Creative Thinking Theories | 3
PR
HABITS
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BRAINSETS PRO
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BRAINSETS
PROCESS
GR
BRAINSETS
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INNOVATION
HABITS
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WTH
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NATURE OF CREATIVITY What is it?
S PROFESSIONAL
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Creative Thinking Theories | 5
Be Creative? The American journalist and writer Robert E. Franken answers that question in his book Human Motivation in 3 bullet point: -The need for novel, varied and complex stimulation -The need to communicate ideas and values -The need to solve problems If we take a step back and look at today’s professional world we can see that more and more the management philosophies of companies are shifting from focusing on trainees that learn a craft a profession to an environment that fosters though and exploration. A simple example is the “20 % times” philosophy of Google that designed to encourage employees to spend 20% of their time working on what they think will most benefit Google. The Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin claim that “this empowers them to be more creative and innovative. Many of our significant advances have happened in this manner”. The term “quality” and excellence of the craft becomes natural and the focus is being placed on “Creativity”. Therefore the term Creative Professional has been established. In his book Creativity: flow and the psychology of discovery and invention the Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi is defining “Creativity” is a phenomenon whereby something new and somehow valuable is formed. It takes shape by the assemblage of our thoughts, knowledge and identity boiled down to an essential aspect that forges the Creativity, an idea. This idea when brought from the mind to realization if novel and purposeful enough can impact and change an existing domain. ”The airplane was a creative invention but “Creative” also refers to the person who produces the work, as in,? Picasso was creative. “Creativity” then refers both to the capacity create but also the capacity to generate the idea, the thoughts. “ -Robert W. Weisberg
What makes Creativity less or more successful? In Creativity we can talk in terms of subcategories and topics that are skillset or situation that a Creative professional gets exposed to on a daily basis. Therefore the following brochure is trying to take as aim to create a guideline for success in Creativity. The subcategories that will be covered are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Ideation vs. execution Creative processes Flow Improvisation Group relation Grit
There might be the presumption that being a Creative professional is only applied to professions in the field’s fine arts but really “Creative persons differ from one another in a variety of ways, but in one respect they are unanimous: they all love what they do. It is not the hope of achieving fame or making money that drives them; rather, it is the opportunity to do work that they enjoy doing.” - Jacob Rabinow, Creative Professionals can be at the heart of all fields from painting, graphic design, and architecture to sciences, engineering, politics and even economics.
Which Creative Professional Are You? 1.How do you start your day?
A: You wake up before dawn to your classical music alarm and channel your creativity with a long walk. B: Sleep in and take your time because you’re flawless anyways. C: Wake up early and quickly start brainstorming new ideas D: You start your day with a peaceful breakfast with loved ones.
2. How do you end your day?
A: With a relaxing glass of red wine and listen to music to unwind your creativity. B: You’re a night owl and usually produce more creative at night. C: Your creative brain doesn’t sleep and you keep working regardless of the time. D: The night ends with your group of close friends brainstorming ideas for your next creative project.
3. Do you follow a daily creative routine?
A: Your routine is law to you and you never waver in fear it might affect your creative process. B: Creativity just flows through you and you can have a creative spark at any moment so no routine necessary. C: Creativity controls how you work, if you have an idea you develop it with no set schedule in mind. D: You love your creative job, so work and fun blur together, however when it is time to go home you leave your work at work.
4. How often do you create?
A: I try to create daily with success. B: It depends on if I have a creative idea to go off of, once I have something in mind I can create for hours. C: I always try something new everyday, I create through a trial and error process. The success of the final product varies but now I know what to change for next time. D: I struggle to create daily, I have to let the creativity come to me.
5. Do you tend to work in private or public space?
A: Private, I do not like to be disturbed while creating. B: In a private space but with my fellow creative professionals, they help to inspire and motivate me. C: In my private studio, I need an area without distraction and all the flexibility my job requires. D: I prefer a public space, social interaction and other people inspire me and are a key point to my creative process.
6. Do you easily share your creative ideas and process with others?
A: Not until my creative masterpiece is finished, I do not like to share my process work. B: I love sharing my finished project with the world, but I only share process work with a close circle of friends. C: I cannot control my creative ideas regardless of if I want to share or not, I tend to tell all. D: I enjoy sharing my creative ideas and process with anyone, I am a very social person and can’t help talking about it and presenting my new ideas.
Answers: A: You are Mozart! Like Mozart you prefer to work on your own while creating in your private space. It’s not that you don’t like people, you just happen to work best alone and uninterrupted by distractions. You take your craft very seriously and have amazing perseverance. B: B is obviously for Beyonce. You are a Queen B and it shows in your creative process. As a social being you prefer to create with your close circle of creative colleges and look forward to sharing the finished product with everyone you possible can. Creativity is in your blood and can present itself at moment which is a major strength when brainstorming for new ideas. C: You’re a genius, or in other words Einstein. For you creative process consists of mostly trial and error. Once you succeed you cannot wait to create your next big idea. You tend to learn more from failure than success. D: You are Ellen Degeneres! As a social being you tend to be very open about your creative process and love receiving feedback. You are very flexible when it comes to creating and willing to change your idea at the last minute. Lastly you are a very strong presenter due and is always willing to discuss a new project regardless of the completeness.
Creative Thinking Theories | 7
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MIND
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INSPIRA BRAINSTORM MOTIV
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MIND MAP
OTIVATION
WORD ASSOCIATION
D MAP
BRAINSTORM
SEARCH
ATION
IDEATION vs. EXECUTION
VATION
Which do you prefer?
ORD ASSOCIATION
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RESEARCH Creative Thinking Theories | 9
Ideation & Execution
Quiz
Scoring: If you answered mostly A’s, you lean toward ideation you have a strong emphasis on the conception and idea generating phase of the creative process. If you answered mostly C’s you learn more toward Execution which means you favor the end portion of the creative process and completing the projects. If you got mostly B’s you seem pretty comfortable with both ideation and execution and can see the benefits of both.
1. You often find yourself daydreaming.
a. Always b. Somewhat c. Never
2. You enjoy refining key elements of a project.
a. Never b. Somewhat c. Always
3.Finalization is key to anything.
a. Never b. Somewhat c. Always
4. You believe conceptualization is the most important part of the creative process.
a. Always b. Somewhat c. Never
5. You always spend hours looking for that “perfect solution�.
a. Always b. Somewhat c. Never
6. It is easier to start something rather than finish it.
a. Always b. Somewhat c. Never
7. Talking out loud with others is the best way to find solutions to a problem.
a. Always b. Somewhat c. Never
8. You work well under pressure and with solid deadlines.
a. Never b. Somewhat c. Always
9. You feel like your projects are never done.
a. Always b. Somewhat c. Never
10. You are considered the realist of your friend group and often shoot down ideas.
a. Never b. Somewhat c. Always
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The World Of Ideas One of the most famous concepts from the Greek philosopher Plato is that everything in our world is an imperfect version of what exists in an Ideal world. Ideators excel in getting as close as possible to that idealized concept before trying to bring it to reality. Whether you want to hone this mindset you may already have or try to overcome challenges in this part of the creative process, here are some key insights to help you:
Internal Motivation Since you will be spending a long time tinkering with a project before putting it into action or seeing its results, having some sort of connection to it is of great help. Try to find some intrinsic fulfillment by simply working or thinking about it. It may be the case of slightly changing its subject or altering it’s specs for something that entices you more. It will go long ways to help you not get burned out or lose interest in the task at hand.
Pre-planning is to ideate While people usually associate ideation with brainstorming and prototyping, the ideation phase is, by definition, everything that comes before the execution phase, which includes your roadmap and how you intend to tackle a project. Even if you locked down what you are going to do, you can save some serious time up ahead if you spend a little longer figuring out how to do it more efficiently before charging in.
Ideation without Execution is just an idea Even though the ideation is a critical part of any creative process, on more open-ended ones it can be quite daunting to spend copious hours trying to figure out “the perfect solution”. While it’s always great to aim for that, it is imperative to execute these ideas. To create your mock-up, product or high-fidelity prototype. When you bring those ideas into reality you might come across findings you couldn’t have possibly imagined.
Research is your best friend It is a misconception that ideation should come out of your ideas alone; having solid research as a basis can help you construct a much better product. Discuss the project, but before heading into brainstorming, take a step back and research the field: who’s the product? What are their needs? Having these answers in mind while brainstorming can produce significantly stronger results.
Be disruptive
Despite the importance of planning and researching, the ideation phase has considerably low stakes. It is safe to fail at this point, so throw some unpredictability into the mix. Random thoughts and far-out concepts; those elements will really test the ideas you’ve had and will give excellent troubleshooting and problem solving material early on, instead of having you spend too much time simply doing small iterations of a safe product.
Pure Execution
Enough with the talk, “let’s get down to business”: this is the mindset of the makers. With a focus on craftsmanship and bringing a final product to as close as possible to it’s original conception, people with this mindset tend to have a diverse practical skill set, work well under pressure and have no problem improvising. If that’s who you are or who you want to be, take a look at these insights to intensify your execution skills:
Pride in the Result As your title of “maker” implies, you enjoy the process of making something. The reward for your hard work is external, be it receiving the praise and acknowledgment of your work from others or by seeing your creation slowly come from nothing to a finished product. If the process takes too long, your motivation may fall. When that happens, take a step back and appreciate the progress you have made since you started instead of looking at how much still needs to be done.
There’s no harm in more Execution A lot of jobs and projects have a bigger emphasis on execution rather than ideation, and that is alright! More technical jobs often have specific methods, techniques and guidelines you can’t stray much from, but it doesn’t mean you can’t get creative with how you do them. Look at the bigger picture and try to find opportunities where you can modify your process to speed it up or sometimes even automatize it!
Revise on the go As a maker, your main function is to turn an idea into reality and as you go you may find that certain ideas are unfeasible. You may not have the materials, manpower or whatever may be, but thanks to your countless hours of hands-on experience, you know the creation process in and out. It might not have been your task to design and think through the idea, but rely on your previous experiences and improvisational skills to overcome such challenges.
Make the tough calls You are the person that sits between an idea and a real product and it’s your goal to make sure that such product sees the light of day. Therefore you need to get comfortable with being able to “kill your darlings” and remove features or parts that will impede it from coming true. It’s a thankless job, for sure, but remember that an excellent idea that never existed won’t ever be better than a great concept that does.
Collaborate Being so invested on the creation process, it’s easy for makers to want to control or even do it all, which leads to being overworked if they don’t share responsibilities or micromanaging peers if they do. Try to view a team structure as something you are building and helping create too. Share your knowledge and your responsibilities, provide guidance and feedback, and you will see how collaboration can go from a nightmare to something you look forward to doing more of. Creative Thinking Theories | 13
TH BRAINSTORMING
DETERMIN
MIND
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BRAINST THINKING
DETERMINATION
MIND
SKE
HINKING
NATION
BRAIN
SKETCHES
IDEAS
TORMING BRAIN
CREATIVE PROCESS
ETCHES
What is yours?
FAILURE Creative Thinking Theories | 15
Improving Your Creative Process The first step towards improvement in anything is having a basic understanding of the concept. As previously mentioned, within your creative process there are two phases that you go through: ideation and execution. Ideation is coming up with the idea, while execution is making the idea happen and consumable by others. Everyone is different, especially in their ways of thinking. Reflection on how you work through these phases will aid you in becoming more aware of your own process.
Ideation: Ways to Enhance Creativity 1) Re-visualize the concept from a different angle 2) Keep a positive mindset. Quick exercise, envisioning the future, recalling good memories 3) Counterfactual thinking. “What might have been?” and “What if?” elements 4) Daydreaming; Incubation of ideas 5) Changing your location. Using your surroundings to inspire and motivate you. 6) Fast brainstorming sessions
Q1: In which phase do I spend the most time? There are many processes involved when ideating and executing ideas. These include cognitive processes (ways of thinking), affective processes (ways of feeling), social processes (interacting with others), and intra-personal processes (you relating to you). All of these processes play a key role in your creativity and help to generate ideas.
Q2: How often do I generate ideas?
Execution: Ways To Get Out of Your Head 1) Make a mind map, vision or concept board. 2) Write it down, even if the idea is not complete Take a break. Time and space from constant ideation can allow you to have a broader mind and come up with new ones 3) Ask ‘what if’ questions to alleviate pressure and avoid trying to force the idea. 4)Evaluate S.W.O.T. (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats). Is the idea worth exploring further?
Q3: How do I come up with these ideas? Many people believe they are born with creativity. In actuality, creativity comes from grit and practice. Grit is defined as “perseverance and passion for long-term goals”. People with grit often maintain five characteristics in relation to creativity: courage, conscientiousness, endurance, resilience, and excellence. Learning to train yourself in these five areas can help enhance your creative process.
Q4: Which part of the creative process do I struggle with the most? If you find yourself struggling with your process, understanding the components that make up the creative process and becoming more aware of your own process will help you to be more proactive in your creativity. For example, spend some time reflecting on which (ideation vs. execution) you relate to more. Refer to the list below for ways to improve your creative process.
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” - Thomas Edison
Solve These Riddles.... 1. A man who lived in a small town in the United States married 20 different women of the same town. All are still living and he never divorced any of them. In this town polygamy is unlawful; yet he has broken no law. How is this possible? 2. Calendars made in England do not show Lincoln’s birthday. Do these calendars show the fourth of July? Explain. 3. What is at the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space. The beginning of every end, the end of every place.
4. How many months have twenty-eight days in them? 5. Can you say 50 words without the letter A in 20 seconds? 6. Rearrange the following patterns to make familiar words: runghy → > ______ flymia > ______ → mulcica →> _______ dornev →> ______ lendraca > ________→ 1. He was the minister presiding over the wedding ceremony. 2. Yes, every calendar has a fourth of July. 3. The letter “e” 4. All of them. 5. Count to fifty. 6. Hungry, Family, Calcium, Vendor, Calender
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FOCUS
CONSCIOUSNES
DEVOTION
F
STA STAMINA
E
FO
CONSCIOUSNESS
ENERGY
SS
DEVOTION
FOCUS
CONSCIOUSNESS
AMINA
ENERGY
FLOW A State of Mind
DEVOTION
OCUS
ENERGY Creative Thinking Theories | 19
You’re In The “Flow” State. The night is young, you’re working hard, and it’s paying off. Your project is falling together, your decisions are turning out well, and you know exactly what you have to do to finish with flying colors. Everything’s coming together simultaneously, and it’s all you can do to keep up; but you’re managing, and you are totally confident that you can keep managing for as long as you need to. You’re on a roll. You’re in the groove. You’re on fire. You’re in the zone. On your game. Csíkszentmihályi Mihály, a Hungarian psychologist, has taught at the University of Chicago, Claremont Graduate University, and Lake Forest College. In addition, he has spent a large part of his professional career focusing on topics like happiness and creativity. He is credited with the name Flow, and much of his work centers around research concerning the subject, which he describes as a state of intense focus and immersion in a task. People in states of flow rarely notice things not pertaining to their work. They’re less easily distracted and often forget about the world for a while, as their project takes center stage in their focus. Even things like sleeping and eating can be forgotten in particularly deep states of flow. The Flow state is immensely helpful to people who work in creative fields. Flow tends to create a period of high productivity and often leads to work that the artist is highly satisfied with. During the period, the artist is not only immersed in their work, but also enjoys their work more, and is more motivated than usual. If you experience Flow frequently, you probably have pretty good balance when it comes to your creative work and the challenges that you present yourself with. According to Csíkszentmihályi, states of flow are spurred by a combination of a high level of competency, and the acceptance of a challenge to that level of competency, when it comes to the work at hand. Frequent periods of flow mean that you’re good at what you do and that you’re probably pretty invested in the subject, but they also mean that you regularly challenge yourself and aren’t afraid to test your skills. According to Csíkszentmihályi, there are some personality traits that make you more likely to experience flow on a regular basis. These include curiosity, persistence, and the tendency to be self motivated. We can recognize when we are feeling flow, and it impacts our decisions and interactions with the world, but sometimes it can be difficult to differentiate between other kinds of focus when it comes to defining it. The
main difference between flow and these other states can be illustrated by the differences between watching TV and playing a video game. While watching TV, the audience is often absorbed by what they see on screen, but there is rarely any interaction or activity, and there is no skill involved. While playing video games, the player is similarly absorbed by the activity on screen, but their actions and skill level directly influence the outcomes, and the challenges presented by the game offer an even greater deterrent to distractions. Passive activities like television and browsing the Internet often offer the same feeling of escaping the real world that flow provides, but they lack the aspects that lead to feelings of self satisfaction and motivation because there’s no personal involvement. These passive activities still share enough of the draws of flow that they pose the risk of becoming addictive. Flow itself can become similarly addictive when it is sought out as a form of distraction rather than inspiration, but it usually has a much more positive effect on your psyche.
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Does flow still sound like foreign concept? If you don’t experience flow often, there are a few different ways you can increase the likelihood of entering into one of these states. The easiest is to decrease possible distractions. In deep flow states, even the most pressing distractions have a hard time breaking through,; but, if flow isn’t something you enter into easily, it can be helped along by making it easier to devote your attention to what you’re working on. The second is by increasing the level of difficulty in the work that you’re doing. It sounds strange to say that you might enjoy your work more if you make it harder, but tasks that are below your skill level aren’t able to fully absorb your attention and leave you open to distractions. Jobs that are too easy can seem tedious as your mind is able to wander to all of the other things you could be doing. If you’ve never done something before, and your level of competency is fairly low, it’s not likely that you’ll enter a flow state. Flow tends to happen when the level of difficulty of your task has just a small chance of overcoming your level of competency. The challenge presented demands your full attention, and the satisfaction in maintaining control while meeting the challenge leads to enjoyable periods of work. While you can decrease distractions and increase your challenges, you’re unlikely to reach flow unless you’re comfortable with at least the basics of the work you’re doing. So, if you pick up a new hobby or start a new job, practice makes perfect, because the better you become at what you’re doing, the more likely you are to enjoy your work.
How can you Practice Flow? 1. Practice your focus Try to find the letter I on the grid:
While you were looking for it, did you feel like you were progressively getting more focused? Did you find it too hard or too easy? One of the key elements to achieve flow is focus. Eliminate your distractions and focus on the task at hand. Focusing fully on something takes time, and eliminating all distractions can be difficult. Find tasks that are challenging enough for you and try to focus on them until you finish each task. You can start with small tasks and then move on to more challenging tasks as your ability to focus gets better.
1. Practice your focus Try to solve these three Sudokus in order:
Easy
Moderate
Difficult
Another key aspect to achieve flow is finding the right challenge. Which Sudoku was hard enough for you to get engaged, but not too hard that made you feel like giving up? As Csíkszentmihályi explains, “If challenges are too low, one gets back to flow by increasing them. If challenges are too great, one can return to the flow state by learning new skills.” In order to achieve flow, you have to find a challenge that suits you. If it is too easy, increase the challenge. If it is too hard, learn the necessary skills to overcome the challenge.
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REACT
DE
SOLUTIONS
RE
DEADLINES
SOLU
RISKS
ACT
TION
EADLINES
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SOLUTIONS
RISKS
ACTION EACTION
IMPROVISATION S A Helpful Skill
UTIONS
REACTIO TION Creative Thinking Theories | 25
It’s Time To Improvise You’ve run out of ideas. The deadline is coming up and you need a new, transformative revelation. Now. It’s time to improvise. Performing a task or coming up with an innovative solution with zero preparation, is no easy feat. Robert Keith Sawyer is an American psychologist who is a master in the study of improvisation. Sawyer believes that improvisation is the action of a creative individual making things come together in the moment. Innovation emerges from the bottom up, and therefore improvisation requires risk. We need to be able to take chances in our endeavors. We must also take risks and be vulnerable in able to be creative. Improvisation out of necessity is a scenario that requires consequences, there has to be high stakes in order for this type of improvisation to be gratifying. One cannot expect innovations to develop if they are not in a stimulating environment. We often take risks not knowing if there could even be anything good on the other side; a risk without reward. This type of risk without assurance can be frightening and it’s not for everybody. Action without assurance is necessary in creative work because it pushes individuals to be better and greater; and to try new things. We don’t always have to seek to be creative for a reward, sometimes we have to be curious and make innovations for learning purposes in order to feel fulfilled. These types of improvisational risks fuel creativity. Improvisation is a concept used in many creative fields in different ways. Sometimes people improvise without understanding what they are doing. A lot can be learned about improvisation by looking at actors and musicians who improvise in their work. Keith Johnstone, one of the founders of improv theater, says: “In life, most of us are highly skilled at suppressing action. All the improvisation teacher has to do is to reverse this skill and he creates very gifted improvisers. Bad improvisers block action, often with a high degree of skill. Good improvisers develop action.” While this concept directly relates to acting, this way of looking at improvisation is extremely enlightening and leads to another idea. We must prevent ourselves from holding back, and let our actions flow. What comes naturally is what is right, then we must lean into discomfort. This sense of discomfort leads to vulnerability. Creative individuals must welcome vulnerability in order to welcome improvisation. I recently conducted an interview with Alisa Banks, a fine artist who uses found objects and fiber to create remarkable multi-media pieces. Her work has been featured across the United states and abroad. From our interview, I found that Ms. Banks knows a lot about
creativity. Ms. Banks says that: “Creativity is the process of problem-solving, whether it is trying to solve an existing problem to give a particular outcome, or coming up with something in order to put forth a particular point of view, or something that one does in order to create an experience (ex. process). An idea is the thought or impression of something. It represents what can be. We execute in order to bring the idea into fruition, in other words, to communicate the idea. (In order to communicate an idea, I will call this the “grand idea,” we will have many opportunities for more ideas and execution in order to reach the final outcome.) I believe that execution is more important only because it is the culmination or proof of an idea, even if that execution consists only of documentation. Without some type of execution, the idea is vapor.” Creativity thrives with improvisation, and leads to new concepts. Though improvisation in entertainment and improvisation in creativity have broadly different definitions, both types of improv can inform a lot about the other. Let improvisation lead you to unexpected conclusions. Think of yourself as an improvisational dancer; never anticipating your next moves, but letting your actions flow into the next. Let your dance be fluid; let your innovations stem from within
Quick Tips for Creative Improvisation: Let things flow, don’t hold onto your inhibitions. This can lead to a more natural order of operations. When you can develop actions quickly, it allows for a sense of relaxation. Don’t hold back what feels right because innovation can stem from anything. Inspiration is everywhere so you never know what concept can inspire your next big idea. Never say no (, within reason). Be open to anything that comes to mind, without the fear of failure. This concept stems from improv in entertainment, and how if an actor responds with a “no”, they consequently close a series of doors. Let the possibilities flow and welcome new and unchartered ideas. Lean into discomfort. Discomfort leads to vulnerability, which allows improvisation to thrive. Don’t let discomfort scare you, let it inspire you to be open and innovative. There is no wrong. Find a creative network/community. Improvising requires vulnerability, so having a group of people who you know you can be in a safe working environment with is a big key to success.
Creative Thinking Theories | 27
Let’s Play A Game.
“Click Bang” Description: all players sit in a circle. Only one player should know how to play and what the secret is; this player is the leader at first, until others catch on. This person points at random people in the circle each time saying either “click” or “bang”; they should make it sound and look like what they are doing has to do with math or the order they are going etc. The secret: it really doesn’t matter who is pointed to, what is said, when they are pointed to, it’s who it begins with or who it ends with, it just depends on who speaks first after the clicks and bangs are done. So the person who begins (the one that knows what’s going on) will declare whoever talks first dead by saying “you’re dead”. That person isn’t “out” or anything, it’s just for effect. The game continues until the players catch on. If somebody thinks they get it, the leader gives them a chance to say the clicks and bangs and they get to announce who is dead; the leader will then be able to tell if they understand the secret if they announce the right person as being dead.
Creative Thinking Theories | 29
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STOR
ADJOURNING
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TEA RESOU
NORMING
ADJOURNI PERFOR
ADJOURNING
RMING
PERFORMING
NORMING
AMWORK GROUP URCES RELATIONS Build your team skills
STORMING
ING RESOURCES RMING TEAMWOR Creative Thinking Theories | 31
Group Relations I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “The more the merrier!” before. It’s a favorite of teachers, to use as they launch into yet another dreaded group project. I bet you’re ecstatic to, one day, leave all of this group work nonsense behind. Unfortunately, that’s never going to happen. Basically every profession you may enter into banks heavily on collaboration because studies consistently prove that creative teams produce ideas of far more genius and innovation than the individual. So, face it. You’re never getting rid of groups. Might as well learn how to make them worth your while! The key to excelling in a group project setting is achieving “group flow.” That’s the peak experience, a team performing at its top level of ability (according to Dr. Keith Sawyer, an expert on creativity and author of the book Group Genius, which explores optimizing collaborative group settings). And the only way to get to this is by recognizing and fulfilling the needs of each individual, as well as the needs of the group as a whole.
The Individual There will never be a solid group dynamic if there are members that aren’t paying attention. However, you can’t expect one thing to work on everyone. Like Mom always says, we’re special! And we each have unique social needs, which boil down to social issues and communication styles. According to Dr. William Schutz (an American psychologist who developed the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation, or FIRO, theory), social issues are interpersonal needs that exist beyond our physiological requirements (food, safety, etc.) and strongly motivate us within a group setting. There are 3 types: Inclusion, Control, and Affection. Pretty much everyone fits into at least one. Someone with Inclusion issues will make an active effort to include others in what they are doing, because they crave involvement. For them to be at their best and most focused, they need to be noticed. To be invited to belong. With Control issues, someone will try to exert their own influence over things by organizing and directing the others. They need a well-defined situation, with clear expectations and instructions. Give them that, and they will work to the best of their abilities. Someone with Affection issues, on the other
hand, just wants to be close to their group-mates. They are comfortable expressing feelings, and always try to be supportive of others, because they need a safe environment full of warmth and encouragement. A simple “Great job!” will go a long way towards elevating their focus and drive. Communication styles are best discovered by taking the Myers-Briggs test. This online personality test will return 4 letters: I (Introvert) or E (Extrovert): Whether one’s source and direction of energy are focused on their internal or external world, respectively. N (Intuition) or S (Sensing): Whether one perceives information from their internal or external world, respectively. T (Thinking) or F (Feeling): Whether one makes their decisions based on logic or emotion, respectively. J (Judging) or P (Perceiving): Whether one is more likely to act according to their set plan or to improvise in the moment, respectively. After finding each member’s result, it’s easy to research what that means about how they communicate and interact with others. By knowing a simple, 4-letter score, you can better understand and adapt to the people you’re working with, and use this to propel your communication forward.
The Group The needs of a group are based on getting to the level of group flow, which involves collaboration, conversation, and social networks. There are 5 keys to unlocking group flow: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Deep listening and concentration on the task Open communication and immediate feedback Accepting that you will fail, and that it will be a good Trusting that genius comes from the group, not just one person 5. Overcoming separate egos and uniting for a cohesive group When your group finally pushes past that barrier of being forced to work together and starts to accomplish these things, there is really no limit to what can happen. Not only will you produce far more creative ideas than you would alone, but you’ll also develop interpersonal skills, discover your own strengths and weaknesses, and maybe even make some new friends. So, next time your teacher utters the words, “group project,” stifle that groan and approach it with a game plan. Who knows what could happen? Creative Thinking Theories | 33
Psychologist Bruce Tuckman coined the model of “forming, storming, norming, and performing” in his 1965 article, “Developmental Sequence in Small Groups.” He later added a fifth step titled “adjourning,” which is sometimes known as “mourning.” This model describes the path that most teams follow on their way to strong performance, from the beginning (forming) to the end (adjourning). The steps refer, in order, to: 1) Learning how to affiliate with each other. 2) A struggle for power amongst the members. 3) Achieving a group dynamic where procedures are established. 4) Performing with a high level of synergy and sustainable momentum. 5) The feeling of loss or uncertainty from the dissolution of a team/routine.
Forming
Norming
Adjourning
Eyes in a circle, we watch, we wait.
Light has returned to disaster.
Time has left us weary, and
It is unsafe to ruffle the first feather. Polite nods pass the responsibility to the left.
We are rebuildingsome carry wood, others brick. All take time smoothing feathers. Performing
Storming
Eyes in a circle, we talk, we create.
Lightning cracks the sky, thunder from every direction.
The city is new, we are its leaders.
We are stuck in the downpour, every feather askew.
And when it rains, there is not a single feather ruffled.
Why did we come here at all?
a smooth surface needs no polish. We leave our success to stand before the Next. Backs to the edge, we survey the past, write our goodbyes in the dust and, hands held, we fall.
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D
DR
DETERM
DETERMINATION
DETERMINATION FAILURE
RIVE FAILUR
MINATION
N
GRIT FAILURE
Do you have it?
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The Grittier the Better? Over the years in educational psychology, there have been many practiced methods on how one may estimate the potential success of a child while they are still young. In recent years, a new term has come into practice that appears to be just that. The term is called “Grit.� The terminology, made famous by Angela Duckworth, is defined as an effective combination of passion and perseverance; a strength of character founded in courage and resolve. And according to her research, children who have high Grit scores tend to be more successful, especially in long-term goals. So what does this mean? Is it even possible to become a successful person if you have a low score on Grit?
While grit can be summed up as perseverance and passion, there are many other components. Grit is simply a combination of traits that helps people to be more focused and driven towards their goals. Typically, those who are highly conscientious with strong cautiousness, self-efficacy, orderliness, dutifulness, are more achievement striving and self-disciplined are also much more likely to have a high Grit score. Basically, these traits support resilience and drive, which are necessary for obtaining long term goals. One’s optimism must also be taken into consideration while measuring Grit. Yes, Conscientiousness is important, but it is also very important to have courage and a highly effective management of failure. Those who are Gritty cannot be easily discouraged, and are typically good at putting off instant gratification in the pursuit of longer-term goals. Those who are Gritty understand that not only is failure an option, it may be a necessary step in the progress to their long-term goal. In summary, Grit is simply the perseverance, courage and drive that supports endeavors like long-term goals. A motivation towards long-term goals that does not easily burn out.
Can I still succeed even if I don’t have Grit? Of course. Talent had no correlation (and sometimes, was even inversely correlated) to Grit. You can still succeed even if you do not measure high on the Grit scale. A Gritty person may simply be more per-disposed for focus on a long-term goal, but that does not mean that Grit is the only determining factor for success. That being said, Grit still plays a very important role in achieving success because it supports talent. Talent without some form of Grit rarely succeeds, thus maintaining some form of Grit is vital for long-term goals.
Is It Possible To Increase My Grit? According to Angela Duckworth’s research, simply trying to become Grittier is an excellent step to becoming a more Gritty person. Grit itself is a long term goal, and practice is the best way to improve any trait. Thus, Grit being a long-term goal is a great way to practice and improve one’s Grit. Duckworth has identified four components of Grit; interest, practice, purpose and hope. So long as the four things are maintained, Grit easily be incorporated into one’s traits.
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