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Creativity starts with the individual and then spills over to the group

Creativity starts with the individual and then spills over to the group

Creative thinking – Part 1 by  Rikus Grobler of Namibia Innovation Solutions

I kicked off this series with the theme of taking action to innovate, failing, learning from failure and improving your innovation capability continuously.

This subsequently introduced the theme I have dwelled on for the past few weeks, i.e. creative thinking.

Creative thinking is the starting point or “front-end” of innovation, the sine qua non.

I have touched on quality thinking, finding time to think and asking good questions. But how does the “aha!” really happen and is it possible for an organisation and an individual to become better at it?

Organisational and individual creativity

Creativity and the ability to come up with great ideas to solve challenging problems or exploit opportunities have intrigued us for centuries. It has been researched in-depth and many scientists have tried to unlock the “secret” of creativity.

There are many theories on how to become more creative and most of these hold value to a lesser or greater degree. Unfortunately I also do not know the formula, but what I can tell you, is that creativity – useful ideas – does not happen through serendipity, especially in a corporate environment.

Understanding your customers’ needs and collaborating on ideas can take any organisation a long way in terms of finding a breakthrough idea. What is also true, is that there are organisational factors and individual factors at play in the quest to find useful ideas in the organisation. This means that you can have an exceptionally creative or original thinking individual in the organisation, but if the environment is not conducive for this person to bring forward ideas, the person’s creative ability is stifled and worth little to his company.

I spent a fair amount of time studying creativity in the corporate environment for my literature review for my dissertation, and I can honestly tell you that considerable research has been done on this topic. I can also tell you that the academic views are widely divergent.

Andriopoulus did an extensive review on previous research done on organisational creativity, in an attempt to clearly identify the factors that influence organisational creativity and hence what need to be taken into consideration when managing creativity in organisational settings.

He uses the following definition for organisational creativity: “…to formulate novel and useful ideas, processes, services or products”. Andriopoulus’ study revealed the following major organisational factors which enhance creativity in a work environment: organisational climate; leadership style; organisational culture; resources and skills; and the structure and systems of an organisation.

Therefore, as you can appreciate, there are many organisational and systemic factors that come into play when attempting to unlock people’s creativity. However, while management practices and organisational factors can enhance the likelihood of creativity, ultimately, it is the individual who is the source of a new idea and therefore an understanding of the requirements for creative thought at individual level is essential.

One of the most authoritative researchers on creativity is Teresa Amabile. Two key findings of her research are important here. Firstly, she found that it is possible for anyone with normal cognitive abilities to be creative to some degree in some domain of endeavour. Secondly, she recognises that although different individuals may have different potential for creative performance in a given domain, it is possible to improve creativity to some extent.

To summarise, in an organisational setting, it is not only about having a “creative genius” in the organisation. Individual factors, together with the influence of organisational factors such as climate, structures and processes, determines the creative outcomes of the employees, collectively and individually, in any organisation.

Next Time

I have now set the stage for creative thinking in an organisational environment, arguing that it has both to do with the creative ability of the individual and the environment in which the person operates.

In part 2 of this theme I will take a more pragmatic approach and share some practical suggestions how the organisation and the individual can improve creative thinking capabilities.

I conclude with a point to ponder from Vince Lombardi: “The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual.”


Sources:
Amabile, T. M. 1997. Motivating creativity in organizations: On doing what you love and loving what you do. California Management Review, 40: 39-58.
Andriopoulos, C. 2001. Determinants of organisational creativity: a literature review. Management decision, 39(10), 834-841.


 

 

About The Author

Rikus Grobler

Dr Rikus Grobler is a Namibian academic, inventor, entrepreneur, public speaker, and business consultant who specializes in the development of the innovation capability of companies and individuals. He holds degrees in Engineering and Law and has an MBA and a Ph.D. in Business Administration. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) of the Project Management Institute (PMI), and he has also completed studies in design thinking and intellectual property management. An experienced professional with a background in manufacturing, information technology, tertiary education, research, consulting, and financial services, Dr. Grobler has been involved in innovation management for the past ten years and currently holds the position of Manager: Innovation for the Capricorn Group in Namibia. He is particularly interested in creativity, innovation, and invention.