Creativity Principals
The Three Creative Problem Solving Principals
1. Divergent Thinking 2. Convergent Thinking 3. Incubation
If creativity is the language of what might be then the question of how to get to the what-might-be -it-ness has to have a process.
Language is a system for communication. What and how we communicate varies across languages, cultures and time. There are grammatical structures, parts of speech, idioms and concepts for communication in dialects, official languages and for social media.
The language of creativity has its own structures. We must follow them if we are to become creative.
Divergent and Convergent Thinking and Behaving to include Incubation are the guiding principals to enable creativity, regardless of domain. Creative Problem Solving has universal applicability to complex situations.
At the core of Creative Problem Solving is the creative process itself. Just like breathing in an out is automatic and ongoing, the two alternative actions of divergent and convergent thinking and behaving provide a dynamic balance enabling the CPS process to flow in a way that is unique to creative process across the entirety of the complex problem solving model.
Curiosity is the way into being creative. With a question, a wondering, there is a ‘wanting to know’. This is where an exploration of possibility begins. Certainly, there is language and tools to engage curiosity. And before that, activating the principals of creativity provide the mental environment for exploring what might be before decision making.
To diverge is to go in different directions. To converge is to focus. To incubate is to rest. When taken together, creativity happens, consciously and not. CPS deliberately operationalizes creative process for complex problems solving.
Rules for Divergent Thinking
defer judgement 2. go for quantity 3. make connections 4. seek novelty
Deferring judgment is crucial. If judgement starts, divergent thinking stops. Judgment does have its place, as a convergent tool, but only after an exploration of possibilities and options. Going for quantity is simply this: in quantity there is quality. With mobile devices today, most everyone knows that taking lots and lots of pictures is the surest way to find “the one.”
We make connections naturally, humans are associative thinkers and learners. Powerful new thinking can emerge by cross-fertilizing of ideas among teams with different focus. Infact intersectional creativity can be quite powerful. As and example, a waffle iron inspired Nike running shoes. Seeking Novelty is simply going for it, by stretching thinking to the max for breakthroughs and more new ideas. This is the part where it gets fun and maybe even little crazy, the good kind. That’s important because really brilliant new ideas are always crazy at first.
Rules for Convergent Thinking
apply affirmative judgment 2. keep novelty alive 3. check objectives 4. stay focused
Effective critical thinking defines affirmative judgment. Rather than faultfinding, affirmative judgement sets a sustainable constructive tone for considering both positives and negatives. New insights resulting from divergent thinking are often imperfect and not fully formed. Looking for what is right rather than what is wrong is the approach for nurturing creativity. Leaders especially must focus on technical feedback to enable further development and improvement. Bypassing premature criticism bypasses the potential for withdraw and this is especially important because new ideas are incomplete thoughts, fragile in their formative stage. In a word, rather than react, often with outright criticism, becoming responsive with deliberate structured feedback immediate empowers an opportunity for further development.
Keeping novelty alive builds on seeking novelty though divergent thinking. Unexpected situations may in fact be new, often unforeseen opportunities. To reference a famous Chinese proverb, a mistake is a hidden opportunity.
Checking objectives refers to staying in tuned with the goal and usefulness of the goal. Creativity is a dynamic balance between what is new and useful. Too extreme on either side and something might be too creative and not useful enough. Too useful and not interesting simply dull.
Staying focused requires reflection and sense of purpose. Evaluative, convergent thinking is just as important a divergent thinking. Both divergent and convergent thinking require the same amount of attention. Alteration between intuition and careful critical thinking best refine early analysis in processing information.
Incubation: The Wild Card
The wild card supports both conscious aspects of divergent and convergent thinking and reaches further into human capacity. Incubation is deliberately making time for aha problem solving moments that often come during the night, in the early morning or while doing something completely unrelated to the problem. Going to sleep with a question is a long known approach for the unconscious mind to get to work and do what it does best, solve problems. Because incubation naturally leads to new thoughts, creative leaders and everyone in general would do well to have an idea book always at their side.
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