CREATIVITY: OVERRUSED BUZZWORD OR...
Transcript of CREATIVITY: OVERRUSED BUZZWORD OR...
CREATIVITY: OVERRUSED BUZZWORD
OR BUSINESS LIFELINE?
Michael Kobrin, CPA, CA, CEC
President, The Kobrin Group
March 22, 2017
AGENDA
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My Creativity Journey My Creativity Journey
What is Creativity?
Why Is It Important?
Barriers and Enablers
Frameworks and Tools
CPA | Photographer | Leadership Coach | Designer | Facilitator
POLLING QUESTION #1
A. Yes
B. No
1. Do you consider yourself “creative”?
WHAT IS CREATIVITY?
Creativity is the
process of bringing
something new into
being.
Rollo May
WHAT IS CREATIVITY?
Just making
something.
It might be something
crummy or awkward or
not ready for prime
time. If you make
something, you are
creative.
Sonia Simone
WHAT IS CREATIVITY?
Seeing the
intersection of
seemingly unrelated
topics and combining
them into something
new.
Brian Clark
WHAT IS CREATIVITY?
GROWTH COMMUNICATION
CONNECTION DEVELOPMENT
PROCESS
NEW
BRING INTO EXISTENCE
PATTERNS
INTERSECTION
IMAGINE
IDEAS
INNOVATION COLLABORATION
SELF-EXPRESSION
PROBLEM-SOLVING
ART DESIGN
CURIOSITY
IMPORTANT DISTINCTIONS
Creativity vs. Innovation Creative vs. Artistic
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
* Source: Creative Education Foundation
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Everyone is
creative in
some way*
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Creative skills
can be learned
and enhanced*
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Creativity can
be a deliberate
process
You can’t use up creativity.
The more you use, the more you have.
Maya Angelou
WHY IS CREATIVITY IMPORTANT?
Technology
& Innovation
Leadership Employee
Inspiration
WHY IS CREATIVITY IMPORTANT?
Source: Adobe State of Create: 2016 Survey
A business that invests in creativity is more likely to:
Foster
Innovation
Have Happier
Employees Be Competitive Be Financially
Successful
79% 73% 76%83%
WHY IS CREATIVITY IMPORTANT?
Top 10 Skills
In 2020 In 2015
1. Complex Problem-Solving
2. Critical Thinking
3. Creativity
4. People Management
5. Coordinating with Others
6. Emotional Intelligence
7. Judgement and Decision-Making
8. Service Orientation
9. Negotiation
10. Cognitive Flexibility
1. Complex Problem-Solving
2. Coordinating with Others
3. People Management
4. Critical Thinking
5. Negotiation
6. Quality Control
7. Service Orientation
8. Judgement and Decision-Making
9. Active Listening
10. Creativity
Source: Future of Jobs Report, World Economic Forum, 2016.
POLLING QUESTION #2
A. Yes
B. No
2. My boss actively encourages and supports creative
thinking and innovation.
CREATIVITY BARRIERS AND ENABLERS
• Self-limiting beliefs
• Comfort
• Lack of trust
• Judgement
• Following the rules
• Risk-aversion
• Fear of failure
Creativity Barriers
Painting by @madebyjimbob
CREATIVITY BARRIERS AND ENABLERS
• Trust and Safety
• Self-confidence
• Openness
• Curiosity
• Diversity
• Play
• Experimentation
Creativity Enablers
Failure is not
the opposite of
success, it’s part
of success.
Arianna Huffington
FRAMEWORKS & TOOLS
• Generate as many ideas and
options as possible
• Focus is on quantity rather
than quality
Divergent Thinking
• Take different ideas and
options and funnel them into
one specific solution or action
• Focus is on evaluation
Convergent Thinking
FRAMEWORKS & TOOLS
Creative Problem-Solving (CPS) Framework
Source: Creative Education Foundation (www.creativeeducationfoundation.org)
FRAMEWORKS & TOOLS
FourSight Thinking Profile Assessment
Source: FourSight website (foursightonline.com)
• Recognizes that everyone has a
different approach to creativity and
innovation
• Helps team members better
understand and communicate with
each other
FRAMEWORKS & TOOLS
Useful Tools & Techniques
Brainstorming
Brainwriting
5W1H (Who, What, Where, When, Why, How)
5 Whys
SCAMPER (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to Other Use,
Eliminate, Rearrange)
Forced Connections
PPCO (Pluses, Potentials, Concerns, Overcoming Concerns)
Stormz Collaboration Software (stormz.co)
IDEATION TOOLS - EXAMPLE
• Think of a work problem
you are currently dealing
with
• Look at the image and
write down everything
that comes to mind
• Take a minute to note
any new insights or
thoughts you might have
Forced Connections
FRAMEWORKS & TOOLS
Ideation Tips
Create a safe and open environment
Change things up!
Separate idea generation from evaluation
Defer judgment and be curious
Adopt a “Yes, and..” vs. “No, but..” approach
Build on everyone’s ideas
Ask “What if….?” often
Focus on quantity
Encourage weird ideas
ACTION ITEMS
1. One thing from this webinar that
particularly resonated with you?
2. One thing you need to start or stop
doing to be more creative?
3. One thing you can do to encourage
creative-thinking within your team
and/or organization?
After the webinar, take a minute
to write-down:
We can't solve
problems by using
the same kind of
thinking we used
when we created
them.
Albert Einstein
CREATIVITY: OVERRUSED BUZZWORD
OR BUSINESS LIFELINE?
Questions?
This free webinar is part of the CPA Source Leadership and Management
webinar series. Visit our national career website CPA Source to view the
latest job postings available to CPAs as well as other useful career-related
resources.
Michael Kobrin, CPA, CA, CEC
www.thekobringroup.com
kobrinphotography.com
416.999.3987
SPEAKER CONTACT INFORMATION
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