CREATIVE THINKING

CREATIVE THINKING Prof. V. Jha IIM Calcutta

Divergent Thinking • Variety of responses • Trial and Error Thinking • Product not completely determined by given information

Creative Thinking • Divergent as well as convergent • Grasping the problem • After divergent • categorization, logical thinking, evaluation, comparison, analysis • Cycles of imaginative and rational

A model of creative Intelligence • Problem sensitivity, curiosity • Sensing of problems, issues, opportunities • Convergent thinking ability, cause guessing ability • Structuring of problems • Problem restructuring ability

A model of creative Intelligence • A new understanding of problem that facilitates interesting new approaches. • Divergent thinking, search for alternative approaches, solutions • Fluency • Flexibility • Originality

A model of creative Intelligence • Evaluation through convergent thinking • consequence guessing ability • elaboration ( idea, approach, solution) • Refinement through convergent thinking ability

Creative Thinking Techniques • Brainstorming • Attribute Listing • Synectics • Checklist of questions • Structure problem- well understood, identify key dimensions • Separate idea production from evaluation

Creative Thinking Techniques • Ideate copiously • Create constructive psychological strain- familiar to unfamiliar and back. • Force wide shifts • Identify most potent idea

Creative Environment • Stimulation • Nurturance • Low- tension • Constructive Feedback • Opportunity to learn • Diversity of viewpoints • Freedom with accountability

Creative Environment • Creators as role models • Facilities • creative norms and expectations of boss figure

Creative Problem Solving • Problem • goal not achieved • unwanted symptoms • Mechanisms • habit • logical analysis • using analogies

Creative Problem Solving • Problem • Why • constraints • hidden • permanent • ignorance • nature • procedure • solution

Creative Process • Elaboration, setting aside • several projects at a time • envisioning • read/hear creative masters • reverie/stimulating experience

Creative Problem Solving • Mechanisms • generating alternatives • evaluating alternatives • looking for information • Creative • Use of fantasy and imagination • Playful connections • Viewing problem from unusual perspective • Brainstorming

Creative Problem Solving • Process • preparation • incubation • illumination • verification

Process • Regression • Cycles of divergent and convergent • diffused and scanning • incubation- break, working on other problems, silent recess, setting aside, alternative work, many projects, envisioning, stimulating experience • inspiration- sense of possession and compulsion

Brainstorming • Defer Evaluation • Quantity begets quality • more fantastic ideas • Hitch hike on previous ideas

Brainstorming • Both groups as well as individuals • Better ideas in second half • for problems with multiple solutions • concrete suggestions • Specific topic • Choosing ideas and developing them

Attribute Listing • For designing/redesign specific product/service • Building up, grafting , modifying • List basic but modifiable attributes/properties/specifications • Generate alternatives • Grafting attributes of some other object

Attribute Listing • Abstract/generic attributes • container, handling convenience, current function • More specific the better • separate modifiable from unmodifiable • List all attributes

Attribute Listing • What may be altered without changing the main function • State as more general/abstract attributes • What functions the attributes perform • How critical are they to main function • prioritizing attributes

Checklist of questions • Questions- Divergent thinking • ASARAMOMONA • add • subtract • alter • rearrange • adapt

Checklist of questions • magnify • opposite • minify • other • new • alternative • Dissatisfaction with status quo

Fluency • Generating more ideas • Resourcefulness • More ideas- some good ideas • associative thinking • Censorship- silly/impractical • Generate, then evaluate • Fluency- flexibility, originality • Practice situations in daily life

Flexibility • A change • meaning, interpretation, use, understanding, strategy • Looking from many angles • implications of multi-dimensional situations

Problem restructuring • Hawthorne Experiment • Contingency • naturopathy • Discarding old ways of looking • Creative use of deviance • internal debate

Problem restructuring • data • going to roots- slums • A habit of looking for opportunities in problem situations • Shoes, garbage

Convergent thinking • classificatory mechanisms • verbalizing • listing the components • analogy and comparisons • display • Analytical • factoring • seeking relationships among components • identifying steps to possible solutions • abstraction

Convergent thinking • Analytical • formally defining • imposing constraints • establishing criteria • selecting by comparison of alternatives • working backwards • model building • symbols and classification • stereotyping • aphorisms

Convergent thinking • Synthesis • seeking patterns • aggregation • incubation • juxtaposing inconsistent/extreme • broad model • Optimization • refining till acceptable solution reached

Convergent Thinking • substitution of parts • addition/deletion/modification/alteration • formalizing criteria

Creative thinking • sensitivity • guessing ability • originality • convergent thinking ability

Creative Organization • Growth Strategy • Competitive Strategy • innovative scanning • structure to facilitate innovation • control to facilitate innovation • culture building for innovation • motivation • conflict resolution

Creative Organization • External Factors • Turbulent environment • unexpected change • sophisticated and demanding customers • vulnerable • ambitious and conflicting goals • organization doing very well

Creative Organization • internal factors • ambitious and high operating targets • conflicting goals • desire to make organization unique and distinctive • diverse output • customized products • preference for new products, sophisticated and off beat, calculated risks, operating flexibility, innovative and expert orientation

Synectics • Unconscious • instincts • self preservation, reproduction, enormous energy, little self regulation • Pre- conscious • Creativity • fantasizing • wish fulfillment • imagining • associative thinking and playful elaboration of images

Synectics • Conscious • orderly, logical, evaluative, analytical • combinatorial play • free association • ability to create scenarios • dropping of real life constraints • Analogy • direct, personal, fantasy, symbolic

Creative Organization • Expertise • technical • procedural • intellectual • Creative Thinking Skills • flexible, imaginative, challenging status quo, persevering through dry spells • Intrinsic Motivation • passion and interest

Managerial practices • Challenge • matching right people with right assignment • stretch • good information • Freedom • concerning process not necessarily ends • stable and clearly defined goals • false autonomy

Managerial Practices • Resources • time and money • fake or impossibly tight deadlines • sufficient resources • physical space

Managerial Practices • Work Group Features • mutually supportive • diversity of perspectives and backgrounds • shared excitement to team’s goal • willingness to help others in difficult times • appreciation of other’s knowledge and perspectives

Managerial Practices • Supervisory encouragement • recognition • lack of negativity • no premature evaluation • acting as role models

Managerial Practices • organizational support • leader’s role • systems and procedures • recognition and reward • mandating information sharing and collaboration • tackling politics

CREATIVE THINKING