Management of creativity; Stimulating individual creativity ... Lateral thinking , Checklists, Morphological analysis;; Stimulating group creativity ... Brainstorming, Slipwriting;; Edward De Bono's Six Thinking Hats...

1. Creativity Stimulation &
Management
By
Dr. Vijay Kr Khurana

2. Management of Creativity
Many factors block / hinder / stifle creativity; thus its
management is important.
Creativity is a resource which has to be managed at firm’s
level for obtaining continuous improvement and
innovation by:….
a) Providing right organizational support
b) Supporting inventive individuals by respecting
individual initiatives viz. through rewards, recognitions
etc.
c) Setting an inventive environment
d) Using Techniques for Stimulating Creativity

3. Management of Creativity
c). Setting an inventive environment …..
• Encourage calculated risk by allowing room for failures
and tolerance for honest mistakes
• Encourage people to talk to each other and promote the
cross-pollination of ideas.
• Minimize competitive turf issues and inter-functional
squabbles.
• Recognize that creative people tend to be different from
most other people and tolerate their idiosyncrasies.
• Supporting participatory decision-making and
employees’ contribution

4. Management of Creativity
Contd ….c). Setting an inventive environment…..
• Provide fast evaluation and feedback of ideas when they
are submitted.
• Be willing to consider partially thought out ideas and
give people time to develop them further.
• Maintain an openness to creative ideas from outsiders,
recognizing that not everything has to be invented
internally-ensure contacts with external sources of
information
• Willingness to experiment with new ideas
• Keep channels of communication open
• Allowing independence, encourage initiatives

5. How to Stimulate Creativity
According to Higgins (1999) factors for encouraging the
creative work climate are:
• A secure environment with minimal administrative
interference.
• An organisational culture that makes it attractive and
easy for people to discover and solve problems.
• Rewards for employee performance and enhancement of
intrinsic motivation.
• Managerial willingness to take risks for creativity and
innovation, as well as an open and flexible attitude on the
part of management.
• Providing people with formal and informal training to
enhance creativity.

6. How to Stimulate Creativity
• Important conditions for implementation of creative
techniques within work groups in a company are also the
existence of well-trained human resources, a clear
strategic definition of the company and to focus on the
core competencies of the company (European
Commission 1998).
• Solving complex problems, may require inputs from
many areas, i.e. marketing, engineering, design, etc. for
which the company should preferably employ
multidisciplinary teams.

7. How to Stimulate Creativity
d). Following Techniques for Stimulating Creativity
• Analytical techniques vs intuitive techniques
• Techniques for stimulating individual creativity vs.
group creativity
• Techniques for Creative techniques that rely upon
divergent thinking and techniques that rely upon
convergent thinking.
• Aleatory techniques exploiting randomness are also
common

8. How to Stimulate Creativity
Fundamental concepts for all creative techniques are:
• The suspension of premature judgement and the lack of
filtering of ideas.
• Use the intermediate impossible.
• Create analogies and metaphors, through symbols, etc., by
finding similarities between the situation, which we wish to
understand and another situation, which we have already
understood.
• Relate things or ideas which were previously unrelated
• Build imaginative and ideal situations (invent the ideal
vision).
• Find ways to make the ideal vision happen.
• Generate multiple solutions to a problem.

9. How to Stimulate Individual
Creativity
Techniques for stimulating individual creativity
• Encouraging Lateral Thinking
• Using Check Lists
• Morphological Analysis

10. Stimulating Individual Creativity
LATERAL THINKING
• In traditional type of thinking i.e. Linear Thinking, there
is forward movement by taking a number of sequential
steps, each of which must be justified. Only relevant /
right / justified step is selected at each stage in order to
achieve a correct / planned solution. These steps are
taken in planned direction. These steps influence the
outcome of thinking process. This forward movement
can be both in vertical directions (downward along
supply chain or upward along distribution chain) and
horizontal directions (increasing product range / product
line). These are called vertical linear thinking and
horizontal linear thinking respectively.
•

11. Stimulating Individual Creativity
LATERAL THINKING
• The term Lateral Thinking was coined by Edward de
Bono. Lateral thinking is concerned with generation of
new ideas and "breaking out of the prisons of old ideas."
• In Lateral Thinking, one may deliberately seek out
irrelevant information and one may use that information
not for its own sake but for its effect. One may have to be
knowingly wrong at some stage in order to achieve an
innovative and correct solution.

12. Stimulating Individual Creativity
LATERAL THINKING
• Lateral thinking is based on the idea that mind is a
pattern making and self organizing system. Mind
captures the inputs according to existing pattern of
perceptions and mind is generally not willing to go
beyond set pattern of perceptions thus blocking
creativity.

13. Stimulating Individual Creativity
LATERAL THINKING
• Lateral Thinking is a set of related techniques primarily
used for supporting creative thinking. Through these
techniques, access of mind to old / existing patterns is
temporarily blocked and attention is diverted to thinking
and exploring some thing new and unknown.
• Lateral thinking provides a way to restructure & escape
from obslete patterns & to develop patterns which may
be beneficial.
• Lateral thinking techniques are part of overall creativity
thinking techniques.

14. Stimulating Individual Creativity
S No Linear Thinking Lateral Thinking
1 Linear thinking is logical Lateral thinking may be illogical
or intuitive
2 It pursues a defined path It jumps to new paths
3 Linear thinking is compelling Lateral thinking forces the mind
if the next logical step is to look at other planes of
available and compelling, thus knowledge. Looking off the
cutting off access to any current plane is inherently non-
alternate paths (i.e. searching logical in nature.
on other planes of knowledge)
4 Usually leads to ideas for Usually leads to radical or
improvement in existing different ideas for new or hybrid
technologies, products, services technologies, new products,
or processes services or processes

15. Stimulating Individual Creativity
Techniques of LATERAL THINKING
• i) Suspending Judgement – Under this approach,
evaluation / judgement of usefulness & feasibilty of
suggested ideas is suspended in early stages so as to avoid
killing / dropping of some good new ideas at the initial
stage. Evaluation / judgement of suggested ideas is
deferred to later stages.
• ii) Dismantling or fractionalisation of problem into
parts – A big problem may be difficult to diagnose and
deal. However its complexility can be reduced by
dismantling / fractionalizing it into smaller parts. Focus
on smaller parts may help in thinking up ideas for
problem solving thus facilitating creativity.

16. Stimulating Individual Creativity
Techniques of LATERAL THINKING
• iii) Reversal of Problem (By turning it around viz. inside-out,
upside-down or back to front) - This approach helps in
thinking up ideas from opposite / different prespective and
thus helps in finding new or different ideas for problem
solving.
• iv) Use of Metaphors & Analogies - Metaphors are words or
phrases applied to concepts / objects they do not literally
denote & Analogies are used to express similarities between
dissimilar things. Use of metaphors and analogies helps in
thinking ideas for new / different uses and applications.
• v) Use of random words- Use of reandom words, sometimes,
may bring out fresh association of ideas thus facilitating
creativity.
• vi) Edward De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats

17. Stimulating Individual Creativity
Examples
• A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that describes a
subject by asserting that it is, on some point of comparison,
the same as another otherwise unrelated object .
• One of the most prominent examples of a metaphor in English
literature is the ‘All the world's a stage monologue’ from ‘As
You Like It’:
• All the world’s a stage,
• And all the men and women merely players;
• They have their exits and their entrances; — William
Shakespeare, ‘As You Like It’, 2/7[1]
• This quote is a metaphor because the world is not literally a
stage. By figuratively asserting that the world is a stage,
Shakespeare uses the points of comparison between the world
and a stage to convey an understanding about how the world
works and the lives of the people within it.

18. Stimulating Individual Creativity
Examples
• Analogy (from Greek – analogia, "proportion")
is a cognitive process of transferring information
or meaning from a particular subject (the
analogue or source) to another particular subject
(the target), and a linguistic expression
corresponding to such a process.
• Niels Bohr's model of the atom made an analogy
between the atom and the solar system.
• Use of Random Words ….. Balloon & Cars ;;;
Toothbrush & Cycle wheel

19. Stimulating Individual Creativity
CHECK LISTS
• This creative technique is used mainly for improvement or
modification.
• It involves applying a series of words, verbs, adjectives or
phrases contained in checklists or tables to an existing
product or service or its attributes or area of interest .
• Check lists involve listing of all attributes of interest like
adapt, modify, magnify, minify, substitute, rearrange,
reverse, combine.
• Through this listing, focus can be narrowed down to key
areas; and ideas for improvement in focussed areas can be
developed.

20. Stimulating Individual Creativity
Contd … CHECK LISTS
• Osborn’s Checklist is the best known and includes the
verbs: put to other uses, adapt, modify, magnify, minify,
substitute, rearrange, reverse and combine. Each verb
contains also an expanded definition in the form of
questions. For example, the description of the verb
substitute is: Who else instead? What else instead? Other
ingredient? Other material? Other process? Other
power? Other place? Other approach? Other tone of
voice?

21. Stimulating Individual Creativity
CHECK LISTS
• Another checklist technique is Van Gundy’s PICL
(product improvement checklist).
• Used in the same way as Osborn’s list, gives many
options containing 792 words, both standard and unique,
that can be applied to existing products or services, and
102 stimulation questions

22. Stimulating Individual Creativity
MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
• Morphological analysis combines concepts of
fractionalisation of problem into smaller parts & use of
checklists.
• It can be used for stimulating both individual creativity
and group creativity.

23. Stimulating Individual Creativity
MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS – CLOCK
Alternates 1 2 3 4
Parameters
Energy Manual Battery Solar
Source Winding
Energy Weight Spring Bimetallic No Store
Store Store Store Coil
Motor Spring Electric
Motor Motor
Regulator Balance Pendulum Tuning Quartz
Wheel Fork
Gearing Pinion Chain Drive Worm
Drive Drive
Indicator Dial Hands Slide Marks Liquid Light
Device Quartz Indicators

24. How to Stimulate Group
Creativity
• Scientists / Technologists / Experts often work as
members of a Group / Team. Some of the techniques
used for stimulating group creativity are as under:
1. BRAINSTORMING
2. SLIP WRITING

25. Stimulating Group Creativity
BRAINSTORMING
• It is a method of getting a large number of ideas from a group
of people in a short time.
• Brainstorming sessions may take place in a group of 6-10 or
required number of people. Members are usually experts /
experienced persons drawn from relevant fields /
departments / functions.
• A leader / convener is necessary to stimulate the generation of
ideas, as well as to plan for preparation phase.
• Through this technique, members of the group are asked to
respond to a central problem or theme. Members are asked to
avoid criticism of each other.
• Sessions may be free-wheeling & wild ideas may be
generated.

26. Stimulating Group Creativity
BRAINSTORMING - General rules
• Focus on generation of large quantity of ideas
• Withhold criticism of ideas
• Welcome unusual ideas
• Combine and improve ideas

27. Stimulating Group Creativity
BRAINSTORMING - Many variants
• Nominal group technique
• Group passing technique
• Team idea mapping method
• Electronic brainstorming
• Directed brainstorming
• Guided brainstorming
• Question brainstorming
• PMI brainstorming - in which the participants are directed to
brainstorm the Plus points, then the Minus points and finally the
Interesting points
• Individual brainstorming

28. Stimulating Group Creativity
Some of the common problems associated with brainstorming
are:
• Free riding: Individuals may feel that their ideas are less
valuable when combined with the ideas of the group at large.
• Evaluation apprehension: Evaluation apprehension occurs
only in instances of personal evaluation.
• Blocking: Blocking describes the reality that only one person
may gainfully voice his or her ideas in a group at any given
time & ideas of others may be blocked at that time.
• Social matching effect: The social matching effect is the
tendency for individuals in a group to match the level of
productivity & thinking of others in the group.
• Illusion of group productivity: Members of groups often
overestimate their productivity, a tendency known as the
illusion of group productivity & hence, they may not
contribute effectively.

29. Stimulating Group Creativity
Contd … problems …. brainstorming:
• Process may delay evaluation of ideas
• Dominant groups may try to monopolize the process
• Undue focus on attaining consensus amongst members
can undermine creativity
• No reference material may be provided beforehand to
participating members
• There could be emotional involvement of some of
participants, leading to conflicts etc

30. Stimulating Group Creativity
SLIP WRITING
• In this technique, each member of group is given 3x5
inch index cards or slips of paper.
• Problem is stated and group is asked to refrain from
judgement /evaluation [in early stages].
• Each member is asked to write as many ideas he / she can
write in allotted time.
• Each idea is written on separate sheet / card.
• The ideas generated are sorted into various categories.
• Therafter these ideas are evaluated in terms of usefulness
and feasibility.

31. Stimulating Group Creativity
Some benefits of SLIP WRITING technique are :
• It preserves anonymity of person contributing the ideas
• It overcomes many problems associated with
brainstorming like domination by a particular group,
chances of emotional involvement etc.

32. Edward De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats
• The Six Thinking Hats is a method devised by Edward
De Bono and meant to improve the results of thinking
and discussion.
• It may be used either by oneself or in a group.
• As per Edward De Bono .. .. by separating six different
types of thinking we can make our thinking clearer and
more thorough.
• These six thinking hats / perspectives are : White Hat,
Green Hat, Yellow Hat, Black Hat, Red Hat, Blue Hat

34. Edward De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats
White Hat represents facts, information, and statistical
data, as well as identifying missing information and from
which sources it may be collected.
White Hat Thinking- Facts Oriented
• Information and data
• Neutral and objective
• What do I know?
• What do I need to find out?
• How will I get the information I need?

35. Edward De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats
Yellow Hat signifies positive rationality, and is
used to look at the positive aspects of a situation
or idea, on the potential benefits of the suggested
course of action, and on the parties who are
expected to profit from it.
Yellow Hat Thinking- Benefits
• Positives, plus points
• Logical reasons are given.
• Why an idea is useful

36. Edward De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats
Black Hat is in a way the opposite of the Yellow
Hat. It is used for discussing the negative
repercussions of the plan, the potential dangers,
and any criticism on the logic of arguments made
in its support.
Black Hat Thinking - Cautions
• Focus on difficulties, weaknesses, dangers
• Spotting the risks
• Logical reasons are given.

37. Edward De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats
Green Hat stands for creativity and
unconventional thinking. Under this
perspective / hat, people are encouraged to think
creatively
Green Hat Thinking - Creativity
• Ideas, alternatives, possibilities
• Thought Provocation
• Solutions to black hat problems

38. Edward De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats
Red Hat symbolizes emotions and feelings. Under this
perspective / hat, people are “encouraged" to express
their feelings about the subject or to share their general
mood, which might be affecting their participation or
lack of it.
Red Hat Thinking - Feelings
• Intuition, hunches, gut instinct
• Our Feelings right now.
• Feelings can change.
• No reasons may be given.

39. Edward De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats
Blue Hat - This perspective / hat is used for directing the
discussion, for switching hats when necessary, for
summarizing the major points of the discussion, as well
as for making decisions.
Blue Hat Thinking- Controlling Process
• Thinking about thinking
• What thinking is needed?
• Organizing the thinking
• Planning for action

40. Edward De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats
Example:
• Step 1: Present the facts of the case (White Hat).
• Step 2: Generate ideas on how the case could be handled
(Green Hat).
• Step 3: Evaluate the merits of the ideas- List the benefits
(Yellow Hat), List the drawbacks (Black Hat).
• Step 4: Get everybody’s gut feelings about the
alternatives (Red Hat).
• Step 5: Summarize and adjourn the meeting (Blue Hat).

41. Edward De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats
Main benefits … contd :
• Allow to say things without risk.
• Create awareness that there are multiple perspectives on
the issue at hand.
• Convenient mechanism for ‘switching gears’ from one
perspective to another.
• Rules for the game of thinking.
• Focussed thinking.
• Leads to more creative thinking.
• Leads to Improved communication.
• Leads to Improved decision making.

42. Edward De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats
Main benefits … contd ..:
• De Bono’s Six Hats represent six very different ways of
thinking. By using this model one will be able to easily
find several ways for getting a message through.
• We can save time in thinking about the ideas, and use a
clear methodology for producing new ideas whenever we
need them.

43. Edward De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats
Main benefits .. Contd …:
• This matches the real life differences in different persons
that different persons are influenced by different kinds
of communication. Some are deeply affected by emotion,
while others are more susceptive to logical reasoning,
and a third group may need a fair amount of objective
information in order to make their own judgment.
• By using creative communication ideas covering all types
of thinking, we will be able to choose those that best fit
our audience, or even to use all types of thinking to
ensure that anyone can find what they are looking for in
our message.

44. Creativity Stimulation &
Management
By
Dr. Vijay Kr Khurana