Leadership is only sustainable when leaders consistently come up with good ideas - when they are dependable thought leaders. It follows then that leaders would be more effective if they knew how to manage creativity and innovation.
Some of the tools for effective creativity management include:
a) Develop the brief. Formulating a brief helps i) induce the problem solving state of mind, ii) creates structures with boundaries and limitations within which experimentation can take place and iii) enhances motivation.
b) One tacit knowledge elicitation and lateral thinking technique is to use the five senses. This helps define problems and generate ideas along five different pathways, instantly increasing the quantity of ideas and further increasing the probability that quality ideas will be generated.
c) Setting a clear goal. Goals and incremental targets produce more output than simply "do your best." Prolific screenwriters that stick to goals produce more output and move along the learning curve much faster than those who simply wait for inspiration. Look at the untold number of people with unfinished manuscripts under their beds.
d) Separate idea generation from idea valuation. Creative and critical thinking and two separate and distinct activities.
e) Persistence pays off. Persistence slowly but surely helps develop the competencies required for quality output. Failure is a learning activity. Ridley Scott didn't achieve financial success with Blade Runner but went on to make some very successful movies.
These and other topics are covered in depth in the MBA dissertation on Managing Creativity & Innovation, which can be purchased (along with a Creativity and Innovation DIY Audit, Good Idea Generator Software and Power Point Presentation) from http://www.managing-creativity.com
Kal Bishop, MBA
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Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com.
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