CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION How innovative are you?

Chapter 16 Lecture 3

Solve the problem

Remove three sticks to leave four

See this figure?

Divide the figure below into as many pieces as you can by making four straight cuts with a long knife

2 Dimensions=11

Cuts and pieces

3 dimensions=14

imagine it’s a cake

Another Perspective

Fold it after each cut=16

New Challenge

A company manufactures glassware. The last step of the process is to wrap glasses individually in used newspapers and then place them in a specially designed box. The box is then sealed. Management notices low productivity with this last step, observing that workers occasionally stop to read the newspapers? What can management do to increase productivity?

Steps to Personal Creativity 1. Accept that you can be creative 2. Question traditional assumptions 3. Expand your problem-solving styles 4. Employ creativity techniques 5. Practice thinking in new ways 6. Learn when your creative thinking is best

Adapted in part from Higgins, James M. 1997. Escape From The Maze. New York: New Management Publishing.

Relevance to Globalization

In a rapidly changing global world, managers must use all their abilities to anticipate opportunities and threats

Future Visions of the Auto Industry

Fuel injections will require much less gas Need for lean production There will be need for small autos to serve utilitarian mass

markets There will be more women drivers in Europe and Asia Emotions will be used to promote products Increased speed limits More roads will be needed

Future Visions of the Food Industry This is a recession-proof industry with very slim profit

margins We see segmentation of markets and niche development Many consumers/nations leapfrog to the latest trends

rather than following a particular development process The natural environment is increasingly important Computer technology linking suppliers gets food to market

at a lower price In Western countries there is a trend toward less cooking

in the home

Envisioning Techniques

Linear• step-by-step; scenario planning, etc.

Intuitive• imagery; brainstorming; analogy

Stimulants to Work Creativity* 1) FREEDOM in deciding work to do or how to do it 2) CHALLENGE to work hard on important projects 3) RESOURCES needed to do the work 4) ENCOURAGEMENT from a supervisor who is a good work

model, sets appropriate goals, supports and has confidence in the work group

5) WORK GROUP SUPPORTS such as diverse skills, people who communicate well, are open to new ideas, constructively challenge one another’s work, trust and help each other, and feel committed to their work

6) ORGANIZATIONAL ENCOURAGEMENT in a culture that supports creativity and communicates a shared vision of organization

Obstacles to Work Creativity 1) ORGANIZATIONAL IMPEDIMENTS such as

internal political problems, harsh criticism of new ideas, destructive internal competition, avoidance of risk and overemphasis on the status quo

2) WORKLOAD PRESSURES such as extreme time pressure, unrealistic expectations, or distractions

Weigh the Odds

You have 50 coins of which one is slightly heavier than all others. This weight difference can be detected on a balance scale

What is the least number of weighings required to find the heaviest coin?

New Challenge

B

A

A

A

B

CC