The confluence of three events – the month-long summer holiday, a broken toe, and the imminent move to a new office – meant I had the opportunity of a lifetime. I could take my time packing boxes. (Why can’t all moves be this stress-less?)
While packing the bookcase last night, I found myself sitting back to re-read one of my favourite books on creativity – Creative Thinking in the Decision and Management Sciences, by James R. Evans. (Not an easy book to find, but see details below.) While much of the book focuses on the role of creativity in quality management, it's also an excellent 'textbooks' on creative thinking.
Here's an example: Evans' characteristics of the creative individual.
1. Awareness and sensitivity to problems. Notices things others do not. Knows that nothing is perfect and that everything can be improved upon. Recognises that a problem exists or can cut through details and misleading facts to find the real problem.
2. Memory. Has good memories, and displays remarkable powers of recall. Good retention and retrieval of information. The individual has a memory bank of life’s experiences to be able to recall them for creative’s sake.
3. Fluency. Can generate a large number of ideas easily. Can judge an excellent idea by seeing it in context with mediocre ideas.
5. Originality. The ability to produce unusual ideas, solve problems in unusual ways, or use things or situations in an unusual manner.
6. Self-discipline and persistence. Not only develops novel ideas, but works persistently to follow them up.
7. Adaptability. Open to new ideas or experiences. Wide interests and often jumps from one to another rather easily.
8. Intellectual “playfulness.” They like to explore ideas for their own sake.
9. Humor. The ability to react spontaneously to discordance in meaning or implication. Humor is often the result of a “twist” in meaning of a conventional concept.
10. Nonconformity. Less conventional, has a compulsion to be different. The willingness to be different allows him or her to take risks even if there is a chance of failure. Mistakes are often viewed as opportunities for developing better ideas.
11. Tolerance for ambiguity. Actively seeks uncertainty, complexity and disorder.
12. Self-confidence. An inner confidence in the worth of their work and a sense of mission or destiny. Can work independently and without close supervision.
13. Skepticism. Is considered of accepted ideas and often plays devil’s advocate, questioning facts and assumptions
14. Intelligence. Has an above-average intelligence but are not necessarily near the top of the scale. Has good analysis and synthesis skills, can make complex problems simple.
The book is almost impossible to find, but if you can - get it. Here's the link to purchase the book on Amazon.
