Management Tips:

Developing a creative climate in teams

Dr. K. Kuhathasan, CEO, Cenlead

Brainstorming is an approach that involves presenting a problem to a team and then allowing the team to develop ideas for solutions. The basic approach is to encourage all participants to suggest any and all ideas that come to mind.

The ideas may be wild and seemingly impractical, but they may lead to a creative solution. To encourage the free flow ideas, no criticisms of suggested solutions are allowed at first. Only after all ideas has been presented and recorded does the group begin to evaluate them.

Other techniques have been found to be helpful in generating success in brainstorming. Ideally, a session should last from 45 minutes to an hour. The problem should not be discussed before the session. A small room and conference table should be used to encourage free communication. Brainstorming is most applicable to simple decision problems, requiring creative ideas.

Naming a new product of service, coming up with a new use for a product, and identifying new ways to reduce wasted time are examples of situations where brainstorming might be effective.

Brainwriting

Under this approach, team members are presented with a problem situation and then asked to jot down their ideas on paper without any discussion. The papers are not signed.

The team members then exchange the papers with others, who build on the ideas and pass the papers on again, until all have had an opportunity to participate.

Input - output scheme

The first step under this method is to describe the desired output; the next step is to list all possible combinations of inputs that could lead to the desired output.

After the list of possible inputs has been exhausted, the team discusses and prioritises the desirability of the different possibilities. This process continues until eventually one input emerges as the preferred approach.

Psychologists break the creative process into five steps.

Saturation

Becoming thoroughly familiar with a problem with its setting and more broadly, with activities and ideas akin to the problem. Before the mind can start working on an idea, it must be saturated with knowledge about the problem. This includes obtaining the facts, as well as acquiring the area involved.

Deliberation

Mulling over these ideas, analysing them, arranging them, thinking of them from several view points. All the facts and data should be sorted out in the mind.

They are arranged in some form of system, rearranged and again rearrange until the pattern begins to shape. The mind is constantly sorting aspects of the facts and comparing them with other facts that have been fed to it, and with a vast memory in the subconscious mind through past experiences mind has.

It is like a computer which compares new input with material already programmed into it. The mind is far more complex and has much wider resources that any man made computer.

Incubation

Relaxing, turning off the conscious and purposeful search, forgetting the trustration of unproductive labour, letting the subconscious mind to work. Often, however, the mind is so cluttered with facts and concept that we find ourselves completely confused.

Time is needed for the mind to get it altogether. Most people have experienced this type of situation, and know that if they turn to other pursuits, the mind will relax and the ideas will begin to incubate in the subconscious.

Many ideas incubate while we sleep or are relaxing. It is good to allow this to happen. When you or your staff feel frustrated in solving some problem, keep in mind that the frustration is only a step in the creative process and should not be a cause of worry but rather a sign that it is time to put the problem aside for a while and let it incubate.

Illumination

A bright idea strikes, a bit crazy, perhaps, but new and fresh and full of promise. You sense that it might be the answer. Cartoonists often shows their characters getting a new idea by drawing a flashing build in their heads. Frequently the mind works just that way.

After one has been saturated with the data, has analysed the facts and deliberated on the relationship among them, after one has incubated the material for a period of time, a solution suddenly becomes evident.

Please remember not to accept illumination unless all the previous steps have been taken. To sit back and wait for inspiration to solve one's problem will never work. It will be useful to remember Edison's formula here - "Genius is 90%, perspiration 9% and only 1% inspiration.

Accommodation

Clarifying the idea, seeing whether it feeds the requirement of the problems as it did on first thought, reframing and adopting it putting it on paper, getting other peoples reaction to it. Once the idea has germinated, it has to be tested and adopted to the specific situation.

Personal creativity of team members

Unfortunately, most creativity is suppressed in the growing-up process. The key to improving personal creativity is unlocking the untapped creative potential that most people possess.

Sleeping over the problem

One aid to being creative is to concentrate. Think of only one problem or subject at a time, and strive to get as many different ideas as you can. Forget about whether they are practical or not.

The initial step is to get a number of ideas. The evaluation of each idea takes place later. It is important that you use your subconscious mind.

To do this, rest your conscious mind when you feel tired. The subconscious brain then takes over and reviews related thoughts that the conscious mind produced. This is commonly called "sleeping over the problem". In addition, be persistent, keep trying.

Useful ideas seldom result from the first attempt. You may have to go over many ideas before you discover the one best suited to the situation. Finally, implement the idea; This can be a difficult step. It has been said that the most difficult task in the world is to drive an idea through the skull of a human being.

Never ridicule an idea

There is really only one way to handle one problem. Leader must attempt to develop a variety of alternatives before picking the "one best way". Most leaders depend on past experiences in solving problems.

If the past experience has been successful, it may very well provide the answers to the current problem. On the other hand, before a decision is made, other possible solutions should always be explored. In developing alternatives, the leader should use creative thinking abilities of his people.

Everybody has creativity. Psychologists and behavioural scientists have shown this great faculty within all of us is often suppressed or inhibited. It is the responsibility of the leader, to unleash the creative ability in each of his people.

Many people do not really believe that they have creative abilities. All of their lives they have been made to believe that creativity was a special gift of artists, writers and similar genius. Often their suggestions and ideas have in the past been ridiculed or rejected by parents, teachers and supervisors.

Why do people fear being creative? Mainly it is because they are afraid that their ideas will be criticised and that they will be made to appear foolish or stupid if their ideas are not accepted.

The leader has to overcome this fear by encouraging his people to initiate or recommend improvements, to contribute ideas and to participate in planning.

The leader should be careful, never to ridicule and idea, no matter how unrealistic it may be.

Role of team leaders

Develop an environment that supports creative behaviour.

Try to avoid using an autocratic style to leadership.

Encourage members to be more open to new ideas and experiences.

Keep in mind that members use different strategies, like walking around or listening to music, to foster their creativity.

Provide members with stimulating work that creates a sense of personal growth.

Encourage members to view problems as opportunities.

Dont' let your decision-making style stifle those members who have a different style.

Guard against members being too involved with putting out fires and dealing with urgent short-term problems.

Make sure creative members are not bogged down with specific tasks all day long.

Encourage an open environment that is free from defensive behaviour.

Treat errors and mistakes as opportunities for learning.

Let members occasionally try out their pet ideas. Provide a margin or error.

Be a catalyst instead of an obstacle.

Avoid using a negative mindset when a member approached you with a new idea.

Encourage creative members to communicate with one another.

Welcome diverse ideas and opinions.