CREATIVITY BASED TECHNIQUES Introduction: Many of the techniques for productivity improvement are suitable for activities, such

as Diagnosis and Decision making. While these techniques, by themselves, are of great value, they are suitable for generating alternatives and solutions. While diagnosis does facilitate solution by exposing the root cause, yet there could be alternative ways of eliminating the root cause something that diagnosis, by itself, does not bring to the surface. The process of generating ideas is not a logical or analytical process; it is a creative process that requires a different pattern of thinking. In this chapter we will discuss some of the most commonly used creativity techniques. Brainstorming: Definition and Meaning: Brainstorming is a management technique of problem solving where a group of people of heterogeneous nature of age, sex, background and functions numbering between six minimum and twenty maximum generate a large number of ideas in a small time. Brainstorming may be defined as a means of getting large number of ideas from a group of people in a short time by following certain rules. The definition focuses on three aspects:-(a). Large number of ideas: Brainstorming is a tool to generate a large number of ideas. There is no guarantee that the ideas will be practicable; there is no guarantee that the ideas will be the best. The hypothesis, underlying the efficacy of brainstorming, is that quantity leads to quality! Often good ideas are buried under bad ones in the brain; unless the bad ideas are permitted to exit, the good ones do not surface. (b). A group of people: Brainstorming is a group process. The optimum size of a group is above twelve; but it can vary between six and twenty. Ideally, the group should be heterogeneous, with as much diversity in gender, age, qualifications and experience, as possible. This permits observation of the problem from different viewpoints, which is the crux of the brainstorming process. (c). In a short time: This refers to the rate of flow of ideas. This rate can be as high as one hundred ideas in a period of ten minutes. Once again the emphasis is on quantity. The guidelines of brainstorming: The success of brainstorming technique depends on the way we apply it. Following four basic guidelines van ensure the success of a brainstorming session:

(a). Free generation of ideas without inhibition. (b). No evaluation or judgment on ideas generated during Brainstorming period. (c). Emphasis is laid on quantity, i.e., Large number of ideas irrespective of quality. Do not examine quality or feasibility of ideas at this stage. (d). Objective is to pick up other peoples ideas and develop. Stages of brainstorming: The process of brainstorming consists of six stages; (i). stating the problem: The problem is explained to the participants by the leader and a short discussion is held on the same. (ii). restating the problem: Restate the problem in as many ways as possible by all the participants and a short discussion is held on all such restatements. (iii). select a basic re-statement: A basic statement is selected by the group as a LEAD. (iv). warm up: Then there is a warm up session to get the participants freewheeling. (v). Idea generation: The leader writes the statement on apiece of paper and recalls the ideas. All ideas are displayed and discussed. Allow this to continue till all ideas dry out. (vi). wildest idea: The most foolish idea from the session is taken up as the wildest idea and attempts are made to turn these wildest ideas into useful ideas by further brainstorming. END the session on a high note. Look for implementation of ideas. Donts long

Dos and Donts of Brainstorming: Dos Suspend judgment discussion Allow wild and silly ideas. Have a warm up session. Encourage noise and laughter. Take more than one statement of the problem.

Spend

too

on

initial

Allow observers. Tape record the proceedings. Accept interruptions. Drag a session that has dried up

Nominal Group Technique: In the Nominal Group Technique, a group of qualified individuals come together to present their ideas and then vote for the most favored one. This idea is taken up as the decision of the group. The group is referred to as nominal, since the group members do not directly interact with each other. Every member works on the solution independently. This technique uses writing, in contrast with speaking, for generation of ideas and for evaluation. Features of Nominal Group Technique (NGT): NGT foes beyond Brainstorming.

NGT brings together small group of individuals who systematically present their ideas and then select the most favored one. NGT is a Group Decision. Each member is given the problem in written form. Each one of the group works independently without consulting each other at this stage and develops a solution and puts it in writing silently. Discussion is held on each recorded idea for clarification and evaluation. A hierarchic Superior or designate selects the ideas to be implemented or alternatively members vote for the priority ideas with the group discussion derived through Rank ordering or rating. NGT emphasizes the importance of both Idea Generation and Idea Separation from specific individuals. NGT session allows two hours or so to complete. NGT technique allows evaluation of many ideas without pressures to conform to those of a high status person. NGT technique requires the use of a Trained Group Facilitator and deals with one Problem at a time.

Sequence of activities in Nominal Group Technique: Step 1 A small group gathers around a table and receives instructions. The Problem is identified. Participant thinks and silently writes down ideas about Problem Solving. Each Participants ideas are presented one at a time and recorded on a chart. All ideas are expressed. Each idea is discussed and evaluated by the group members. Participants secretly rank the ideas as per their order of preference. The highest ranking idea is taken as the groups Decision. Advantages and Disadvantages of NGT: The biggest advantage of Nominal Group Techniques is that, it allows formation of an informed opinion. Ranking of ideas by the group members is facilitated supplying information held by each member to all the other members. It is a fairly rapid process, permitting objective exchange of ideas. The major disadvantage of this technique is that it requires a trained facilitator to run the session. 3

Since effective decisions will be made only if we are able to remove the element of bias and prejudices, it is advised to record the ideas anonymously i.e. without mentioning the name of the person giving it. Secondly secret balloting should be used for final choice. Lateral Thinking: Our resistance to change makes us reluctant to accept something new or different. When we have a couple of standard, tried and tested solutions in hand, we stop looking further. We fall into the syndrome of the good being the enemy of the better. Having something good, we cease to search for the better. To be more innovative, we must learn to think in radically different ways, away from the conventional pattern of thinking. This different way of thinking is termed as Lateral Thinking to contrast with the normal modes of logical thought. Definition and Meaning of Lateral thinking: Lateral Thinking is defined as a thinking process in which we make deliberate attempts to generate new ideas by introducing a discontinuity in our thought process. Thus lateral thinking implies considering a problem from a fresh perspective, a point of view which is different from the norm, the obvious. His change in perspective can be relaxing as well as productive. Some examples are:-(a). Visualizing the extreme opposite of the situation or reversing the objective: Suppose we want to bring down the inventory levels, we may try thinking what can be done to increase inventory?. This may bring to light some inherent weaknesses in the system. Even if we dont get a solution, at least we know what NOT to do. (b). Looking at the surroundings of the problem rather than the problem itself: (c). Challenging the assumptions: For sometime, unlearn what you know is the best way. Believe that your information is wrong. Try something which goes against the assumptions. You might find that some of the old ways can be improved or replaced. Principles of Lateral Thinking: The principles of lateral thinking can be clubbed under three headings:-(a). Background: The need for Lateral Thinking arises from the fact that dominance of any idea or concept generally suppresses other useful and efficient ideas. Thus dominance blocks the way to explore continuously more and more useful and efficient ideas, stopping the progress.

(b). Escape: This principle suggests recognition of the dominant idea and deliberate search for alternate ways of doing the things. The search is alternate ways and not for the best way (c). Provocation: This assumes that it may be necessary to be wrong at some stage in order to reach the right solution. Therefore we use one idea to provoke or generate another set of ideas, rather than checking its individual correctness. Difference between Conventional (Vertical) and Lateral Thinking: Conventional (Vertical) Thinking Conventionally we think to choose and prove something. It is in search of answers. Uses information in its meaning. Seeks continuity i.e. expects one thing to follow another. Concentrates only on relevant facts eliminating irrelevant things. It is a close-ended procedure aimed at result. Lateral Thinking Here we think to generate and explore ideas. It is in search of proper questions. Uses information for its effect. Seeks discontinuity. Doesnt consider anything as irrelevant.

It is an open-ended process giving maximum results, but makes no promise.

Whole Brain Thinking --------- Split-Brain Theory: Our abilities, skills and personality traits are strongly influenced by our habit of using one side of the brain more than the other. The two hemispheres of our brain have distinct thinking processes. Visualization, emotions, intuition, etc. are housed in the right brain whereas logic and communication are functions of the left brain. We could be right dominated or left and accordingly our interests or abilities would emerge. Whatever our dominance or preference be, we do make automatic shifts as per the occasion. Typically, we use our right brain while listening to music or painting and the left brain while speaking or solving a puzzle. Hemispheric Dominance: Examples of brain style: --How would you go about solving a problem? Would you follow an organized approach like defining the problem and breaking it into parts, recording possible solutions, eliminating the non-viable solutions and then selecting the best of the rest? If so, then you are probably left-dominant. A right dominant person would try to see the picture as a whole, get a feel of what will work and place his trust in hunches or gut feeling.

How would you guide a person to a particular place if asked to give directions? Again, a left dominant person would be precise and say something like, take the second left and then the first right. Right dominants would go for visual cues, say, turn left when you come across this tall green building with a dome-shaped structure at the top. Why Whole Brain Thinking? Most of us dwell on the side that we are comfortable with. But, it is possible and advantageous to develop the less preferred side. Learning to use both sides of our brain would help unleash a little more of the enormous amount of brain power that we have. We would be able to take better control of the situations if we consciously selected the task-appropriate hemisphere to meet each demand. Successful managers have learned naturally how and when to use both sides of their brains, combining detail and logic with a sense of overview and invention. By choosing to balance our activities and thinking efforts, we can perform our job more efficiently, more easily and more creatively. If we think in terms of management functions: planning, organizing, communicating etc., they are all left brain skills. These have been recognized and developed making the corporate world a predominantly left brained one. But increasingly, business is recognizing that problems cannot be solved by logic, discipline and attention to detail alone. They also require free-spirited invention and comprehension of the overall picture. In other words, we must learn to draw from both the left side of the brain, home of logic and efficiency and the right side of the brain, home of creativity, intuition and inspiration. Case Study: As part of job rotation, you have been made the manager of the R & D Department. You find it frustrating to work with this team of people. They all seem so inefficient. They appear to be lost all the time, bringing up topics you thought were decided upon and closed last week. They tend to rethink projects, changing their minds for no apparent reasons. Their heads are full of images and fantasies but they seem to be unable to express them clearly. How do you manage them, especially when they in turn think of you as narrow, rigid and uncooperative? Solution:This is atypical case of a left-brained director dealing with researchers who are normally right brain dominated. The first thing to do is to realize that this is more a conflict between the hemispheres of the brain. Trying to impose structure and discipline is only going to hamper the creativity of the right brained researchers. Instead, use your right brain to understand what they can visualize so vividly but cant describe clearly. Give them space and try to make sense out of their ramblings. Allow daydreaming (that is probably the source of many of their

thoughts). Simultaneously, get them to ask questions and come out with simple explanations themselves, thus bringing a little order and clarity to the situation. Making use of the less preferred hemisphere yourself and getting the employees to do so too would lead to increased communication and understanding, benefiting the company immensely. Sometimes working hard on a problem with the left brained approach makes one so engrossed with the solution or the next step in the plan that you are unable to shift right for a wider view. At other times, you may be so overpowered with some emotion that you may like to shift to left to keep yourself cool and sensible. Mind movers are strategies designed to help make conscious shifts between the hemispheres or integrate the thinking powers of both. (A). Internal Brainstorming The split brain theory shows conclusively that there is a neurologically sound basis for the rules of brainstorming. Internal Brainstorming is simply the normal brainstorming except that there is only one person involved, that is, you. Internal brainstorming involves thinking consciously with the left brain or the right. (i). Definition: This involves defining and writing down the problem and also outlining the objectives of having the brainstorming session. This would be an analytical process involving the left brain. (ii). Free-wheeling: This is a task for the right brain. Keep a pencil and paper handy to jot down cue words for the ideas that come. Get into a quiet, comfortable setting. See and feel the solutions and record the ideas that come. No judgment at this stage. The more fully you experience right brain thinking, visualization, dreaming, fantasizing., the more effortlessly ideas will come. (iii). Evaluation and Integration: Once ample ideas are generated, it is time for evaluation. Do this with both right brain and left. If both sides of your brain react positively, the idea is rational, and emotionally acceptable. Short list such ideas and run through them again. Often at this point a number of them fall into a pattern or form a whole solution. Internal brainstorming is an important step towards using your right brain and practicing conscious shifts between the hemispheres. (B). Cinematic: Cinematic is the process of seeing pictures in your minds eye. Visualization can help you solve problems and plan strategies as well as to learn and retrieve information.

(i). Daydreaming: The first step is daydreaming. This can prove invaluable if done consciously with a purpose. (ii). Reconstructing the scene: Once you are back to reality, note down the start and end of your dream. Then try to recall the dream. Retrieval differs from daydreaming in that it is a conscious activity. You choose to return to the scene using your right brains visual activity and evaluating what happened with your left brain. (iii). Retracing the scene with emphasis on the emotions involved: You need to reconstruct the total scene with focus on the emotional content. Go back and put into words all the feelings that were being experienced. (C). Suspenders: We have often watched scenes in which a lawyer lets out a stream of fast, sharp and ruthless questions and in the heat of the moment, the hassled witness blurts out the truth. The left brain is flooded with questions and gets suspended, giving the reins to the right brain. Overloading the left brain is one of the two mental suspenders, the other being the exact opposite, i.e. under stimulation of the left brain. When you are engaged in some routine chore which does not require active thinking, your mind tends to wander. A monotonous lecture finds you daydreaming. This happens because the boredom causes the left brain to shut down and the right brain takes over. Thus, mental suspenders evade the left and access the right in two ways: by overloading the left with details or by starving the left for information until it falls into boredom. (D). Uprights: The mind movers so far discussed were designed to help us make more use of the right brain in order to enhance our creativity and look at things with a fresh perspective. However, the left brain state in which one is alert, energetic, disciplined and efficient is imperative in our work setting. So, for the right dominants, here are some tips which aid shifts to the left brain:(i). Dress smart: This makes one feel confident and energetic. (ii). Focus on details: To start with, try this on a photograph. Notice the contour of the face, the shape of each of the features, the proportion of the sizes of the features. Having noticed all the details, try drawing a cartoon. You should be able to do it. (iii). Heighten your awareness of time and numbers: Keep records of everything. Just doing this will increase your comfort with matters of the left brain. (iv). Do research: Whatever you are planning to do, research the topic methodically. Work out alternatives and their pros and cons. Make informed decisions.

(v). Exercise your mind: Learn something from everything you do. Try to memorize information that you have come across and use it. (vi). Speak easy: Speaking in public is a sure way of developing your left brain. The process of collecting information, structuring it into a speech and articulating fluently is a great exercise for the left brain. (vii). Plan: Analyze your daily activities and eliminate the non value-adding ones. Set aside time for specific tasks you have to do and do them then. Such exercises in self-discipline require the use of the left brain and with every success; your resolve and performance will be greater. Delphi Technique in Creativity: A method of pooling a large number of expert judgments through a series of increasingly refined questionnaires i.e. gathering the judgments of experts for use in decision making. It is used for complex, unstructured problems, to develop the strongest pro and con arguments for alternative resolutions. The Delphi process is based on a silent generation of suggestions and arguments and clustering on most favored and least favored alternatives. The stages followed are: Generation of individual opinions (on the nature of problem and possible solutions). Tabulate results and show them to the group(preserving anonymity). The most and least favored opinions must be re-stated (anonymously). The group members read the list of opinions and, individually, re-state their opinions. Results are re-tabulated and shown to the group. Track suggested solutions. Vote on alternatives, their desirability and feasibility. Vote on arguments, their importance and validity. Delphi is based on the anonymity of the group members and is particularly oriented towards avoiding direct confrontation. Decisions with Delphi express opinions rather than facts which requires group members to be experts. One other characteristic is that Delphi does not require physical presence.

Question bank for Self-Practice 1. Explain briefly any three of the creativity based techniques. How do these techniques help in productivity improvement? (a). Brainstorming. (b). Whole brain thinking. (c). Nominal group technique. 2. Write short notes on Brainstorming as a problem solving tool. 3. Explain Nominal Group Technique and Delphi method. How do these help in improving productivity and creativity? 4. What is the concept of Lateral Thinking and how is it different from Conventional thinking?

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