques and it is important to know when and how to use each of them. Problems can be converted into opportunities with a change of perspective. This can be a form of entrepreneurial thinking. It sometimes can be a requirement to find potential problems with an intended course of action. Teams can be effective at solving problems and team building is important in this regard.

One problem solving technique is simply trial and error. Another is to experiment by changing make one change at a time and observing the results. A third is to break the overall problem into sub problems and deal with each sub problem in turn. Start with the end in mind. Apply experience, skills and knowledge by facilitating and harnessing the power of teams face to face or across the internet. Some groups will have their limitations on these areas.

Mind maps can be used to graphically illustrate aspects of the problem. Begin by writing down the issue and drawing a circle around it. Next identify feeds into, causes or aspects of the issue and circle them. Identify the linkages between the issue and sub issues. Different colors can be used for clarity on overlapping issues. This technique is aligned with how our mind works as we often think in pictures and link things together a bit like hyperlinks on the internet.

Brainstorming is suitable for groups. It is initially very broad and nothing is ruled out as groupthink needs to be avoided. A variation called brain writing may further help to reduce this tendency. A further is for each participant to come up with their own ideas in advance and the group reviews collectively and selects the best ideas. Clustering, gates with associated ground rules and weightings. Use of gut feel can help to incorporate some unconscious or unarticulated inputs.

Lateral thinking as defined by Edward de Bono has to do with stretching the paradigm. There are many ways to skin a cat. Reversals can involve thinking about trying to do the opposite of the required outcome in order to yield insights into it. If parking space is the problem we could think about how to eliminate existing space to gain insights. Can we go some way to achieving the impossible? Random stimuli can promote creativity so we need to be open to new experiences. Use of analogies and metaphors can bring seemingly unrelated wisdom to bear on problems.

We all have a learned set way of viewing the world. Part of the creative process is changing this view. Brainstorming is likely to encourage the participants to produce paradigm preserving output, object stimulation is likely to produce paradigm stretching output, and rich pictures tends to produce paradigm breaking output. We can divide the techniques into problem analysis and redefinition, idea generation, idea evaluation and selection, and implementation. We can describe a number of thinking operations involved in problem solving and learning wishing, retrieving, imaging, comparing, transforming and storing. The process can be supported by electronic meeting and decision support systems provided they are user friendly and integrated with our norms. 

Planning

Create models to aid understanding, search for examples of similar problems and solutions, work back from the desired end state or simplify by breaking the problem down into its component parts. Use analogies or stimuli to look at the problem from a different perspective. Mind maps can help to define the problem. There may be multiple possible solutions to be evaluated and optimized. SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound) methodology can be used to keep the problem resolution on track. Divergent followed by convergent thinking initially broadens the idea, search, pays with them and then narrows to the most promising practical ideas.

Teams

Cohesiveness, shared goals, roles need to be considered to ensure the effectiveness of teams. At best groups should be sized optimally and bring more skills, experience and diversity to bear on the problem being reviewed. At worst they can be taken over by the more vocal or dominant members and lead to groupthink where some inputs are not sought or heard. Studies have shown that individuals working separately generate more and more creative ideas. The ideal situation therefore is to combine individual creativity and group effectiveness.  Group work should be structured so that the group is inclusive, ideas are captured, consolidated, reviewed and evaluated only the end of this process. A good mix of team roles and personality types tailored to the task at hand as defined by Belbin and others will help to ensure good group dynamics and effectiveness. Roles such as idea generator, resource investigator, monitor evaluator, coordinator, completer finisher, team worker and specialist should be present.

Inputs need to be right such as group composition in terms of skills, diversity and structure with role and goal clarity; behavioral norms, tasks definition and leadership; resources such as training, technical, consultancy and experience. Processes should be able to cope with task complexity, environmental risk and interdependence. Open communication, supportiveness, conflict resolution, strategic options, weighting of individual input and boundary management should be in evidence. Outputs that result from having these things in place lead to satisfactory group effectiveness and performance. Laddering techniques can be used so that the group grows in size as the decision making process progresses. Group decisional, communication, interpersonal and technological characteristics can have strong impacts on outcomes.  Teams also need to maintain focus by minimizing external distractions and defining the process and output criteria.       

Meeting process, team structure, team dynamics and trust with an acceptable, impartial, mediating and strong communicating styles facilitator to help to keep the process on track.  Facilitators can do a lot of the preparation work in advance of group meetings. Pre session and post session planning can ensure that there are clear objectives agreed with the sponsor, momentum and smooth operation. Timetables, attendees and terms of reference can be set out in advance. Problem behaviors can be identified during and post session and be addressed accordingly.                 

Smaller groups promote more in depth analysis while larger groups cover broader areas. For a group to be effective it must be supported by organizational structures and members must commit to the process, be motivated, rewarded, have the necessary skills and use the appropriate tools. 

Implementing

Without proper execution great ideas will come to nothing. Anticipate resistance review concerns an incorporate them if valid or develop a plan to circumvent them. Trials can be used to validate assumptions and iron out bugs.