In this post, we investigate three different personal approaches to creativity, and discover a somewhat surprising common thread.
Tag Archive for 'brainstorming'
October 14, 2010
Confident Creativity
August 14, 2009
Innovation Barriers | Chapter 2: Unpopular Psychology
This is the second of a series of posts discussing innovation barriers. This series does not intend to encompass all that can be said on the subject. That would take a series of books. It does intend to describe, however, several types of barriers we face when we try to innovate, and some of the innovation methodologies that have been developed to address them.
What is more challenging: coming up with an innovative idea, or sharing it with a group of people that may love it or hate it? Most of us will agree that this is a simple question. We might, however, disagree on the answer… In the previous post in this series I called the group of barriers relating to the act of coming up with innovative idea “Cognitive Barriers.” The complementary group of barriers – those that have to do with sharing innovative ideas with others – were labeled “Psychological Barriers.”
Although people differ in their “susceptibility” to these different barriers, most us will agree that objectively (whatever that means..) the cognitive barriers to innovation are harder to overcome. The importance of the psychological barriers is due, to a great extent, to the fact that some of the best ideas come up during group discussions. The worn-out saying goes: “none of us is as smart as all of us.” While I have several issues with this approach (as, I suspect, you may as well) – there is some truth to it, especially when it comes to ideation sessions.
Continue reading ‘Innovation Barriers | Chapter 2: Unpopular Psychology’
March 25, 2009
How to better manage your brainstorming sessions?
Brainstorming, in my view, is first and foremost a copywriting concept.
Today, whenever someone wants to summon a group of people to think together, he/she invites them to a brainstorming session.
And indeed brainstorming is a great name. It seems to have the effect of charging energy and stimulating enthusiasm in most individuals.
But does it really work? Do the nice ideas of cross-fertilization among team members and suspense of judgment really deliver?
In all the brainstorming sessions that I’ve participated in, I noticed that although the brainstorming techniques were explained, most people reacted to other people’s ideas judgmentally, without displaying even a sign of being “cross-fertilized”.
Continue reading ‘How to better manage your brainstorming sessions?’
February 16, 2009
Sixteen things I used to believe in
Artists are creative. Engineers, accountants and other squares aren’t.- I can tell if the person in front of me is creative within seconds.
- There is no method to actually generate novel ideas. There cannot be such a method.
- Doing something truly creative means doing something that is unlike anything we know.
- If you just let go, and then allow your thoughts to incubate, valuable ideas will duly emerge.
- Continue reading ‘Sixteen things I used to believe in’
December 19, 2008
A better alternative to brainstorming
“None of us is as smart as all of us” is the Japanese proverb that opened a recent NY Times article citing the SIT method. The article talks about some of the downsides of the traditional brainstorming technique, within the wider recognition of the positive aspects of the meeting of minds, collective creativity, and the fact that innovation is a team sport.
September 16, 2008
I think, therefore I am fixated
“Cogito ergo sum” or “I think, therefore I am” is a famous philosophical quote from René Descartes. 
I have my own version of this statement:
“I think, therefore I am fixated”.
What I mean is that it’s almost impossible for the human brain to produce a really fresh and unique thought. Every thought, opinion or idea is somehow connected to previous concepts stored in the brain.
There are many definitions for fixedness, but I like this one: “The inability to see the solution to a problem although it stares us in the face.”
When we decide or when we are asked to think uniquely or creatively, the fixation intensifies. (So if you want to kill someone’s creativity, just ask him/her to think creatively. I can guarantee you that it works every time!)
So how can we fight fixedness?
June 13, 2008
Can you learn how to be creative or is it just a myth?
When it comes to research around “Creativity”, 3 standard approaches prevail: The first approach is the Person approach. This approach suggests that innovation is a characteristic inherent in naturally creative people. Either you’re born with it or you’re not. Some of us have it, and some of us don’t. Managers who subscribe to this view tend to recruit innovative people into the company and assume that these creative people will be the standard bearers of creativity within the organization.
© iStockphoto.com/kate_sept2004
The second approach is the Process approach. This approach suggests that there are particular processes that promote creativity. Take Brainstorming for example. This method says that if you create a process which gathers people from different disciplines, and you have someone to facilitate the discussion, and suspend judgment when coming up with ideas, and put emphasis on the quantity not quality of ideas, and build on the ideas of others, then you’ll get to some good ideas upon which you can build your work plan. Similar to Brainstorming, there are a variety of other methods which you can adopt in order to reach creative ideas. Continue reading ‘Can you learn how to be creative or is it just a myth?’
