Creativity — the ultimate key to innovation, if used correctly.
By: Hannes Mueller
Tags: Newwork, Creative Process, Problem Solving, Creativity, Organizational Culture

By searching creativity on Google, you get over 32 million results within 0.52 seconds. Creativity is booming. At the same time, or rather due to that, there are probably only few other terms that are interpreted as manifold as the word creativity. In job descriptions, creative working conditions are advertised or this type of people addressed, and young people are looking for jobs with a creative label. At present, the creative potential of crises — if one is open to recognise it — is subject of many blogs, columns and webinars.

The key to the solution

“Creativity is thinking of novel and productive ways to conceptualize and do things; includes artistic achievement but is not limited to it.” This is how the psychologists Seligman and Peterson (2004) explain it in their Values in Action Classification of Strength. For those who prefer a more detailed definition, the version of creativity researcher Günter Krampen provides a reference: “With regard to creative thinking and acting in everyday life, creativity is defined as a divergent ability; meaning the ability to deal flexibly and imaginatively with open problems to which not only one (convergent) solution can be found; the ability to recognise and accept such problems and to come up with several, perhaps even numerous, solutions.”

End in itself or means to an end

The German creativity researcher Ingeborg Nütten distinguishes between two different types of creativity. The aesthetic creativity cultivated by visual, writing or performing artists of all kinds serves an end in itself. It aims to create something that did not exist in this form before and either stimulates or surprises. Problem-solving creativity, on the other hand, is a means to an end and strives for social progress. It does not only include the creation of ideas, but starts with a precise analysis of the problem to be solved and includes the process of its implementation. The result of the problem-solving creativity is the highly praised and always aspired innovation.

Stronger together

In companies, creativity unfolds its effects above all where a new purpose, a new concept or a new business model, a new distribution channel, a new product or a new service is on the agenda. This is where both types of creativity ideally come together. Because in addition to the innovation alone — urgently needed by a company to ensure its survival in the medium and long term — aesthetic creativity makes a substantial contribution to success. In a comprehensive study McKinsey impressively proves how companies with high design standards outperform less design-oriented companies in terms of growth. However, simply packaging existing products or services in a more attractive wrapping or to advertise them with a new promise is not enough. For a company to survive, problem-solving creativity is vital, and its aesthetic twin adds to its momentum.

Creativity may be harmful

Creativity becomes counterproductive when it is no longer dedicated to its intended purpose. When it begins to produce variations of one and the same idea, or when it degenerates into so-called “L’art pour l’art”. Creativity is also obstructive if divergent ideas are created during a convergent process. Creativity for its own sake does not create benefit, but rather extends the process as a whole.

Creativity is not a privilege of a chosen few

Basically, creativity is innate. It is one of the fundamental skills of every human being. It is manifested in the curiosity to discover new things and in the openness to new and foreign things. Unfortunately, over the years, school, education and other factors cause natural creativity to wither away over the years. But there is hope. A creative environment and skillful leadership can help to restore the dormant potential.

It’s all about the framework

The Eureka moment is indeed a flash of inspiration, an enlightenment or the famous kiss of the muse. But creativity needs space, time and independence. Although it is often argued that under pressure one is particularly creative, the process of problem-solving creativity takes time. Only if the problem-solving analysis can be put in context with different experiences, lessons learned and insights, and placed in different settings, the chances of real innovation are sound.

Creativity in everyday life

The Zukunftsinstitut in Germany is currently calling for “Free Creativity!” It encourages companies to consider how the crisis has affected their business and to identify opportunities that arise in specific sectors. Beyond that, they are called upon to examine where dependencies limit their own ability to act and where existing structures obstruct change. The perfect tool to do so is problem-solving creativity. Empowered with the necessary space and highly motivated minds, significant insights will be gained that point the way to a prosperous and more independent future.