2. The Ecological Approach to Health
Chapter 12: Enhancing Creativity in groups and teams
1. Creativity: is the generation, application, combination, and extension of new ideas.
2. Invention: is the process of developing new ideas as we communicate with others and attempt to persuade them to adopt our ideas and suggestions.
3. Myths about Creativity
Creativity myth 1: creativity is a mysterious Process that cant be learned
Creativity myth 2: only a few gifted people are creative
Creativity myth 3: Creativity just happens
4. Barriers to Team Creativity
Premature evaluation of ideas
Poor Physical surroundings
Too many people
Poor timing
Stinking thinking: consists of thoughts that limit the possibilities of an individual, group, or organization.
5. Principles of Group and Team Creativity
Appropriately Analyze and Define the Problem
Create a Climate of Freedom
Listen to Minority Points of view
Encourage People to see things and Themselves Differently
Selectively Increase Group and Team Structure
6. Techniques for Enhancing Group and Team Creativity
• Brainstorming: is a creative technique designed to help a group generate several solutions to a problem.
• Traditional Brainstorming Steps:
a) Select a specific problem that needs solving.
b) Set a clear time limit.
c) Ask group members to temporarily put aside all judgments and evaluations.
d) Ask group or team members to think of as many possible solutions to the problem as they can and to share the ideas with the group.
e) Make sure the group understands that “piggybacking” off someone else’s idea is useful.
f) Have someone record all the ideas mentioned.
g) Evaluate ideas when the time allotted for brainstorming has elapsed.
• The Nominal-Group Technique: is a procedure that uses some of the principles and methods of brainstorming but has members write their ideas individually before sharing them with the group.
• The Delphi Technique: takes this idea one step further. This method has been called “absentee Brainstorming” because individuals share the ideas in writing or via e-mail, without meeting face to face.
• Electric Brainstorming: is the technique that makes it possible for a group to generate solutions or strategies by typing ideas at a computer keyboard and having them displayed to the entire group.
• The Affinity Technique: is a method for sorting through and organizing ideas that a group may generate. The affinity technique is similar to the nominal-group technique, but instead of listing the ideas on paper, group members write ideas ON POST-IT notes.