Processes and techniques that contribute to innovative thinking in employees and organizations

Processes and techniques that contribute to innovative thinking in employees and organizations

Question

How to foster innovative thinking

Discuss processes and techniques that contribute to innovative thinking in yourself or your employees. The various processes and techniques are explained by teachers in tutorials and are also found in most innovative thinking textbooks.

The expectation is to think outside the box and develop ideas about other processes and techniques.

Green (2007) states that in creative organizations, belief in creative thinking should be supported and instilled at all levels of the organization. Perhaps he is one of the main reasons for the success of an organization because of creative thinking. Creative thinking is not limited to managers, employees also play an important role in developing new ideas that drive the company’s progress (Lu et al, 2017). The following report analyzes processes and techniques that contribute to the process of innovative thinking among both employers and employees.

Research shows that the main goal of creativity is not only to generate ideas within an organization, but also to have an effective strategy and the ability to implement it (Fong et al, 2018). Adams (1989) suggests that a two-step approach is needed, and that there must be a balance between green-light thinking skills and red-light thinking skills, meaning more ideas must be generated and the ability to implement them. suggests. Fong et al. (2018) suggest that asking the right questions that inform problem-solving skills is important to foster creative thinking processes. Latency is the next step in the creative thinking process that engages the subconscious mind to improve problem-solving skills (Ritter et al., 2014). In organizations, it’s not enough to just come up with an idea; you also have to take the risk of implementing it.

Adams (1989) believes that the creative process requires two very different types of processes to generate new ideas and solve problems: an exploratory thinking process and a critical thinking process. I am. When solving problems, it is very important to utilize both ways of thinking to find a solution. Some organizations ask employees to think about problems they may have faced and come up with solutions to solve them. Research shows that when such processes are encouraged in the workplace, employees often feel more involved in the decision-making process. It also helps create an environment that fosters creativity in the workplace (Adams, 1989). Group sessions improve interpersonal relationships among organizational members and promote effective problem-solving skills (Paulus et al., 2000). At Ogilvy, we believe that effective creativity should not compromise the value of your brand. No matter how good an idea is, it can be rejected because it doesn’t align with the brand’s values ​​(Ogilvy, 2013). This is common in creative thinking settings, and it’s important for both team members and managers to deal with negative reactions in a more positive way. The impact of creative thinking on organizations
Research shows that there is a link between critical thinking and innovation. Criticism is essential to analyzing and improving ideas. Criticism has been found to be difficult for people to handle and can lead to mismanagement of creative talent (Fong et al, 2018). Company managers need to ensure that different elements of a creative idea are evaluated while enabling their team to cope with difficult news. Research shows that there is a direct relationship between data and the decision-making process. Therefore, if managers want to think creatively and innovatively, they must critically evaluate the different ideas they come up with so that they can select and implement the best ideas.

Research shows that innovation through creative thought processes can have a lasting impact on companies and put them in a competitive position. The Visa case study shows that the company is one of the first almost virtual companies and currently connects with more than 21,000 financial institutions and has approximately 1.3 billion Visa cardholders. Masu. Good leadership and management style are responsible for Visa’s success (Lu et al, 2017). But it’s innovative thinking that has helped the company achieve its current success. Managerial attitude is a key factor in promoting creative thinking processes. Lu et al. (2017) show that one of the main characteristics of critical thinking is questioning processes and challenging commonly accepted conclusions. Giving employees the opportunity to question normative patterns without negativity can help generate new ideas.

Case studies show that Google is one of the most creative employers and constantly encourages employees to innovate. It was found that every employee at Google invests 20% of his time in developing innovative ideas that benefit the company (Oldham & Da Silva, 2015). This is one of the main reasons why Google is one of the world’s leading innovators. Brainstorming sessions are considered one of the most common techniques for encouraging employees to think about a particular problem and think constructively about how to address it. Creative thinking is a process that involves several stages. Green (2007) explained that his five stages of the creative thinking process include information, incubation, illumination, synthesis, and finally illustration. This is often beneficial for companies because it taps into the creativity of their employees.

The role of management in supporting creative thinking

Research shows that online retailers in the UAE value customer engagement through social media, which they believe leads to increased sales (Agha, 2019). Businesses interact with consumers to understand their perspectives and develop marketing strategies that address these needs. This clearly shows how useful it is to gather information from sources (Green, 2007). The concept of information gathering was espoused by David Ogilvy, who was considered one of the most creative minds of his time, stating that time-consuming information gathering is an irreplaceable method for creative success. (Ogilvy, 2013).

According to research, organizational attitude is one of the main factors that influence employee creativity. When management is inclusive and promotes diversity, employees and management themselves can be more productive in developing new ideas and innovations (Green, 2007). We find that employees who receive positive critical feedback are more likely to respond better to idea generation. When employees perceive that their ideas are recognized, have the potential to bring about positive change in the organization, and are rewarded, motivation increases (Reiter-Palmon et al., 2018). It’s important to make your employees feel included. Therefore, brainstorming sessions and ideation sessions should not be limited to one area but should be open to everyone. This increases management involvement and support in building creative teams (Reiter-Palmon et al, 2018). One technique used in many organizations is to talk about “what if” scenarios to explore future possibilities. Employees and management participate in the creative process and analyze the possible outcomes of such scenarios. This is a creative process and encourages different creative personalities. Processes must be formulated from data and lead to decision-making processes. Management must ensure that she has all three elements: attitude, skill, and ability to lead a creative team. IBM conducted a study highlighting the need to foster creativity in employees (Reichartz & Weinert 2016). This study found that employees’ creative potential is unleashed through collaboration, social networks, and information sharing (Reichartz & Weinert 2016). For example, let’s say you have an email address specifically for new ideas. This can lead to employee engagement in the form of rewards.

In summary, creative thinking and innovation go hand in hand. From the above it can be concluded that the process of creative thinking is one of the most important parts of the process and the combination of attitudes, techniques and skills by the organization to foster a creative environment. Masu. Building innovative and creative teams is a process that requires the joint efforts of employees and organizations.

Reference

Adams, M. J. (1989). The thinking skills curriculum: Its promise and progress. Educational Psychologist, 24(1), 25-77. Fight, Kakuru. (2019). Entrepreneurship Ecosystem: Innovative Thinking in the UAE.

Fong, C. J., Schallert, D.L., Williams, K.M., Williamson, Z.H., Warner, J.R., Lin, S., Kim, Y. W. (2018). When feedback indicates failure but there is hope for improvement: A process model of constructive criticism. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 30, 42-53.

Green, A. (2007). Creativity in public relations. Kogan Page Publishers.

Lu, J.G., Hafenbrack, A. C., Eastwick, P.W., Wang, D.J., Maddux, W.W., Galinsky, A.D. (2017). “Ready to go”: Close cross-cultural friendships and romantic relationships foster creativity, workplace innovation, and entrepreneurship. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(7), 1091.

Ogilvy, D. (2013). Ogilvy on advertising. Vintage.

Oldham, G. R. & da Silva, N. (2015). The impact of digital technologies on the generation and implementation of creative ideas in the workplace. Computers in Human Behavior, 42, 5-11.

Paulus, P.B. & Yang, H.C. (the year of 2000). Idea generation in groups: The foundations of creativity in organizations. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Making, 82(1), 76-87.

Reichardts, L. & Weinert, L. (2016). The impact of managerial activities on intrapreneurship: A case study at IBM.

Reiter-Palmon, R., Kennel, V.L., & Kaufman, J.C. (Eds.). (2018). Personal creativity in the workplace. Academic Press.

Ritter, S.M. & Dijksterhaus, A. (2014). Creativity – the unconscious basis of the incubation period. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 215.