Name: ___________________________________________

Pre-Assessment: How Creative Are You?

Part 1- Assessment #1 Completion:
i. Go to Table 1 below and complete the assessment, “How Creative Are You?” by
checking off your response for each question. Answer honestly with your
behaviours NOW and not what you think you should be doing.

Table 1: How Creative Are You? Assessment

16 Statements to Answer Not at Rarel Sometimes Often Very

All y Often

1. Creative people should specialize in coming up

with lots of ideas. Other people should then __ __ __ __ __
implement these.
2. If I have a problem, I allow myself to back off
active problem solving, and I create some __ __ __ __ __
mental distance between myself and the issue.

3. When I'm coming up with ideas, I find myself

__ __ __ __ __
using phrases like "we can’t," or "we don't."
4. I'm busy. As soon as I have a good idea, I move
__ __ __ __ __
forward with implementation.
5. I gather information from a wide variety of
sources to stay current with what's happening in __ __ __ __ __
my field of work.
6. I see problems, complaints, and bottlenecks as
__ __ __ __ __
opportunities rather than as issues.
7. When solving a problem, I try to rethink my
current understanding of an issue to develop a __ __ __ __ __
deeper insight into it.
8. I often ignore good ideas because I don't have
__ __ __ __ __
the resources to implement them.
9. I find problems and issues distracting. They
__ __ __ __ __
cause me to lose focus on my real work.
10. I'm confident that I can develop creative ideas
to solve problems, and I'm motivated to __ __ __ __ __
implement solutions.
11. I take time to investigate how things are
working, even when there are no current __ __ __ __ __
problems.
12. I always look for the causes of problems, so that
__ __ __ __ __
I can understand what's really going on.
13. I look for things in my environment to inspire
__ __ __ __ __
me to find new interpretations of problems.
14. I focus on issues that are important right now, __ __ __ __ __

Pre-Assessment – Creativity 1
 16 Statements to Answer Not at Rarel Sometimes Often Very
All y Often

preferring to worry about future problems as

they arise.
15. When gathering information about an issue, I
explore solutions that have worked elsewhere in __ __ __ __ __
the past.
16. When I generate ideas, I evaluate them, and I
__ __ __ __ __
quickly discard ideas that I don't like.

iii. After you’ve completed the assessment above, go to the ““Scoring Key of ‘How
Creative You Are?’” in D2L under “Assignments” to find the value for each
question’s response.
iv. Complete Table 2 below by:
a. Total your scores for each question listed under each step number in the
table below and put the answer in the “Total Score” column for each step.
(Note: Scores come from Scoring Key in D2L under “Assignments”)
For example, adding up a sample person’s scores for Step 1: Finding
Problems for questions 6, 9, 11, 14 and 15, you may get:
5+4+3+3+5 = 20/25 = 4/5
b. Calculate the “Total Score” for each step to a mark /5 in the “Mark /5”
column (To one decimal point).
c. Add your “Total Score” column to get a score /80.

Table 2: “How Creative You Are?” Results

Steps Total
Score Mark /5
Step 1: Finding Problems (Preparation) /2
(Total scores for questions 6, 9, 11, 14, 15) 5 = /5

Step 2: Gathering and Reflecting on Information (Incubation) /1 /5

(Total scores for questions 2, 5) 0 =
Step 3: Problem Exploration (Insight) /1
(Total scores for questions 3, 7, 12) 5 = /5
Step 4: Generating and Evaluating Ideas (Evaluation) /1
(Total scores for questions 4, 13, 16) 5 = /5
Step 5: Implementation (Elaboration) /1
(Total scores for questions 1, 8, 10) 5 = /5

Total Score /80

Pre-Assessment – Creativity 2
 Part 2 - Analysis of Results

Answer the following analysis questions from your “How Creative Are You?” results in
Table 2 above:

i. According to my scores /5, the top 2 steps (number and step name) I am great at
are:

1.

2.

ii. Explain, with specific examples from your work, school or other life areas, why you
think you scored higher in these areas than in others, and the results of your
behaviours.

1.

2.

iii. According to my scores /5, the 2 steps (number and step name) I need to
develop the most are:

1.

2.

iv. Explain, with specific examples from your work, school or other life areas, why you
think you scored lower in these areas than in others, and the results of your
behaviours.

1.

2.

Part 3 - Assessment #2 Completion:

i. Go to the link below and complete the assessment, “Test My Creativity”.
Answer as honestly as possible. (Note, you don’t have to give your demographics on the
first page to get a result. If you want to, then choose a role you want to be in the future.)

http://elon.testmycreativity.com/
ii. After you’ve completed the assessment, do the following:
a. My Creativity Score: _____________ Typical (63.23)
b. Paste a photo or clip of your spider graph results below:

Pre-Assessment – Creativity 3
Explanation of different metrics:
Abstraction: The ability to abstract concepts from ideas
Connection: The ability to make connections between things that don't initially have an apparent
connection
Perspective The ability to shift one’s perspective on a situation - in terms of space and time, and
: other people
Curiosity: The desire to change or improve things that everyone else accepts as the norm
Boldness: The confidence to push boundaries beyond accepted conventions. Also, the ability to
eliminate fear of what others think of you
Paradox: The ability to simultaneously accept and work with statements that are contradictory
Complexity: The ability to carry large quantities of information and be able to manipulate and
manage the relationships between such information
Persistence: The ability to force oneself to keep trying to derive more and stronger solutions even
when good ones have already been generated

Part 4: What to Hand In and How

 Upload the MSWord file to the dropbox in D2L as well with a filename that
includes your name. For example, PreAssessment_BWill.

NOTE: Marks for this assignment are part of Lit Learning #1 rubrics.

Marking Scheme
Poor Good Excellent
Only the assessment Pre-Creativity assessment Pre-Creativity assessment was
was completed with was completed with a good completed thorough with
some analysis that has analysis, good specific excellent analysis, specific
basic or few examples and insights into examples, and excellent insights
examples. strengths and development into strengths and development
areas. areas

“How Creative Are You?” Score Interpretation

Scor
Comment
e

You're unsure of your creative talent. Maybe you haven't been given opportunities to be creative, or maybe
you're convinced that you're simply not a creative person. Either way, look for opportunities to improve how
16-36 you do things, even if you don't have any current problems. Use the discussion and resources below to be
more creative – you'll be surprised by how creative you can be if you give yourself a chance! (Read below to
start.)

37-58 Your creativity is a "work in progress." You've had some successes, so now it's time to let loose and stretch

Pre-Assessment – Creativity 4
 Scor
Comment
e

yourself. Share your ideas and perspectives with others and ask them how they view problems. Adopt a
collaborative approach to problem finding and work actively with others to create and innovate. The tools and
resources below will help you get to the next level of creativity. (Read below to start.)

Creativity is one of your strengths, and innovative and creative minds are highly sought after. So don't hide
your ability! Look for ways to share your creativity process with others. Engage colleagues and teammates in
59-80 creative pursuits, and promote creativity in your team and organization. And remember that you can always
be more creative – so use the tools and discussion below to fulfill your creative potential! (Read below to
start.)

Boosting Your Creativity Ability

In his well-respected book, "Creativity," Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi says that an effective creative process usually consists of five
steps. These are:

1. Preparation – becoming immersed in problems and issues that are interesting and that arouse curiosity.
2. Incubation – allowing ideas to turn around in your mind without thinking about them consciously.
3. Insight – experiencing the moment when the problem makes sense, and you understand the fundamental issue.
4. Evaluation – taking time to make sure that the insight provides enough value to outweigh the various costs involved in
implementation.
5. Elaboration – creating a plan to implement the solution and following through.

We've mapped these five steps onto the process below. This provides a clear and practical way for you to think about creativity,
and to use it in your everyday life at work.

1. Finding Problems (Preparation)

(Questions 6, 9, 11, 14, 15)

Creative people don't sit and allow problems to surface. Instead, they scan their environment for potential issues, and they see
this as time well spent. Also, they're excited by the opportunity to change things. They aren't intimidated by change; they
embrace it.
To develop your creative skills, you need to adopt a positive attitude towards change, and take an active role in identifying
opportunities and looking for potential issues. To do this, challenge your business processes using Failure Modes and Effects
Analysis , and look for bottlenecks in these processes. Carry out SWOT and PEST analyses on a regular basis. Keep up-to-date
with customer experiences and expectations, and try to spot problems from other people's perspectives.
Also, engage in benchmarking to find out how well others are addressing similar issues, and look at the issue from a wide range
of perspectives. Then, analyze your findings to ensure that a real problem does exist. This fact-finding activity can save you a
great deal of time later on, and will help ensure that you only act on the most relevant problems and issues.
Look first for problems and potential issues that interest you. These are the things you'll be most motivated to pursue when
you're learning to solve problems creatively. Then, as you become more confident, challenge yourself to investigate issues that
are more complex.

2. Gathering and Reflecting on Information (Incubation)

(Questions 2, 5)

When you have a potential issue or problem, gather as much information about it as you can. As part of this, investigate
solutions that have been tried previously (both in your own organization, and in other areas), and identify ideas that might have
surfaced, but were never acted on.

Pre-Assessment – Creativity 5
At this stage it's also a good idea to step away from the problem for a while, and allow new thoughts and ideas to enter your
mind. When we concentrate on one issue for too long there is a tendency to latch onto one or two ideas, and this can block
other good ideas. (One of the benefits of being proactive in your problem-finding is that you have time to incubate ideas, rather
than being pressurized to find an immediate solution to a problem.)

3. Problem Exploration (Insight)

(Questions 3, 7, 12)

Once you've identified and verified your problem, you can figure out what's really going on. Often, the initial problem that you
identified will turn out to be a symptom of a deeper problem. Therefore, identifying the root cause of the problem is extremely
important.
When you do this, you'll find that techniques like CATWOE , Drill Down , the 5 Whys , Cause and Effect Analysis , and Root
Cause Analysis are all very effective. While creativity may invoke ideas of spontaneous insight and far-out inspiration, the truth
is that being creative in the workplace is rooted in a practical understanding of the situation at hand.
Don't, however, be so practical that you become negative. What often separates creative people from others is the ability to see
past potential barriers, and believe in their insights. For instance, you could easily dismiss a great insight by saying, "Oh that
could never be the problem!" But, you won't ever know if something is contributing to a problem unless you allow yourself to
explore the possibility. That's what creative problem exploration is all about – being open to all ideas and possibilities.

4. Generating and Evaluating Ideas (Evaluation)

(Questions 4, 13, 16)

When you have clear insight into the cause of the issue, you can move onto generating ideas for a solution. Here you want to
look for as many ways to inspire ideas as possible. Brainstorming, Reverse Brainstorming and Starbursting are popular for this,
however these can be undermined by problems with group dynamics. Techniques like Brainwriting , Round-Robin
Brainstorming and the Charette Procedure can help you circumvent common problems.
You can also enrich your ideas by using tools like the Six Thinking Hats, Random Input , the Reframing
Matrix and Metaphorical Thinking to look at problems from different perspectives.
Obviously not all of the ideas you have will be practical or possible. So, as part of this step in the creativity process, you need to
decide which criteria you'll use to evaluate your ideas. (Without a solid evaluation process, you'll be prone to choosing a
solution that is perhaps too cautious.)
There are a wide range of tools you can use for the evaluation, including:
 Risk Analysis : This helps you explore where things could go wrong.
 Impact Analysis : This gives you a framework for exploring the full consequences of your decision.
 Force Field Analysis : This helps you explore the pressures for and against change.
 Decision Tree Analysis : This shows you how to evaluate different options from a financial perspective.
 Paired Comparison Analysis : This helps you work out the relative importance of various factors.
 Decision Matrix Analysis : This allows you to weigh many different financial and non-financial factors.

5. Implementation (Elaboration)
(Questions 1, 8, 10)

A common misconception is that creative people spend all their time thinking of new and interesting ideas. In fact, truly creative
people recognize a good idea and run with it.
For this final step, you need to be committed to taking your ideas and making them happen, and you need to be confident that
you can, indeed, propose innovative ideas and inspire change.
To implement your ideas successfully, develop a solid plan, using action plans for simple projects, and more formal project
management techniques for larger, more complex projects. You'll also need to be able to sell your idea to others in your
organization. If your idea is likely to affect other people, you'll want to develop strong change management skills so that the
people around you accept and use the products of your creativity.
Once you bring one idea through to successful implementation, you'll be motivated and inspired to repeat the process again and
again!

Pre-Assessment – Creativity 6
Source adapted from: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/creativity-quiz.htm

Pre-Assessment – Creativity 7