4.5 Innovation with others

In looking at creative thinking and innovation we have learned or been reminded that these are not solitary activities. It is also important to treat creative thinking and innovation as things that can be structured and developed. It is not about the magic eureka moments (although these can happen); it is about making creative thinking and innovation an integral part of the way we approach things as an organisation, as a service team, as a project group.

Getting a project off to a good start

In this video Sarah B Nelson talk about the importance of the pre-project stage. The video is 30 minutes but you can skip to start the video at 07:50 if you like.

UX Week 2011 | Sarah B. Nelson | Effective Creative Leadership from Adaptive Path on Vimeo.

Encouraging ideas sharing

This is a short video (6 minutes) that role plays a relationship to illustrate encouraging others to be involved in the creative process through Three Cs:

• Consider
• Compliment
• Challenge

Simplistic? Maybe, but the first conversation (or something very like it) happens many times every day. Look out for situations where pressure of time or focus on the task means that you are blocking out contributions from other people around you.

Creative meetings

Too many meetings stifle creative thinking and discourage innovation. This slide presentation by Martine Vanremoortele suggests 21 Ways to make meetings more productive.

Reflection

Thinking about your own workplace situation: What could you do to encourage positive conversations about new ideas and new ways of doing things?

If you are on the brink of a new project or service review:
What steps can you take to ensure that it taps into all the best creative thinking talent of the people around you?

You can use the Stepping Into Leadership Course Workbook to record your thoughts.

Continue the course with: 5.1 Change