CREATIVITY & IDEA GENERATION

K.J. Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research, Mumbai

Session plan
1. Convergent and Divergent thinking

2. Block Busting Techniques

3. Triggering Creative thoughts

2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved.

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Need for Creativity & Innovation

Creativity leads to innovations. Innovations important for growth,

diversification, going into niche market Helps in turning problems into opportunities Seek out unique opportunities to fill needs and wants It leads to employee satisfaction Competitive advantage Creative thinking + systematic analysis = success

Blocks To Creativity
Would-be creative thinkers mistakenly blame blocks to

their thought processes. Here are some of them: Only clever, successful or artistic people can be creative. You need to suffer hardship and pain to be truly creative (artist starving in the garret). Only young people have creative ideas . Time, money and effort are needed; creative thinking is a luxury most of us cant afford . Its only for men/women/the birds. Everyone has an imagination which is the fuel for creative thinking. It is negative thinking which stops the creative process.

Creative thinking
Two kinds of thinking: A. convergent thinking: linear, logical, left brained B. divergent thinking: playful, associative, imaginative, right brained Mental blocks on divergent thinking: trying to

find right answer, logical thinking, rules following, being practical, hyper specialization, proving wrong, denying your own creativity, etc

Processes Associated With the Two Brain Hemispheres

Source: Betty Edwards, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (Los Angeles: Tarcher, 1979).

Block Busting Using Objects

Use for: Tool for breaking you out of functionally fixated mindset
Think of an object or idea and find out various

possibilities of uses for which it can be used. E.g possible uses of brick, bucket, etc.

Use for ex - brick

doorstop, boat anchor, build a wall, build a walk,

ballast, sanding block, powder and make dye, put on white background and make a sign (red letters), nut cracker, red chalk, stop signal (use something green like a cucumber for go), heat reservoir, leaf press, paper weight, step stool, target for shooting, children's toys, scale weight standard, distance standard, definition of red, water holder (soaked), pattern maker (in soft material), pendulum weight, bell clapper, roofing material (crushed)

Activity 2
Find out the uses for:
1. U clips 2. old newspaper 3. worn out car tires 4. plastic drinking glasses 5. toothpicks 6. Dupatta 7. Playing cards

Block Busting
Random word association/ Trigger concept:
It is an idea creating technique operated by bringing an

unrelated idea into the problem and forcing connections or similarities between the two. Example problem: improve TV programming & Trigger concept: road Questions of association:
How is TV programming like a road? (a journey, dangerous curves,

linear progress--would better continuity improve TV?

What do roads do? They take you somewhere. Does TV programming

take you somewhere? Could improved programming do this better? More location filming? More programs from abroad? Programs that take viewers on intellectual journey?

Activity - 3
1. Problem -Bajaj Auto wants to improve existing motorcycle.

Trigger concept mobile handset

2. Problem: Mumbai Police want to make Mumbai safe &

secure Trigger concept wristwatch 3. Problem A management college want to improve communication skills of the students 4. Trigger concept elephant Problem A firm wants to control the problem of absenteeism 5. Trigger concept newspaper Problem A restaurant wants to attract more customers. Trigger concept - dog

 Block Busting Techniques: Brainstorming Method for generating new product ideas people can be stimulated to a greater creativity by meeting with the others and participating in organized group experiences.
Rules Establish a dialogue Exchange ideas Dont interrupt No criticism is allowed to anyone in the group Freewheeling is encouraged Quantity is encouraged Combinations and improvements of ideas are encouraged

Activity 4
Brainstorming activity on the following topic
1. What if all SIMSR faculty go on strike?

Or
2. What if the Govt bans oil imports?

Block Busting
What if: major block on creativity is fierce grasp on reality. This activity lets us release the mind for delivering us from being blocked

by reality. Describing or imagining action or solution E.g. what if rocks were soft? What if animals could talk? What if everybody looked exactly same?

What if - example
For example, what if automobiles were all owned by the government and everybody had a key and could use any car that was handy? Consequences:
Parking lot size could be reduced. There would probably be more car pooling with strangers. If cars were maintained by the government, too, some would

be in better shape than now, but others would be in worse shape--no pride in personal ownership. On sunny days cars would be plentiful, but on rainy days, you might get stuck at the shopping center. Cars that broke down would be abandoned. You couldn't lock things in your car. You'd never know if the car you drove to a location (like the movie theater at night) would be there when you got out.

Activity - 4
Do the what if exercise for the followings:

1. What if everybody has the same name?

2. What if everybody gets the same income? 3. What if babies could talk from the first day? 4. What if anyone could set up as a doctor? 5.What if each home could run the television

only one hour per day? 6. What if we never had to sleep? 7. What if our pets could talk?

Learning
Creativity & innovations play an important role

in any organization. It helps in gaining competitive advantage, increasing value to your customer as well as increasing employee satisfaction level Creativity could be inborn or can be developed. The sources of new ideas can come from various sources.