MA 116

Chap 1: Taking an Innovative approach

INNOVATION
→This taps into the creative and intuitive side of your mind, the so-called right-brain activities
that are essential to artists and invention.
→Applied creativity or creativity for a purpose
CREATIVITY
→Coming up with fresh ideas, designs, or solutions

BRAINSTORMING
→Refers to the broad range of structured techniques for idea generation.
→Notable name: ALEX OSBORN, coined the term back in 1940’s “idea generation technique”.

1. TAPPING INTO YOUR OWN CREATIVE FORCE

Creative force is the power to create that flows through all of us. You can see the power
of creativity each time a successful innovation changes lives and the world.
2. GENERATING MORE IDEAS
Habit of thinking about possibilities. Start with your own needs.
a.) Imagining innovation to meet your daily needs
b.) Recognizing great ideas
Take note of Creativity around you. Recognize that you need the stimulation of other
people’s creative thinking.
c.) Holding out for more option
Creativity expands your options, but only if you realize that more options are better.
3. IDENTIFYING YOUR BIGGEST BARRIER TO ACTIVITY
a.) Knowing your creative enemy
●Lack of time and opportunity
●Lack of direct experience and input
●Criticism by others
●Pessimism and negative thinking
●Exhaustion or lack of regular sleep
●Strict, stern, or critical supervision

b.) Being alert to your stylistic strength and weaknesses

c.) Bringing your creativity to practical, routine tasks
4. TAKING ADVANTAGE OF YOUR BIGGEST ENABLERS OF CREATIVITY
A CREATIVITY ENABLER is anything that stimulates your creativity. Common enablers
include:
a.) A good night’s rest
b.) A change of scene
c.) A good example of imaginative thinking
d.) Exercise
5. CONSTRUCTING YOUR CREATIVE PLACE
A creative space needs to do the following:
a.) Makes it easy to focus on an important challenge or task without interruption
b.) Offer control of the physical environment
c.) Offer varied and interesting input
d.) Make people feel comfortable, focused, and able to come up with good ideas
6. INTRODUCING CREATIVE PRACTICES TO YOUR DAILY ROUTINE
Daily practice makes it easy to come up with ideas you need, both big and small, when
you need them most.

●BALANCING TIGHT AND LOOSE ACTIVITIES

→A TIGHT ACTIVITY is one that has strict parameters or rules and little room for
variation creativity. But tight activities put the right brain to sleep and reduce
creative thinking.
→A LOOSE ACTIVITY has little or no structure and no obvious right answer. It
invites, requires you to make things up as you go.
● FREEING YOURSELF OF DAYDREAM
● PURSUING INTERESTED QUEASTIONS INSTEAD OF LETTING THEM PASS
● CROSS TRAINING THE BODY TO STRENGTHEN THE MIND
→ Mind and body are inextricably linked. You need to tend your physical needs
and adopt healthy practices to achieve your full creative potential.
7. SEEKING BROAD EXPERIENCE
It is important to get out of your world and explore other people’s worlds so that you can
draw on a breadth of knowledge and experiences too.

● FINDING WAYS TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF

→Being open to new challenges that interest you is a really great way to build your
creative power.
● TAKING PERSONAL RISKS
→Self-determination’s psychological meaning is the feeling that you can
individually decide your own fate. People who are self-determined.
→ Practice self-determined, creative behavior until you begin to feel comfortable
with the risks of being wrong and having your ideas shot down.
● SPENDING MOR ETIME WITH PEOPLE WHO AREN’T LIKE YOU
→ Diversity is the fertilization of innovation. Diverse experiences and
acquaintances give you a diverse range of inputs and ideas to work with.
→ Comfortable social situations are actually barriers to innovation.
● SEEKING THE COMPANY OF INNOVATORS
→ If you do not spend time with creative people, you will have a hard time being
creative yourself.
● GETTING OUT OF YOUR PERSONAL AND CAREEER SILOS
→ SILO are workplaces where people are isolated into groups based on their
functions.
● SUPPORTING INQUISITIVE BEHAVIOR
→ Inquisitive behavior describes the general approach of asking questions and
stimulating creative thought.
● LEARNING FROM INNOVATION MENTORS
→ Look for a person whom you find to be personally inspiring and who
thinks you can have a lot of untapped potential.
● BECOMING A LEADING INNOVATOR
→Tapping into your personal creativity allows you to become a successful
innovator, because creativity is the fuel of innovation.
● MAKING YOUR CREATIVITY AND DRIVE VISIBLE TO HIGHER-UPS
● STEPPING UP TO DEVELOPMENT TEAMS AND ROLES
→ A great way to gain innovation expertise and show that you have lots of creative
energy and initiative is to volunteer to help implement appositive new change.