Aug
07
2013
Creativity is key to organisational and personal development
Guest blog by Phyllissa Shelton.
In this day of continual emergent technology, increasing digitisation and financial austerity, creativity and entrepreneurial skills will become more and more dominant economic values for organisations. And, given the recognition that most organisational growth will come from product innovation and extension, rather than completely new products to market, this means that innovation and creativity are today recognised universally as vital production values that need to be nurtured. These skills and behaviours need to be empowered at the individual and the organisational level.
How we nurture creativity amongst those people whom have grown up in an information and technology resource rich environment, as well as those who have come to technology later in life, is a challenge. How can we introduce play into our increasingly knowledge based working cultures? And, how can we facilitate that important balance between synthetic (ability to generate novel ideas), analytical (critical thinking) and practical abilities (translation of theory into practical application), as cited by Sternberg and Lubart, within ourselves and our teams?
In their Investment Theory of Creativity, Sternberg and Lubart highlight 25 strategies to develop creativity; an extraction of these is summarised below:
- Model creativity - lead by example
- Build self efficacy - what constrains most people in what they CAN do is what they think they CAN'T do
- Question assumptions
- Define and redefine problems - know the difference between cause and effect
- Encourage idea generation
- Cross fertilize ideas
- Allow time for creative thinking
- Reward creative ideas and products
- Encourage risks
- Tolerate ambiguity
- Allow mistakes
- Identify and surmount obstacles
- Teach self responsibility and promote self regulation
- Delay gratification
- Encourage creative collaboration
- Imagine other viewpoints
- Recognise the environmental fit
- Find excitement
- Seek stimulating environments
- Grow creativity including proselytizing for creativity
Creative expression is not just key for business, it nourishes our soul and allows us to play as adults and reveal parts of us that stay under wraps much of the time.
"Creativity is a great motivator because it makes people interested in what they are doing. Creativity gives hope that there can be a worthwhile idea. Creativity gives the possibility of some sort of achievement to everyone. Creativity makes life more fun and more interesting." Edward de Bono
At our PopUp Painting events, many people tell me that they have not picked up a paint brush since they were at school, or sometimes EVER! Some describe the experience as liberating, stimulating, deeply personal, and thrilling. Others find it soothing and relaxing and/or a way to escape from their usual routine and pressures.
In team work, painting events provide a great opportunity for voicing issues, depicting problems and for sharing common purpose. Paint is also a wonderful vehicle for innovation development and for resolving conflict through imagery and community canvas development.
Whatever your medium, using art as a method of unleashing creativity is a novel and fun experience!
Phyllissa Shelton is the founder and Managing Director of PopUp Painting & Events which she founded in 2013 following a successful career as a healthcare executive. Her background has been focussed on driving change at individual behaviour and organisational level and she has a reputation for leading innovation. Phyllissa's interest in unleashing creativity stems from her work in innovation, recognising the importance of the right culture and strategic context to make transformation possible.
