Group Creativity

By Jeffrey A. Govendo

We are all creative - every one of us. Even so, we tend to associate creativity with a relatively elite population: the artists and musicians, the writers, the inventors and so on. In business, perhaps it's the people in marketing and advertising, or the graphic design. But is everyone creative?

Creative thinking is making mental connections between seemingly dissimilar concepts - things that normally don't go together - and coming up with new ideas. We've all experienced the occasional "Ah-ha!" in coming up with a novel solution for a problem, often when we least expected it. This occurs when we've gone on to something else, allowing new stimuli to occupy our senses. From these, we make new connections to the problem that are simply not available when we're trying to deal with it head on. The human mind is uniquely equipped for this kind of associative thinking, and it can make available to us a world of new ideas and possibilities.

This capability has powerful implications for innovation at work. For what is innovation if not applied creativity - making these connections to come up with ideas for new products, services, or approaches? And, what could be a more potent combination for innovation than your employees' own creativity, coupled with their expertise, experience and understanding of your business?

Yet, most businesses place a premium on the job-specific skills and knowledge of employees, less so than their ability to engage in lateral, associative thinking to come up with creative ideas.

Despite this, I've never met a business leader opposes creativity. In fact, effective brainstorming is a topic of considerable interest. But cultivating an environment that invokes creativity requires more than simply good intentions. Effective brainstorming is part art, part science. Unfortunately, it's often done haphazardly, so that for many it has become something to avoid, rather than the opportunity for self-expression it should be.

Six Steps

I recommend six steps to maximize the effectiveness of group creativity sessions.

1. Create a safe haven for new thinking. Since the seeds of innovation are often found in ideas that are not deemed feasible or "sensible," people must feel safe exploring unfamiliar territory. Some companies have built "creative thinking spaces," filled with stimuli such as paintings, photographs, non-work related magazines, building materials and other items, where employees can brainstorm. Others have built "ideation rooms," replete with comfortable living room furniture and flipcharts for capturing ideas. Many incorporate mechanisms for stimulating, capturing and building upon ideas. The key factor, however, is an attitude by management that values the inherent creativity of employees and embraces the long-term strategic benefits to be gained by encouraging them to express it on a regular basis.

2. Make sure the objectives are clearly articulated. Too often, participants are asked to generate ideas against a task that is nebulous at best. "What is it we're trying to solve?" they frequently ask. Brainstorming tends to get a little messy, and in business creativity for its own sake gets old quickly. A clear purpose with a sound rationale serves as a touchstone and encourages people to be more experimental and playful with their ideation.

3. Cross-pollinate your brainstorming groups. Idea generation works best when there are differences in perspective, knowledge and background. Ideally, a team attempting to come up with new solutions should consist of both experts in the area being discussed, as well as so-called "naïve" idea contributors. Their knowledge of the subject may be more peripheral, but this enables them to see the problem in ways the experts cannot. The more diverse the perspectives, the greater the range of potential solutions. Creativity thrives on diversity.

4. Whenever possible - and always when the stakes are high - have a skilled, neutral facilitator conduct creativity sessions. There are a thousand ways for people to discount and otherwise put down each other's ideas. Some are blatant, "That's ridiculous," It'll never work." Others are much more subtle - a roll of the eyes, shaking of the head, refusal to acknowledge an idea offered. Either way, potentially breakthrough ideas are lost, and those offering the ideas think twice about coming back with more. Remember that creative thinking in the context of a "get it right" corporate environment can feel risky, particularly for those who lack power and authority in the organization's hierarchy. A good facilitator will keep the process moving, preserve the best ideas, and support the people who offer them.

5. Actively support employees for engaging in the process, as well as for the results. Recognize the efforts of those who generate and develop ideas, even if no usable concept or solution is produced. With encouragement, these individuals are more likely to engage in the creative process again, and perhaps come up with the next big breakthrough idea! Most employees enjoy exercising their creative muscles. The more they brainstorm, the better they become.

6. Conclude every session with a set of action items or recommendations, and follow through. Not every concept should be implemented; however, whatever steps are needed to take a selected concept to the next level should be stated specifically - along with whomever is responsible, and an estimated time for completion. It's far too easy to "lose" potential innovations by failing to take the necessary actions.

It's easy to lose sight of the organizational conditions that engender such innovation -people thinking together in high-performing collaboration who reach beyond current boundaries to come up with new ideas.

Jeffrey Govendo is president of The Innovative Edge™ Inc., a consulting firm based in Massachusetts. He is a project consultant, group facilitator, trainer and conference designer. 508-497-9096, jgovendo@innov-edge.com or www.innov-edge.com.

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