mgt567 being a creative group
TRANSCRIPT
Being a Creative GroupModule 3
David A. JarvisSalve Regina UniversityMGT567 Creative Problem SolvingOctober 6-7, 20-21 2012
Individuals vs. teams
The myth of the “lone genius” Individuals tends to get caught up with
their ideas – and can’t adapt Teams can provide greater momentum Teams can focus on multiple projects
concurrently
What do they all share in common?
VIDEO: ABC Nightline - IDEO Shopping Cart
Creative groups are a sum of diverse competencies, insight and energy
1. Foster creative friction
2. Protect against groupthink
3. Provide more opportunity
SOURCE: Managing Creativity and Innovation, HBR
The paradoxical characteristics of creative groups
beginner’s mind experience
freedom discipline
play professionalism
improvisation planning
SOURCE: Managing Creativity and Innovation, HBR
Building creative teams
SOURCE: How to Kill a Team’s Creativity, HBR
Functional diversity
• Improves the number of ideas• Could create information overload• May create difficulties solving problems
Social cohesion
• Foster candid debate• Sense of belonging to the team –
“superordinate identity”
Management involvement
• Needed to encourage and support the process
• Provide organizational resources• Monitoring increasing motivation
Building creative teams
Should have a clear goal A strong purpose, personality and passion Need a serious deadline Dedicated to achieving an end result Empowered to connect Irreverent and nonhierarchical Well rounded and respectful of diversity
“Groups shouldn’t be the result of inertia”SOURCE: The Art of Innovation
Building creative teams – gaps
Intellectual perspectives that complement – but don’t duplicate
A balance of expertise and personal characteristics
People who can work across functional boundaries
Look for skills that the team lacks Explore non-traditional hiring
channels Add a customer or outside
professional to the group
SOURCE: Managing Creativity and Innovation, HBR
Building creative teams
SOURCE: The Art of Innovation
Perform Meet Give ShareTrust
Right mix Co-locatedSense of
belonging
Mission or purpose
Passionate Irreverent Empowered Connected
Overcoming adversity
Shared experience
Fundamentals
Qualities
Composition
Challenge
8 crazy characters for teams
The visionary The troubleshooter
The iconoclast The pulse taker
The craftsman The technologist
The entrepreneur The cross-skilled
SOURCE: The Art of Innovation
Rules for creative conflict
Respect Commitment to active listening
Right to disagree Obligation to challenge assumptions
Opportunity to speak Conflicting views help us learn
Ideas and assumptions can be attacked, individuals can not Calculated risk is good
Failures should be acknowledged and learned from Playful attitudes are welcome
Success is celebrated as a groupSOURCE: Managing Creativity and Innovation, HBR
Handling creative conflict
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3
Create a climate Facilitate the discussion
Move towards closure
• People need to be willing to discuss different issues
• Freely point out the “elephant in the room”
• Acknowledge the issue
• Refer to the rules• Encourage
conversation• Keep it impersonal
• Discuss what can be done
• Make concrete suggestions for improvement
• Bring in a facilitator?
SOURCE: Managing Creativity and Innovation, HBR
Time pressure and creativity – are you…
…on an expedition …on a mission
…on autopilot …on a treadmillSOURCE: Managing Creativity and Innovation, HBR
Time pressure and creativity
SOURCE: Managing Creativity and Innovation, HBR
• Oriented towards generating ideas rather than identifying problems
• Collaborate more with one person than a group
• Can focus on one activity because they are protected
• Doing important work, positively challenged
• Equally oriented between generating ideas and identifying problems
• Receive little encouragement from management
• More group meetings and discussions
• Engagement is less collaborative overall
• Feel distracted• Involved with many different
activities• Don’t feel the work is important• Feel more pressed for time
than if they were on a mission
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Time pressure
Low High
High
Low
SOURCESBOOKS Arthur, Cropley. Creativity in Education and Learning. Routledge, 2001. ISBN-10: 0749434473 Kelley, Tom, Jonathan Littman, and Tom Peters. The Art of Innovation: Lessons in Creativity from IDEO, America's
Leading Design Firm. Crown Business, 2001. ISBN-10: 0385499841 Lehrer, Jonah. Imagine: How Creativity Works. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012. Leonard-Barton, Dorothy and Walter C. Swap. When Sparks Fly: Harnessing the Power of Group Creativity. Harvard
Business Review Press, 2005. ISBN-10: 1591397936 Managing Creativity and Innovation (Harvard Business Essentials). Harvard Business Review Press, 2003. ISBN-10:
1591391121 Puccio, Gerald, Marie Mance and Mary C. Murdock. Creative Leadership - Skills That Drive Change. 2nd ed. Sage
Publications, 2011. ISBN-10: 1412977576 Treffinger, Donald, Scott Isaksen, and Brian Stead-Doval. Creative Problem Solving: An Introduction. 4th ed. Prufrock
Press, 2006. ISBN-10: 1593631871
ARTICLES “Developing Creative and Critical Thinkers”, Col. Charles D. Allen, U.S. Army, Ret. and Col. Stephen J. Gerras, Ph.D.,
U.S. Army, Ret., Military Review, Nov-Dec 2009 “Sparking creativity in teams: An executive’s guide”, Marla M. Capozzi, Renée Dye, and Amy Howe, McKinsey
Quarterly, April 2011 “How Pixar Fosters Collective Creativity”, Ed Catmull, Harvard Business Review, Sept 2008 “Inside Cisco’s Search for the Next Big Idea”, Guido Joret, Harvard Business Review, Sept 2009 “How to Kill Creativity”, Teresa M. Amabile, Harvard Business Review, Sept-Oct 1998 “Cultivating organizational creativity in an age of complexity” (IBM study, 2011) “Defining Systematic Creativity” (LEGO Learning Institute, 2009) “Accelerate!”, John P. Kotter, Harvard Business Review, Nov 2012 “What Doesn't Motivate Creativity Can Kill It”, Teresa Amabile and Steve Kramer, Harvard Business Review Blog
Network, April 25, 2012 “KIDS Vision: Imagining Possible Futures for Technology”, Latitude Studios