UNDERSTANDING AND UNLOCKING CREATIVITY IN BUSINESS

The organized business world has as many questions about creativity today as it always has, but there seems to be an increased interest in what it is, how it works, and how it contributes to the bottom line. There is still a great deal of conflict between the strictures of management traditions (or corporate culture) and the demands of innovation (or creative problem solving), but there is also an ever-expanding attitude of acceptance for the evidence of the benefits of understanding and fostering creativity.

Though creativity in business is now associated with a certain audacity, a willingness to venture into uncharted territory – think mavericks like Jobs and Musk – there is enough serious research into the field to indicate that creativity is not the exclusive preserve of ‘gifted’ individuals. Though studies have shown that we lose ‘natural’ creativity as we age, we are encouraged by other studies that encourage us with the possibility of reconnecting with it. There are tools to enhance and harness the ‘innate’ creative spark of individuals and groups, so, while long-held perceptions ascribe creativity to special groups and endeavors, a greater understanding of what creativity is may be opening up a galaxy of opportunities – even for those traditionally viewed as ‘not creative’.

We shall examine several of the conventions of business, creativity, and the prevailing myths and evidence. We will follow the science that explains what creativity is, why most of us associate creativity with music and art, whether some people are ‘creatives’ and others are not, whether creativity, problem-solving and innovation are the same thing, what this mysterious creativity IS . . . and we will question it. We believe the emerging patchwork of learning will give more of us more of an opportunity to do more and better as people and as enterprises.

We welcome your thoughts and feedback and, especially, questions. We will be talking again soon.