Creativity in Management

I was pleasantly surprised to read today that creativity is a quality that is valued in management. And intuitive thinking is highly valued also. Maybe management is for me after all! I've been under the false impression that systematic decision makers who take a logical, step-by-step approach to solving a problem were the only good decision makers. It turns out that the method of disregarding much of the information that is available and bouncing from one alternative to another to get a feel for which seems to work best gets better results! I feel like I'm in some alternative universe where everything I do is right. Management is also psychologically and sociologically based. Two other areas that I'm comfortable with. I'm actually motivated to learn about this stuff! Alot of the tips remind me of my "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff Affirmations".

I like that the theory advised you to be skeptical: "Never take the statement of the problem for granted."

Policy making: When you come across the same puzzle or problem several times you can come up with a standard response to a standard problem. That's how a policy is made. Policies are good for programmable decisions. It's the unique problems that managers are called on to to decide because they are non-programmable. No policy can be made to anticipate the problem.

It's not like you don't have to do you research - it's just that once you've got the information that you have to work with, the decision can be made with a creative mind and with intuitive thinking!

How to make better decisions:
Increase Your Knowledge i.e. Ask questions. Ask more questions. Ask the same questions to different people. Be satisfied only when the answers begin to converge. Do your research.
Force yourself to recognize the facts when you see them: It is always easy to overlook or give too much importance to some facts when you really want to do something.

Use your intuition: You can usually tell when a decision fits with your inner nature, because it brings an enormous sense of relief. But don't be overconfident either.

Don't Overstress the Finality of the Decision: you should not become frozen with an unrealistic fear that a decision can't be changed or modified. Knowing when to quit is important. Escalation is the act of making a wrong decision and then losing even more through a continued devotion to that decision.

Avoid regrettable decisions when moods are extreme or when you are under duress.

Creativity is the process of developing original, novel responses to a problem. Creativity skills are combining elements and components that you already have in new ways. Expertise is how to make something that seems like a weird idea fly. Task motivation like being on a mission helps creativity too.

Brainstorming: something I've done that I think I could do better. To create a safe environment for brainstorming you must require all participants to withhold any criticism and comments until all suggestions are on the table. People should feel comfortable about making suggestions even if the suggestions seem strange. In an environment where everyone can build on everyone else's suggestions, it's often the most implausible idea that eventually produces the perfect solution!

Suspend judgement: Don't automatically go with your first reaction.

Get more points of view: Try to obtain different opinions - get input from other departments. "Creativity works better when you have a group of three or four than it does with one, because you have the synergistic effect where people are working with each other building on others' ideas." Again, this is how I feel comfortable working... it looks like there's a place for me after all.

Psychological set: the tendency to look at things with a rigid point of view when solving a problem. i.e. Think outside the box.

Perception: the unique way each person defines stimuli, depending on the influence of past experience and the person's present needs and personality. i.e. your prior experiences influence the way you look at a problem.