Creativity,Getting serious with Roger von Oech’s Creative whack pack

Innovative organizations have come to realize That every person needs to contribute.

And to some people it comes more naturally..

Some blame traditional forms of education for rewarding rational thinking and solutions over creative approaches. All agree that much more can be done to bring out our natural creativity.

It depends on where you start ...

Organizations tend to go for efficiency and see Creativity as chaotic!

The real creative ideas originate hither and yon in the individual members of the staff and no one can tell in advance what they will be or where they will crop up. Frank B. Jewett (organizer and first head of Bell Labs)

"The things we fear most in organizations -- fluctuations, disturbances, imbalances -- are the primary sources of creativity."Margaret J. Wheatley

Perhaps the tree metaphor will help to organise thingsFrom bottom up ...

creativity

flexibility

efficiency

effectiveness

Growing up AFTER growing DOWN

doing RIGHT things well TOMORROWcreativity

flexibility

efficiency

effectiveness

doing RIGHT things tomorrow

doing things WELL

doing the RIGHT things

And then there is the Whack Pack to create focus in this process (Comparable to the shite-model)

analysisInventive search

Groundwork

The Explorer is your role for discovering the resources you'll use to create new ideas.The cards in the Explorersuit (blue and numbered 1-16) highlight places and ways to find new information.

Finding new ideas is like prospecting forGold. If you look in the same old places, You’ll find tapped out veins. But if youVenture off the beaten path. You can’t see the Good ideas behind you by looking twice as Hard at what’s in front of you. Where else canYou look for ideas ?

The Artist is your role for transformingYour resources into new ideas.The cards in the Artist suit (orange and numbered 17-32) provide you With idea-generating techniques.

When you don’t have a certain resource available (or want a change) you substitute.Indeed much of human progress is the resultOf substituting one idea or thing for another:Words for grunts, tools for fingers, money forgoods. What can you substitute?

The Judge is your role for evaluating an idea and deciding what to do with it. The cards in the Judge suit (green and numbered 33-48) lend decision-making advice

Be critical and sense what’s out of whack with the idea. Remember: you don't want to put a piece of garbage out in the worldwith your name on it.Why won’t the idea work?What’s lacking?What doesn’t feel right about the idea?

A handy tool for evaluating ideas, and not throwing away any

The Warrior is your role for implementing your idea. The cards in the Warriorsuit(red and numbered 49-64) give you the "kick" you need to get your ideas into action.

Much of the world has its defenses up to keep out new ideas. Thus, you need to become a warrior and do what's necessary to make your idea a reality. Sometimes this means fighting your way past the obstacles you encounter- As Yoda the Jedi Warrior put it, "Try? Thereis no try- There is only do or not do.”What resistance do you expect? How can you overcome it?

This Creativity Tool will enhance your creativityprocess by:• breaking your routine patterns of thinking

• consistently inspiring breakthrough ideas

• enhancing traditional brainstorming methods

• surfacing the creative potential of all employees

• turbo-charging continuous improvement activities Have a go .....

Any suggestions for new combinations ?