Successful new products are usually associated with "idea-centric" creativity. The greater the number of creative and relevant ideas created, the more likely it is that successful new products will emerge, according to Innovation Services at Decision Analyst. And real-life experiences often help to anchor and focus creativity for maximizing the number of actionable new product ideas that can be generated

Creativity in product design and in business processes is growing increasingly important. To wit, the World Economic Forum held its 36th annual meeting late last month in Davos, Switzerland, of which the theme was: "The Creative Imperative." Sessions covered everything from climate change and political relations to corporate strategy and technological innovation. According to the Forum's program, "Business, government and social innovators are taking on new creative capabilities and innovation strategies in response to a rapidly changing global landscape."

Some people are more creative than others. Absolutely. Fortunately, there are various tools that can help people cultivate creativity inherent in nearly everyone.

This according to Richard Seymour and Dick Powell, cofounders of product-design consultancy Seymourpowell, in a recent Control Engineering article.

Why "cultivate?" As the aptly named Cultivate Creativity blog properly explains, "There is no proven blueprint to follow here, nor will all efforts necessarily lead directly to results."

First of all, one of the misperceptions about creativity (and innovation) is that new ideas simply appear, said a recent Boston Herald Business article. "There is a certain romance to the notion of the 'brainstorm,' where revolutionary ideas magically present themselves. It is a comforting notion, that new ideas will simply arrive unannounced. It also puts the onus of delivery on the idea and not the individual."

The difficulty of establishing an effective creative process has two primary challenges — the issue of time and the issue of the process itself.

The issue of time is a critical one, "a black hole of ringing phones, vibrating BlackBerries, e-mail-laden in-boxes, back-to-back meetings and harried business travel — and that's just the morning's agenda," noted the Boston business article, as it further said:

What is tepidly touted as effective time management masks a disintegration of pure quality time, the necessary time to clear your mind, to explore, to ramble, to experiment — all the activities necessary to allow ideas to form and to incubate. What is needed to jumpstart the process is a sabbatical from the land of multitasking — which begins with an acknowledgment that all this activity is no longer about staying ahead of the curve. It is, in fact, about keeping afloat and that is not to anyone's competitive advantage.

Creativity should be fueled by a rich passion for design and innovation, said Seymour and Powell. Think of it as a process, not a noun: "The idea (inspiration) is more important than the work (perspiration) that follows, although that's certainly significant as well. Ideas come with rich knowledge, immersion in everything that's going on: society, people, technology, science, business and economic trends. Blips appear; creative thoughts don't often happen with linear thinking."

According to a Biz Community article last year, organizations too often create barriers to such creative breakthrough thinking: they apply the wrong mental assumptions to problems; take the wrong approach or involve the wrong people; address problems at the wrong time; or they even address the wrong problem. (Fear of thinking also plays an alarming role in stifling imagination and originality.)

Thus, leaders of breakthrough new businesses have a simple and intuitive strategy for motivating their teams, reported Fast Company:

Tell them that they will be part of a nimble, entrepreneurial, and innovative new business unit that can create the future and change the world. Tell them that the new business unit will have a different culture — more open, more egalitarian, more empowering. Tell them that they were hired to be part of an elite team because they were the best. Tell them that they were selected because they can think differently, because they are natural rebels, and because they are ready to break out of the traditional mold. Tell them that they are the type of people that can succeed in ways that others in the company can not. Tell them they are going to help save the company from itself.

Embracing creativity in your organization must take place within the context of a sound business plan. For a meaningful impact, what one must consider is its impact on mission and strategy, on employees, customers, partners and other stakeholders.

Breakthrough thinking starts with creating a culture of openness to change in an organization. As well, there must be a willingness both to promote independent thinking and to enable employees to take new ideas and turn them into concrete actions.

This not only enables decision making to be participative right at commencement, but also empowers staff to make creative choices, and encourages them to break out of current systems and thinking.

One benefit derived from this level of thinking, according to Biz Community, is that from an external point of view, you can almost certainly bet on more volume at a higher value and higher margins. Another external benefit is that "you can also count on the fact that your customers will value your innovation and creativity as they feel the direct impact," as "competitive advantage will be a given as you take your concepts to market."

Internally, the ultimate benefit is that employee morale, motivation, commitment and an increased sense of participation "will make the world of difference to how your organization is perceived by its people, while their own ability to solve problems will increase exponentially — to your organization's advantage."

Being creative in your business, and helping your company increase its capacity for innovation and change, can make the difference between survival and death in today's world of business, said Biz Community; it plays a key role in ensuring ongoing competitiveness and profitability. Creativity (and innovation) are often the intangible factors that enable a business to differentiate itself from all the others out there that are offering similar products and services.

References

Worldwide New Product Ideation Via The Internet
Innovation Services at Decision Analyst

Product design gurus suggest ways to improve the processes
by Mark T. Hoske
Control Engineering, Feb. 7, 2006

Cultivate Creativity blog

Formally foster innovation and inevitable change
by Regina M. Pisa
The Boston Herald, Feb. 1, 2006

Cultivate creativity to boost your bottom line
by Ian Widdop
Biz Community.com, March 16, 2005

Innovation and the Inevitable Break-the-Rules Backlash
by Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Trimble
Fast Company, March 21, 2005

Earlier: 6 Misconceptions about Creativity