Transcript Employ entrepreneurial discovery strategies to generate

2.05
Define the term
creativity.
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Creative Is . . .
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 “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
Naiman, L. (2010). What is creativity? Retrieved April 12, 2011, from http://www.creativityatwork.com/articlesContent/whatis.htm
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 “Creativity is the process of bringing something new
into being…creativity requires passion and
commitment. Out of the creative act is born symbols
and myths. It brings to our awareness what was
previously hidden and points to new life. The
experience is one of heightened consciousnessecstasy.”
—Rollo May, The Courage to Create
Naiman, L. (2010). What is creativity? Retrieved April 12, 2011, from http://www.creativityatwork.com/articlesContent/whatis.htm
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 “A product is creative when it is (a) novel and (b)
appropriate. A novel product is original not
predictable. The bigger the concept, and the more the
product stimulates further work and ideas, the more
the product is creative.”
—Sternberg & Lubart, Defying the Crowd
Naiman, L. (2010). What is creativity? Retrieved April 12, 2011, from http://www.creativityatwork.com/articlesContent/whatis.htm
Identify personal traits
commonly associated with
creativity.
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Creativity Traits
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Curiosity
Seeing Problems as Interesting and Acceptable
Confronting Challenge
Constructive Discontent
Optimism
Suspending Judgment
Seeing Hurdles as leading to improvements and solutions
Perseverance
Flexible Imagination
Rowse, D. (2007, May 9). 9 Attitudes of highly creative people. Retrieved April 12, 2011, from
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2007/05/09/9-attitudes-of-highly-creative-people/
Describe ways in which
people can demonstrate
creativity.
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Demonstrating Creativity
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 Believe in yourself. Positive self-encouragement
works.
 Use nonlogical thinking. Not everything has to
make sense right away.
 Free your mind! Don’t think of everything in
practical form.
 View problems as challenges that offer the
opportunity to innovate.
 Entertain all ideas. There is no such thing as a
frivolous idea.
Allen, K.R. & Meyer, E.C. (2006). Entrepreneurship and small business management (p. 51). Woodland Hills, CA: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill.
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 Relax! Relaxation is a key part of the creative
process.
 Have a playful attitude. Don’t worry about looking
foolish.
 Look at failure as a learning experience that will lead
to success.
 Model creative behavior. Anyone can learn to think
creatively.
 Develop listening skills. You can learn a lot by
listening to other people talk about their wants and
needs.
Allen, K.R. & Meyer, E.C. (2006). Entrepreneurship and small business management (p. 51). Woodland Hills, CA: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill.
Describe specific techniques
for developing/enhancing
creativity.
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Developing/Enhancing
Creativity
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 1. Commit Yourself to Developing Your Creativity
 The first step is to fully devote yourself to developing
your creative abilities. Do not put off your efforts. Set
goals, enlist the help of others and put time aside each
day to develop your skills.
 2. Become an Expert
 One of the best ways to develop creativity is to become
an expert in that area. By having a rich understanding
of the topic, you will be better able to think of novel or
innovative solutions to problems.
Cherry, K. (n.d.). How to boost your creativity. Retrieved April 12, 2011, from
http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/tp/how-to-boost-creativity.htm
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 3. Reward Your Curiosity
 One common roadblock to developing creativity is the
sense that curiosity is an indulgence. Rather than
reprimanding yourself, reward yourself when you are
curious about something. Give yourself the opportunity to
explore new topics.
 4. Realize that Creativity is Sometimes Its Own Reward
 While rewarding yourself is important, it is also important
to develop intrinsic motivation. Sometimes, the true reward
of creativity is the process itself, not the product.
Cherry, K. (n.d.). How to boost your creativity. Retrieved April 12, 2011, from
http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/tp/how-to-boost-creativity.htm
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 5. Be Willing to Take Risks
 When it comes to building your creative skills, you need to
be willing to take risks in order to advance your abilities.
While your efforts may not lead to success every time, you
will still be boosting your creative talents and building
skills that will serve you well in the future.
 6. Build Your Confidence
 Insecurity in your abilities can suppress creativity, which is
why it is important to build confidence. Make note of the
progress you have made, commend your efforts and always
be on the lookout for ways to reward your creativity.
Cherry, K. (n.d.). How to boost your creativity. Retrieved April 12, 2011, from
http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/tp/how-to-boost-creativity.htm
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 7. Make Time for Creativity
 You won't be able to develop your creative talents if you
don't make time for them. Schedule some time each week to
concentrate on some type of creative project.
 8. Overcome Negative Attitudes that Block Creativity
 According to a 2006 study published in the Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences, positive moods can
increase your ability to think creatively. According to Dr.
Adam Anderson, senior author of the study, "If you are
doing something that requires you be creative or be in a
think tank, you want to be in a place with good mood."
Focus on eliminating negative thoughts or self-criticisms
that may impair your ability to develop strong creative
skills.
Cherry, K. (n.d.). How to boost your creativity. Retrieved April 12, 2011, from
http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/tp/how-to-boost-creativity.htm
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 9. Fight Your Fear of Failure
 The fear that you might make a mistake or fail in your efforts can
paralyze your progress. Whenever you find yourself harboring such
feelings, remind yourself that mistakes are simply part of the process.
While you may occasionally stumble on your path to creativity, you
will eventually reach your goals.
 10. Brainstorm to Inspire New Ideas
 Brainstorming is a common technique in both academic and
professional settings, but it can also be a powerful tool for developing
your creativity. Start by suspending your judgment and self-criticism,
then start writing down related ideas and possible solutions. The goal
is to generate as many ideas as possible in a relatively short span of
time. Next, focus on clarifying and refining your ideas in order to
arrive at the best possible choice.
Cherry, K. (n.d.). How to boost your creativity. Retrieved April 12, 2011, from
http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/tp/how-to-boost-creativity.htm
…
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 11. Realize That Most Problems Have Multiple
Solutions
 The next time to approach a problem, try looking for a
variety of solutions. Instead of simply going with the first
idea you have, take the time to think of other possible ways
to approach the situation. This simple activity is a great way
to build both your problem-solving and creative thinking
skills.
 12. Keep a Creativity Journal
 Start keeping a journal to follow your creative process and
track the ideas you produce. A journal is a great way to
reflect back on what you have accomplished and look for
other possible solutions. This journal can be used to save
ideas that can later serve as future inspiration.
Cherry, K. (n.d.). How to boost your creativity. Retrieved April 12, 2011, from
http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/tp/how-to-boost-creativity.htm
 13. Create a Mind Map
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 A mind map is a great way
to connect ideas and look
for innovative answers to
questions. Create a mind
map by writing down a
central topic or word. Next,
link related terms or ideas
around the central word.
While similar to
brainstorming, this
technique allows for
branching ideas and offers a
very visual way of seeing
how these ideas are linked.
Cherry, K. (n.d.). How to boost your creativity. Retrieved April 12,
2011, from
http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/tp/howto-boost-creativity.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MindMapGuidlines.svg
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 14. Challenge Yourself
 Once you have developed some basic creative skills, it
is important to continually challenge yourself in order
to further advance your abilities. Look for more
difficult approaches, try out new things and avoid
always using the same solutions you have used in the
past.
Cherry, K. (n.d.). How to boost your creativity. Retrieved April 12, 2011, from
http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/tp/how-to-boost-creativity.htm
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 15. Try the "Six Hats" Technique
 The "six hats" technique involves looking at a problem from six
differing perspectives. By doing this, you can produce more
ideas than you might have had you only looked at the situation
from one or two points of view.
 Red Hat: Look at the situation emotionally. What do your feelings
tell you?
 White Hat: Look at the situation objectively. What are the facts?
 Yellow Hat: Use a positive perspective. Which elements of the
solution will work?
 Black Hat: Use a negative perspective. Which elements of the
solution won’t work?
 Green Hat: Think creatively. What are some alternative ideas?
 Blue Hat: Think broadly. What is the best overall solution?
Cherry, K. (n.d.). How to boost your creativity. Retrieved April 12, 2011, from
http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/tp/how-to-boost-creativity.htm
…
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 16. Look for Sources of Inspiration
 Never expect creativity to just happen. Look for new sources of
inspiration that will give you fresh ideas and motivate you to generate
unique answers to questions. Read a book, visit a museum, listen to
your favorite music or engage in a lively debate with a friend. Utilize
whatever strategy or technique works best for you.
 17. Create Opportunities for Creativity
 In addition to looking for inspiration, you also need to create your
own opportunities for creativity. This might involve tackling a new
project or finding new tools to use in your current projects.
 18. Consider Alternative Scenarios
 When approaching a problem, utilize "what if..." questions to consider
each possible scenario. If you take a specific approach, what will the
outcome be? By looking at these alternatives beforehand, you'll be
better able to develop creative solutions to problems.
Cherry, K. (n.d.). How to boost your creativity. Retrieved April 12, 2011, from
http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/tp/how-to-boost-creativity.htm
 19. Create a Flow Chart
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 When you are developing a new project, start by creating a
flow chart to track the presentation of the project from start
to finish. Look for various paths or sequences of events that
might occur. A flow chart can help you visualize the final
product, eliminate potential problems and create unique
solutions.
 20. Try the Snowball Technique
 Have you ever noticed how one great idea often leads
directly to another? You can take advantage of this by
utilizing a "snowball technique" when you are generating
ideas for your project. If the idea isn't appropriate for your
current work, set it aside to work on later or implement it in
a future project.
Cherry, K. (n.d.). How to boost your creativity. Retrieved April 12, 2011, from
http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/tp/how-to-boost-creativity.htm
Explain how creativity can be
applied beneficially to solve
problems.
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 Look at problems in different ways. Get the group to change
their perspective on the problem. Once people “lock into” one
way of looking at things the idea flow will slow to a tickle.
Have people take a new persona. Ask them to look at the issue
from the perspective of another group – accounting, HR, or
sales for example. Ask them to think about how their
Grandmother or an 8 year old would solve the problem. These
are simple ways to force people into a new perspective and the
new perspectives will generate more ideas.
 Make novel combinations. The ideas that land on the flip chart
or whiteboard in a brainstorming session are typically
considered individually. Have the group look at the initial list
and look for ways to combine the ideas into new ones.
Eikenberry, K. (2008, February 21). Eight ways to generate more ideas in a group. Retrieved April 12, 2011, from
http://www.innovationtools.com/Articles/ArticleDetails.asp?a=300
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 Force relationships. Once a group is finished with their initial
list, provide them with words, pictures or objects. The objects
can be random items, the words can come from a randomly
generated list or from pictures in magazines or newspapers.
When people have their random word, picture or item, have
them create connections between the problem and their item.
Use questions like, “How could this item solve our problem?”
What attributes of this item could help us solve our problem?”
 Make their thoughts visible. Have people draw! Too often the
brainstorming session has everyone sitting except the person
capturing the ideas. Let people doodle and draw and you never
know what ideas may be spurred.
Eikenberry, K. (2008, February 21). Eight ways to generate more ideas in a group. Retrieved April 12, 2011, from
http://www.innovationtools.com/Articles/ArticleDetails.asp?a=300
…
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 Think in opposites. Rather than asking your direct
problem question, ask the opposite. “How could we
ensure no one bought this new product?” could be
one example. Capturing the ideas on “the opposite,”
will illuminate ideas for solving the actual problem.
 Think metaphorically. This approach is similar to
forcing relationships (and is another way to use your
words, pictures or items). Pick a random idea/item
and ask the group, “How is this item like our
problem?” Metaphors can be a very powerful way to
create new ideas where none existed before.
Eikenberry, K. (2008, February 21). Eight ways to generate more ideas in a group. Retrieved April 12, 2011, from
http://www.innovationtools.com/Articles/ArticleDetails.asp?a=300
…
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 Prepare. Too often people are asked to brainstorm a problem
with no previous thinking time. If people have time to think
about a topic, and let their brains work on it for awhile, they
will create more and better ideas. Allow people to be better
prepared mentally by sharing the challenges you will be
brainstorming some time before the meeting whenever
possible.
 Set a Goal. Research shows and my experience definitely
confirms that the simple act of giving people a quantity goal
before starting the brainstorming session will lead to a longer
list of ideas to consider. Set your goal at least a little higher than
you think you can get – and higher than this group typically
achieves. Set the goal and watch the group reach it!
Eikenberry, K. (2008, February 21). Eight ways to generate more ideas in a group. Retrieved April 12, 2011, from
http://www.innovationtools.com/Articles/ArticleDetails.asp?a=300
Apply creativity to
situations.
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Applying Creativity
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 Practice brainstorming.
 When you brainstorm, you think freely to generate
ideas. During brainstorming, ideas are not judged as
good or bad. Even those that seem silly should be
given a fair hearing initially.
Allen, K.R. & Meyer, E.C. (2006). Entrepreneurship and small business management (p. 51). Woodland Hills, CA: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill.
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 Look at ordinary items
in new ways.
 Find a simple item and
figure out how many
new products or uses
you can find for it.
With practice, you’ll
get better at seeing
things in a different
light.
Allen, K.R. & Meyer, E.C. (2006). Entrepreneurship and small business management (p. 51). Woodland Hills, CA: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill.
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 Find creative solutions to common problems.
 When you find yourself perplexed by a problem, think
about how to find a solution. Have you ever used a
flat-head screwdriver to pry something open? That’s
finding a creative solution to a problem.
Allen, K.R. & Meyer, E.C. (2006). Entrepreneurship and small business management (p. 51). Woodland Hills, CA: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill.
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 Connect unrelated items.
 Ask a friend to put together a tray of different items
when Then try to come up with a new product from
the items. This forces you to look at things in new
ways.
Allen, K.R. & Meyer, E.C. (2006). Entrepreneurship and small business management (p. 51). Woodland Hills, CA: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill.
Performance Activities
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1. Search the Internet for two examples of creativity in
business. Record your findings, and discuss them
with the class, identifying the impact of the
examples on business.
2. Use the Internet, your classmates, and other
resources to start thinking about possible
venture/product ideas. Generate a list of five or
more possibilities, and discuss them with your class.
Insert your list into your VIP portfolio.