Seven Ways to Foster Your Creativity and Spark Innovation

Seven Ways to Foster Your
Creativity and Spark Innovation

Presented by Linda Naiman
Founder, Creativity at Work.com
March 17, 2012

© Linda Naiman CreativityatWork.com

Creativity Defined

Creativity is the act of turning new
and imaginative ideas into reality.
Creativity involves two processes:
thinking, then producing.

Innovation is the production or
implementation of an idea. If you
have ideas, but don’t act on them, you
are imaginative but not creative.” —
Linda Naiman


Three Components of Creativity

Expertise Creative-thinking
Knowledge: Skills
Technical, Degree of ﬂexibility,
Creativity
procedural & imagination
intellectual
Motivation

Intrinsic; Extrinsic;
most inﬂuenced by tangible rewards
work environments
Source: T.M. Amabile,
Harvard Business Review Oct. 98

Innovation Defined
Business Org.
Systems
Model Structures
Services/
Products Processes
Brand exp
“The design, invention, development, and/or
implementation of new or altered products, services,
processes, systems, organizational structures, or
business models for the purpose of creating new
value for customers and financial returns for the
firm.” (U.S. Commerce Dept.)


Creativity & Innovation require whole-brain
thinking

Knowledge Imagination
Expertise

Passion
Empathy
Action
Timing

Whole-brain
Innovation

Not just function, but also …DESIGN.
Not just argument, but also …STORY.
Not just focus, but also … SYMPHONY(synthesis)
Not just logic, but also … EMPATHY.
Not just seriousness, but also … PLAY.

Dan Pink, A Whole New Mind

Linda Naiman, Creativity at Work

Design-Thinking Model for Innovation
1. Define the challenge/opportunity
affirmative and strategic topic(s) 10. Iterate

2. Gather data 9. Implement
Audit / Benchmark
Trends, observe, 8. Assess
understand customer
outcomes/refine
Get feedback from users
3. Re-frame/
clarify challenge 7. Prototype/test idea
Question assumptions Manage risk

4. Incubate. Access aesthetic 6. Critique/Evaluate/Refine Ideas
ways of knowing. Feed your brain. using criteria ie Desirability, Timing, Feasibility
Arts, science, culture. Sleep on it. 5. Ideate/ and Viability.
illuminate
Assemble co-creative group all departments
involved in challenge. Use diverse stimuli for
brainstorming. Be visual.

Seven Ways to Foster Your
Creativity and Spark Innovation


1. Ask Compelling Questions

The seeds of change are
planted in the very first
questions we ask.
—David Cooperrider


2. Respond to ideas with Yes,
and..
Once you have generated
ideas -say 10-100, THEN you
evaluate with Yes BUT...

Use this technique when you
want to generate ideas in the
brainstorming phase of the
innovation process to build on
the ideas of others.

Follow these guidelines for
effective brainstorming:
Eight reasons why
brainstorming doesn’t work,
and what you can do about it.


Listen for Brilliance in others

“Force people to
LISTEN to each
other.” Miles Davis


3. Challenge Assumptions

It’ll never work...
People would
never...
It’s not in the
budget…


4. Change Your Perspective

Spielberg stood upside down on a hill
overlooking LA and came up with the
“look” for his movie.


5. Feed your Brain

If you stuff yourself full of
poems, essays, plays, stories,
novels, films, comic strips,
magazines, music, you
automatically explode every
morning like old faithful. I have
never had a dry spell in my life,
mainly because I feed myself
well, to the point of bursting.
—Ray Bradbury


6. Ask SCAMPER questions to
design and innovate
• What can you Substitute?
• What can you Combine?
• What can you Adapt?
• What can you Magnify/Modify?
• What can you Put to other uses?
• What can you Eliminate?
• What can you Reverse/
Rearrange? (Source: Bob Eberle)
Request a Scamper instructional info sheet via
www.CreativityatWork.com


SCAMPER Examples


SCAMPER


7. Prototype

Make your ideas visible.
“Effective prototyping may
be the most valuable core
competence an innovative
organization can hope to
have.”
Think about It. Innovation =
Reaction to the Prototype
An early Ipod prototype —Michael Schrage, MIT


What sparked
your creativity?

What action will
you take to foster
innovation?


Creativity at Work.com Please share.
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Follow me
developing creativity and innovation @lindanaiman
capabilities in your organization,
please contact: Join Creativity at Work
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Linda Naiman
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Thank you!


Seven Ways to Foster Your Creativity and Spark Innovation

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