CBI 2002 UK Innovation Survey

1. Creativity and InnovationThere is a microscopically fine line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth, so what the hell - leap Cynthia Heimel

2. CBI 2002 UK Innovation Survey Internal • a general failure to prioritise innovation; • the failure to use people-centred initiatives e.g. ideas training, suggestion schemes; • the lack of an innovation ‘champion’ at Board level; • the widespread failure to engage in ‘foresight’ activities; • failure to maximise returns on investment in un-used ideas; • poor management of the innovation process including ideas management and process review

3. NIEC NI Innovation Survey • NI weakest region • NI 11th of 12 UK comparator regions re expenditure • 11% of expenditure was for grants (4.7% UK) • Top 10 companies – 59% of research and development spend • Little of university research and development on NI industry

4. Creativity “The habit of continually doing things in new ways to make a positive difference to our working lives”

5. Innovation • Insight + • Ideas + • Impact = • Innovation

6. Definitions of Creativity • Creativity - Bringing into existence an idea that is new to you • Innovation - The practical application of creative ideas • Creativethinking - An innate talent that you were born with and a set of skills that can be learned, developed and used in daily problem-solving. • Creativepeople - Those people who do not suppress their innate creativity and who their creative ability in various aspects of life.

7. How we Think? • Reductionist • Look for similarities • We become socialised • Perceptions • Our brain hard wired against creativity • Rivers of thought • Need expansionist thoughts • Need lateral thinking to trick our brains • Stimulus

8. Creativity Nature or Nurture

9. Ten Pattern Breaking Ideas • Change your route to work • Read something different • Meet new people • Get out of your normal environment • Ask family (especially children) to help solve a problem • Take more time and always generate options before choosing • Take time out in a refreshing environment • Take a walk – ‘get out more’ – to see and think • Listen to music (what is no.1?) • Reinvent your job role and style at least once a year.

10. Creativity • Assess creativity • Build a culture of creativity • Illustrate that it is being led and is acceptable behaviour • Reward it • Train people in it

11. The 4P’s of Creativity • Positivity • Playfulness • Passion • Persistence

12. Creative Icons • Identify a creative icon • Why are they creative? • How does this relate to you? • Why?

13. Barriers to Creativity • About human behaviour • Attitude • Skills • Structure • Environment • Behaviours

14. Creativity Enablers • Freshness • Greenhousing • Realness • Momentum • Signalling • Courage

15. FreshnessFour River-Jumping Techniques • Re-expression – finding an alternative way of describing or experiencing the issue • Related worlds – finding an alternative but similar issue or benefit in another field • Revolution – identifying, then deliberately challenging the rules and assumptions – using “what if ?” scenarios e.g. what if we did nothing or what if we halved or doubled the budget • Random links – using a deliberate connection with a random item – must be random and you must find a connection

16. Greenhousing • Young ideas easy to destroy – not rapid fire emergency room • Need SUN • Suspend judgement • Understand • Nurture • Avoid RAIN • React • Assume • INsist

17. Realness • Stop talking • How can I make it real for an audience • A revolution in the way we behave • Loop the loop – Dyson – over 5,000 prototypes • Encourage imperfection • Share the realness • Show me What I hear, I forget What I see, I remember What I do, I know.

18. Momentum • The management of energy • Unrelenting energy and excitement • Contagious – but so is inertia • Less meetings – more action • Seek alignment of others • Create a short term crises • Just say no

19. Signalling • A behaviour with three distinct stages • Tune In, • Choose to Act and • Propose a response • Brush-offs are not good • Tell others how you want them to react • Navigate between the world of business and creativity • Give people space

20. Courage • Bravery • Expose yourself to potential judgement • Rabbit in the headlights.

21. What Hinders Ideas Generation? • Looking for the right answer • Approaching problem solving as a “serious” business • Avoiding making mistakes as far as possible • Pushing yourself even when tired to keep working on a problem • Asking advise only from “experts” • Dismissing all “silly” ideas

22. What Hinders Ideas Generation? • Telling your ideas only to people who will agree with or support them • Keeping quiet when you don’t understand something • Following the motto “If it isn’t broken, it doesn’t need mending” • Not having a system of recording ideas that come to you

23. What Helps Ideas Generation? • Looking for lots of possible right answers • Having fun with problem solving and “play” with ideas • Accepting mistakes as a natural by-product of the creative process • Taking deliberate breaks when you put the problem on the back burner • Getting information from a variety of sources

24. What Helps Ideas Generation? • Using your sense of humour as a rich source of possibilities • Encouraging feedback from a variety of sources including a “Devils advocate” • Asking “stupid” questions • Continually looking for ways to improve all products, services and systems • Keeping an “ideas note-book” to record all good ideas

25. Creative Problem-Solving • Generating Ideas • Brainstorming • Assessing Ideas • Prioritising the ideas and then building on them

26. Analysis of Cause and Effect • Ishikawa ‘fishbone diagram’ • Five Why’s • Mind mapping • DO IT • Define the problem • Open mind and apply creative techniques • Identify best solution • Transform

27. Finding a Solution • Random word • Bridging ideas