1. Creativity and Innovation There is a microscopically fine line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth, so what the hell - leap Cynthia Heimel

2. CBI 2002 UK Innovation Survey
Internal
a general failure to prioritise innovation;
the failure to use people-centred initiatives e.g. ideas training, suggestion schemes;
the lack of an innovation ‘champion’ at Board level;
the widespread failure to engage in ‘foresight’ activities;
failure to maximise returns on investment in un-used ideas;
poor management of the innovation process including ideas management and process review

3. NIEC NI Innovation Survey
NI weakest region
NI 11th of 12 UK comparator regions re expenditure
11% of expenditure was for grants (4.7% UK)
Top 10 companies – 59% of research and development spend
Little of university research and development on NI industry

4. Creativity
“The habit of continually doing things in new ways to make a positive difference to our working lives”

5. Innovation
Insight +
Ideas
Impact =
Innovation

6. Definitions of Creativity
Creativity - Bringing into existence an idea that is new to you
Innovation - The practical application of creative ideas
Creative thinking - An innate talent that you were born with and a set of skills that can be learned, developed and used in daily problem-solving.
Creative people - Those people who do not suppress their innate creativity and who their creative ability in various aspects of life.

7. How we Think? Reductionist Rivers of thought
Look for similarities
We become socialised
Perceptions
Our brain hard wired against creativity
Rivers of thought
Need expansionist thoughts
Need lateral thinking to trick our brains
Stimulus

8. Creativity
Nature or
Nurture

9. Ten Pattern Breaking Ideas
Change your route to work
Read something different
Meet new people
Get out of your normal environment
Ask family (especially children) to help solve a problem
Take more time and always generate options before choosing
Take time out in a refreshing environment
Take a walk – ‘get out more’ – to see and think
Listen to music (what is no.1?)
Reinvent your job role and style at least once a year.

10. Creativity Assess creativity Build a culture of creativity
Illustrate that it is being led and is acceptable behaviour
Reward it
Train people in it

11. The 4P’s of Creativity
Positivity
Playfulness
Passion
Persistence

12. Creative Icons Identify a creative icon Why are they creative?
How does this relate to you?
Why?

13. Barriers to Creativity
About human behaviour
Attitude
Skills
Structure
Environment
Behaviours

14. Creativity Enablers Freshness Greenhousing Realness Momentum
Signalling
Courage

15. Freshness Four River-Jumping Techniques
Re-expression – finding an alternative way of describing or experiencing the issue
Related worlds – finding an alternative but similar issue or benefit in another field
Revolution – identifying, then deliberately challenging the rules and assumptions – using “what if ?” scenarios e.g. what if we did nothing or what if we halved or doubled the budget
Random links – using a deliberate connection with a random item – must be random and you must find a connection

16. Greenhousing
Young ideas easy to destroy – not rapid fire emergency room
Need SUN
Suspend judgement
Understand
Nurture
Avoid RAIN
React
Assume
INsist

17. Realness Stop talking How can I make it real for an audience
A revolution in the way we behave
Loop the loop – Dyson – over 5,000 prototypes
Encourage imperfection
Share the realness
Show me
What I hear, I forget
What I see, I remember
What I do, I know.

18. Momentum The management of energy Unrelenting energy and excitement
Contagious – but so is inertia
Less meetings – more action
Seek alignment of others
Create a short term crises
Just say no

19. Signalling A behaviour with three distinct stages
Tune In,
Choose to Act and
Propose a response
Brush-offs are not good
Tell others how you want them to react
Navigate between the world of business and creativity
Give people space

20. Courage Bravery Expose yourself to potential judgement
Rabbit in the headlights.

21. What Hinders Ideas Generation?
Looking for the right answer
Approaching problem solving as a “serious” business
Avoiding making mistakes as far as possible
Pushing yourself even when tired to keep working on a problem
Asking advise only from “experts”
Dismissing all “silly” ideas

22. What Hinders Ideas Generation?
Telling your ideas only to people who will agree with or support them
Keeping quiet when you don’t understand something
Following the motto “If it isn’t broken, it doesn’t need mending”
Not having a system of recording ideas that come to you

23. What Helps Ideas Generation?
Looking for lots of possible right answers
Having fun with problem solving and “play” with ideas
Accepting mistakes as a natural by-product of the creative process
Taking deliberate breaks when you put the problem on the back burner
Getting information from a variety of sources

24. What Helps Ideas Generation?
Using your sense of humour as a rich source of possibilities
Encouraging feedback from a variety of sources including a “Devils advocate”
Asking “stupid” questions
Continually looking for ways to improve all products, services and systems
Keeping an “ideas note-book” to record all good ideas

25. Creative Problem-Solving
Generating Ideas
Brainstorming
Assessing Ideas
Prioritising the ideas and then building on them

26. Analysis of Cause and Effect
Ishikawa ‘fishbone diagram’
Five Why’s
Mind mapping
DO IT
Define the problem
Open mind and apply creative techniques
Identify best solution
Transform

27. Finding a Solution
Random word
Bridging ideas