Creative People, Innovative People

The title implies that some people are and others not.

This is a myth.

First, creativity can be described as problem identification and the generation of a quantity of ideas, a number of novel ideas and a number of diverse ideas. Innovation can be described as idea selection, development and commercialisation. Therefore creative people and innovative people are separate and distinct. Apple was founded by two people, the guy who came up with the ideas (few people seem to remember or even note his name) and the guy who marketed them (Steve Jobs). Of course there is cross over ? look at it like a Venn diagram.

Second, whilst there are assertions for creativity traits such as a tolerance for ambiguity and an intolerance for conformity, such traits are hard to identify and are not stable or transferable across situations. Further, motivation is more critical than traits ? this is like possessing high intelligence ? one must be motivated to improve and use it.

Third, it has been shown that most people can come up with a quantity of ideas and a quantity of novel and diverse ideas. The exact numbers depends on a variety of factors such as:

a) The degree of frame breaking allowed

b) The degree of experience with the problem

c) Motivation

Fourth, people can learn to quickly increase the number of ideas they produce. This can be accomplished through

a) Training

b) Practice

c) Engagement in a increased number of diverse and novel behaviours and topics.

d) Expression encouragement

e) Prolific production

So why is it some people just seem to be more creative?

In their comfort zone, people who seem more creative tend to:

a) Have a depth of knowledge

b) Do not get so absorbed in their topic to cause blinkered vision

c) Have access to multiple knowledge resources and bring that knowledge into the problem solving exercise.

d) Are in a position to express their ideas.

e) Are in a position to express themselves more freely and this manifests itself in aspects such as behaviour and outward appearance (clothing etc). Higher status individuals have a higher propensity for expression.

In conclusion, creative and innovative types are separate and distinct. Creativity is a cognitive ability, which all are a capable of. Cognitive activity is more likely to be expressed when the individual is of high status or in a fostering environment. Innovative people are more aware of the process of idea selection, development and commercialisation. But of course this can be learned and developed.

These and other topics are covered in depth in the MBA dissertation on Managing Creativity & Innovation, which can be purchased (along with a Creativity and Innovation DIY Audit, Good Idea Generator Software and Power Point Presentation) from http://www.managing-creativity.com

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author's name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com.

---

Employee Performance - If You Want the Best, Get Personal!

This is a story about a man and three dogs.I... Read More

Why Would Anyone Do That in My Meeting?

Imagine that you open a meeting by saying, "We need... Read More

How To Hire Superstars

Can a person's behavior and values really determine if they... Read More

Use QA As Your First Step To Outsourcing

Quality Assurance, or QA, is often given short shrift in... Read More

Rapport - How to Build it with Your Team

I've often heard managers say - "My door is always... Read More

CEOs Are Great, Top CEOs Are Greater

People in leading positions are often in a dilemma: on... Read More

Eight Skills of Highly Successful Consultants

With deference to Dr. Covey and his very popular Seven... Read More

Turning a Negative Employee Into a Positive Asset

Several years ago, I took over the supervision of a... Read More

DIVERSITY is a BIG word -- With A HUGE Business IMPACT

Second thought! Just in case. YOU or someone you personally... Read More

Todays Employees and Their New Needs: What You Need to Know

Today's employees are not only interested in security or in... Read More

Terrible Meetings - Ten Ways to Spot Them!

Sometimes, better than giving advice about how to run things... Read More

Few Things Are More Destructive Than An Insecure Boss

Few things are more destructive to a career than a... Read More

Employee Orientation: The 90 Day Difference

Why do some new managers succeed while others fail? It... Read More

The High, High Price of Distrust

A paper manufacturer with over 300 employees once announced that... Read More

Provisioning/User Management System Upgrades: Part I -- Ten Reasons Why Not To Do An Upgrade

Tommy Sherman daily monitors a helpdesk-provisioning queue for a large... Read More

How to Get the Best from Outsourcing

There's a great little article ('Business Lifeforms') on... Read More

Hiring Productive Employees: A Checklist for Assessing Their Appeal

The characteristics of job applicants have a strong influence on... Read More

What To Do When Your IT Project Is Late, Over Budget, and Looks Like It?s Never Going To Work

Here's a scary statistic. According to four prominent research firms,... Read More

Success: A Wholistic Perspective

The world has always been mixed with the... Read More

Why I always Keep my Promises

Integrity is very important to me, and I try hard... Read More

Technology & Communication

A study a couple of years ago found that 63%... Read More

Innovation Management ? Eliciting Dominant Ideas

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

The Seven Cs: Partnership Danger Signs - Communication Breakdown

An ongoing series of articles exploring the seven critical areas... Read More

Knowing versus Doing - Execution In The Workplace

Have you ever worked with someone who always seemed to... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Adapting Human Resource Functions

This article relates to the human resource functions competency, commonly... Read More

Focus and Shoot

One of my earliest childhood memories is watching Lew Alcindor... Read More

How To Prevent Your New Manager From Becoming A Statistic

According to a study by the Manchester Group, 4 out... Read More

Forecasting Support Costs

Did you know that maintenance accounts for 50% to 80%... Read More

Business Innovation ? Organizational Structure

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

The Power of Positive Communication

Communication is the key to your success at work, at... Read More

Keep The Faith - Transform The Fear

FEAR! To what extent does fear rule your life? How... Read More

Why Training Fails

Sometimes when I conduct my workshop on Effective Meetings, one... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Finding The Perfect Balance

This article relates to the Work/Life Balance competency, which investigates... Read More