Report For Promoting Creativity And Innovation In The Organisation

Application and Analysis

Describe about the Report for Promoting Creativity and Innovation in the Organisation.

In an organizational setup, the importance of creative thinking is beyond any doubt. As mentioned by Bill Bernbach, the eminent co-founder of Doyle Dane Bernbach, “An idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it” (Ikeda et al. 2016).  Individual creativity can be identified as talent or hunger of improvisation and innovation. My organization is “Authority For Radio AND Television.” We work in the media sector. It is typically important to be innovative in this sector. In the matter of new event or broadcasting a new programs or solving any managerial issues, creative thinking is crucial in this sector. As discussed by Rigolizzo and Amabile (2015), “creativity is the ability to produce new and unique ideas”. Individual creativity of the employees and executives are important for an organization.

As discussed by Traut-Mattausch et al. (2015), encouraging the employees to be creative helps an organization in increasing its productivity and motivational level of the employees. In My organization “Authority For Radio AND Television”, we need to have creative ideas as the organization is paying in the same old manner. Creative thinking helps the management in various problems solving methods and thus attaining a competitive edge. In the media sector, completion is very high. Hence, to obtain competitive advantage we need to have creative ideas. When an organization starts to believe in the importance of individual creativity it simply makes itself valid for the future market operation. Be it Apple inc. or Google, scope of individual creativity has provided them a huge performance growth.

However, it becomes difficult to be creative in sometimes. There are several individual blocks those create a barrier in the individual creative thinking process. In the organizational setup, I have experienced a number of such blocks. These are:

I have experienced a lack of interest in the sector creative thinking in most of my co-workers in “Authority For Radio AND Television”. The organizations often ignore the importance of encouraging creative thinking and try not to take a risk and experience something new. Their negative mindset and the possibility of discouragement debar the employees to be creative in their job role (Gilhooly et al. 2015). As my organization, “Authority For Radio AND Television” deals in the media sector, a positive mindset for innovation is typically needed to solve the market issues.

Structured Techniques for Creative Decision Making

I have experienced it even with myself. When in the context of improvisation, most of us unknowingly try to follow some previously experienced circumstance. It often leads us to misinterpret the current situation and find the right solution.

In most of the cases, people or the organizations avoid to judge various possible ideas. The initial creative idea may not be as effective as the individual is hoping it to be. Hence, it is needed that the organizations like us (Authority For Radio AND Television) should try to chart out various possible ways to solve a certain solution in a creative manner (West and Sacramento 2012).

In my workplace i.e. Authority For Radio AND Television, I have faced severe oppositions against creative thinking. Sometimes it becomes difficult to earn support and thus the idea fails to work out. As it comes under the auspices of the council of ministers, collecting support from the members is important regarding any decision. On the other hand, we often fail to identify the challenges in implementing the creative ideas into the operation of our organizational setup.

Now, it is important to incorporate structured techniques to overcome these blocks and be successful in creative decision-making process. In this context, we may use Osborn Parnes CPS Process. As discussed by Sousa et al. (2013), this particular theory explains how to develop a structured thing process and be creative in decision-making. As discussed in this framework the stages are as followed:

In this stage, we need to identify the challenges and opportunities for Authority For Radio AND Television, in the context of the current circumstance.

Here one needs to collect information regarding the problem that Authority For Radio AND Television is facing in the current scenario.

With extensive evaluation, Authority For Radio AND Television needs to find the true nature of the problem.

Here we need to generate as many ideas as possible. For this, we can use the techniques like Brainstorming, Brain writing, Greetings Cards, Lotus Blossom any many more on the employees or members of Authority For Radio AND Television.

As discussed by Sousa et al. (2013), by following the principle of “deferred judgement”, and “quality breeds quantity” the Brainstorming for creative idea should be done. The participants should be provided 30-45 minutes for idea generation and the problem statement should clearly stated to them. The four rules of “No criticism”, “Freewheeling is welcomed”, “Quantity is wanted” and “Combination and improvement are sought” must be followed during the session of brainstorming (Miller et al. 2013).

Conclusion

On the other hand, the Brain writing tool should be done within 30n minutes. The leader must describe the problem to the participants and each parson needs to write down few ideas (Fink et al. 2012). In the next step, they need to pass those to others and get their idea reviewed and amended. Lastly, the leader needs to collect the papers and select the idea.

In the next stage, we need to evaluate, combine, and develop the collected ideas in the idea finding stage. Then we need to choose the best possible solution for the problem that Authority For Radio AND Television is facing (Deuja et al. 2014).

Lastly, the organization needs to implement the selected strategy. However, it is important to collect required support from the stakeholders, as a social acceptance is also needed to implement the selected strategy. As Authority For Radio AND Television comes under the regulation of the council of ministers this stage is crucial for implementing the collected and chosen solutions.

As opined by Mumford et al. (2012), by following such a structured procedure, the individuals and the companies will be able to develop creative thinking skills. However, there are a number of procedures are available to encourage and promote the creative thinking process and those are simply helpful in eliminating the blocks of individual creative thinking. As a member of Authority For Radio AND Television I can use these techniques to eliminates the issues regarding creative thinking in my workplace.

Conclusion:

Thus, it can be stated that by utilizing these structured techniques, creative thinking skill can be developed among the individuals of Authority For Radio AND Television. These controlled techniques can be helpful in finding a pragmatic but innovative solution to a certain problem. These above discussed structured techniques can eliminate the issues I have experienced in Authority For Radio AND Television. As opined by Gilhooly et al. (2015), by following the tools like brain storming and brain writing, the employees or members can be made participate in the decision making process of the organization and their interest and skill in the field of creative thinking can be developed.

As opined by Sousa et al. (2013), for encouraging the motivational level of the employees, the organizations like Authority For Radio AND Television, need to promote the creative thinking process among the executives. In this context, the followings can be recommended:

While following the structured processes for creative thinking, “Authority For Radio AND Television” needs to focus on the principles of brain storming process, like, “no criticism”. As the employees are taking parts in a major decision making process, it is important to eliminate the negative mindset. Hence, as a leader I must ensure better participation and follow the strategy of “no criticism” in “Authority For Radio AND Television”.

Authority For Radio AND Television needs to follow a routine of creative brainstorming process. It will help the organization to get a quick creative solution to the faced issues, as the employees would be acclimatized to the process.

This report is dedicated the case study of “Infinitif Innovation”. In the introduction, the author has discussed the background and context of the organization. In the Next part, he has analyzed how the company has supported and inhibited creativity and innovation within its organizational setup and how the leaders and the organizational climate can improve the creative thinking process of the employees. Next, the author has drawn a conclusion regarding his own understanding of the situation. Lastly, the author has recommended that the companies need to provide incentives for encouraging creative thinking and the leaders need to share their experiences to the employees to be encourage them.

Infinitif Innovation is company with revenue of more than £10bn. The company is operating in a diversified field of banking, insurance, construction, mutual funds, and leisure resorts. However, being a successful market performer the company understands the importance of creative thinking and innovation within the business setup. It made the organization to set a vision of long term and sustainable innovation. The company implemented a structured model for developing creative thinking among the employees and it that created a culture and an attitude of innovation across the company’s sub-businesses and 14,000 employees.

The company followed the strategy of implementing creative thinking and innovation in three different levels: individual, team and organization. In the individual level, the company followed the strategy of identifying the innovative champions and trained them. Lately, the company made them responsible for group facilitation for new idea generation. In the team level, the company followed the strategy of providing training to the innovative managers and made them responsible for helping the teams in implementing the innovative ideas, and achieving the goals.

Moreover, in the organizational level, the company followed the strategy of establishing and promoting san innovation encouraging culture. It established related positions, new work procedures, and achievement metrics. Alterations had been done in the organizational structure to easily implement the creative solutions. Furthermore, the company made directors and managers responsible to oversee the innovation implementation and achievement. A deliberate buzz had been crated regarding democratic inclusion to the board and managements’ support to this. The company had also followed the strategy of publishing and providing booklets, DVDs regarding the company’s achievement by following creative thinking and innovative processes.

It is for encouraging the employees for taking heartfelt initiative to the “creative thinking skill development” process of the company. Thus, changing the organizational climate Infinitif Innovation ensured a significant ROI in the following three years. These structured processes have provided the company more creative and better individual performance, better team bonding and group work, a supportive culture within the organization, which will be helpful in implementing any important managerial and strategic changes.

According to the organizational climate model, suggested by Fernández-Abascal et al. (2013), creating innovative leadership skills among the employees is a basic need for the companies to create a creative climate. Here, in the given case, the company has provided structured trainings to the managers and coaches. As discussed by Ikeda et al. (2016), for encouraging creativity within the organizational setup the leaders has to recast the roles of the employees and put the right people for the right task. It is the task of the leader to increase the team bonding or teamwork. As opined by West and Sacramento (2012), for creating a better creative climate teamwork is a prerequisite. The leaders must enable and encourage collaboration among the team members.

Here, in the given case, the company made the trained innovation managers responsible for actively inject an innovative culture among the team members. As mentioned by Fagerberg et al. (2013), to promote a creative climate within the organization, providing a learning and development climate is necessary. The shared perception model of organizational climate suggests that the leaders should focus on de-stressing the employees by identifying the managers and supervisor’s behaviour (Randhawa and Kaur 2014). They also need to mobilize the workforce.

In the given case, the company is promoting a culture that is being encouraging to the employees. The creative leaders have been made accountable for regular cluster facilitation of innovation with their teams. In the case of Google, it has been noted that innovative thinking coming from the employees are better to implement (Schneider et al. 2013). In that given case, the company has also focused on creating a democratic management. Thus, the leaders of the company have created a creative climate within the organization.

Conclusion:

Hence, in the conclusion, it can be said that the case of Infinitif Innovation is a certain success story of creating innovative culture within the organization. Leadership and organizational culture is the prerequisites for creating creative thinking among the employees of an organization. The company has brought changes in its multiple levels of management and operation. The training of the individual employee, encouraging the leadership qualities, and altering the culture of the company by de-stressing the employees and valuing them has helped the company to ensure a better success in the market.

As discussed by Yu et al. (2013) according to the “climate survey” model of organizational climate, for enabling a creative thinking process among the employees the HRM strategies can be utilized. For improving creative thinking procedure, the followings can be recommended:

The companies can opt for providing incentive for creative ideas coming from the employees. It will give the employees a message that the company is craving for innovative thinking from them.

In addition, the creative leaders of the companies may share their way of thinking or decision making to the employees. It will encourage them to be creative and give them a sense of confidence.

References:

Deuja, A., Kohn, N.W., Paulus, P.B. and Korde, R.M., 2014. Taking a broad perspective before brainstorming. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 18(3), p.222.

Fagerberg, J., Martin, B.R. and Andersen, E.S. eds., 2013. Innovation studies: evolution and future challenges. OUP Oxford.

Fernández-Abascal, E.G. and Díaz, M.D.M., 2013. Affective induction and creative thinking. Creativity Research Journal, 25(2), pp.213-221.

Fink, A., Koschutnig, K., Benedek, M., Reishofer, G., Ischebeck, A., Weiss, E.M. and Ebner, F., 2012. Stimulating creativity via the exposure to other people’s ideas. Human brain mapping, 33(11), pp.2603-2610.

Gilhooly, K.J., Ball, L.J. and Macchi, L., 2015. Insight and creative thinking processes: Routine and special. Thinking & Reasoning, 21(1), pp.1-4.

Gilhooly, K.J., Ball, L.J. and Macchi, L., 2015. Insight and creative thinking processes: Routine and special. Thinking & Reasoning, 21(1), pp.1-4.

Ikeda, K., Ikeda, K., Marshall, A. and Marshall, A., 2016. How successful organizations drive innovation. Strategy & Leadership, 44(3), pp.9-19.

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Mumford, M.D., Medeiros, K.E. and Partlow, P.J., 2012. Creative thinking: Processes, strategies, and knowledge. The Journal of Creative Behavior,46(1), pp.30-47.

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Rigolizzo, M. and Amabile, T., 2015. Entrepreneurial Creativity: The Role of Learning Processes and Work Environment Supports. The Oxford Handbook of Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, p.61.

Schneider, B., Ehrhart, M.G. and Macey, W.H., 2013. Organizational climate and culture. Annual review of psychology, 64, pp.361-388.

Sousa, F., Castelão, P., Monteiro, I.P. and Pellissier, R., 2013. Using creative problem solving (CPS) to improve leadership in a non-profit organization. Administrative Sciences, 3(3), pp.i-x.

Traut-Mattausch, E., Kerschreiter, R. and Burkhardt, C., 2015. Creative Thinking. In Applied Psychology for Project Managers (pp. 249-266). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

West, M. and Sacramento, C., 2012. Creativity and innovation: The role of team and organizational climate.

Yu, C., Yu-Fang, T. and Yu-Cheh, C., 2013. Knowledge sharing, organizational climate, and innovative behavior: A cross-level analysis of effects. Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 41(1), pp.143-156.