A presentation to the Creativity and Innovation Special Interest Group of the Qualitative Research Consultants' Association

1. Creative?
C+I SIG Meeting
July 13, 2009

2. I am excited to hear about ways I am
similar to or different from my
colleagues who joined this SIG.

3. In what ways might I change my business
practices to incorporate more of the fun
of creativity into my everyday work?

4. I want to have a qualitative practice that is also
well known for its ability to facilitate creative
problem solving sessions.

5. Very few of
us have
already
reached the
point where
we could be
considered
creativity
consultants.

6. Yet, we think of ourselves as quite
creative beings.

7. On a scale from 1 to 10, we rate
ourselves 7.5
1 = Not 10 = Very
Creative at All Creative
US!

8. In non-business settings, we jump into many
creative endeavors such as…

9. Those who offer something offer…

10. Even among those who do offer
creative services, these services only
account for an average of about 12%
of our annual billings.
Annual Billings
12%
Creativity Stuff
Everything Else
88%

11. It is hard to define
creativity and
therefore it is also
hard to find
specific training
to help us
towards our goal.

12. Most of us think of creativity as an
essential part of what we do in
qualitative research.
I N H E R E N T
C N
R S N S
E P O T
Q U A L I T A T I V E R
T R A E
I K T T
V R E S E A R C H
I H
T E A C H
Y

13. There appear to be natural links between
what we consider creative and what we
do as QRCs.

14. Projective techniques, brainstorming sessions,
and creative de-briefing techniques are all part
of qualitative research.

15. When asked about specific degrees or
certifications, most could not answer the
question.

16. Creativity and
Innovation are
intriguing because
they are fun and
help us blend our
work selves with
our play selves to
keep us young!

17. Many of us work alone or work in very
small firms.

18. 49% of those responding work alone.

19. On average, we work in firms
with 2.3 people.

20. Creativity work thrives in an
environment that encourages
interplay and response from others –
harder to do by oneself.

21. If we look at the three stages of a
qual project, many suggest ways
to employ creativity.