Creativity: the key skill for the 21 st century. info@e-metrixx.com Private & Confidential...

creativity: the key skill for the 21st century

info@e-metrixx.com

Private & Confidential

• R&D Director at E-Metrixx Limited• Joint chair of Psychometrics at Work Research Group• Research & Teaching at Manchester Business School

IntroductionMark Batey MSc PhD CPsychol AFBPsS

info@e-metrixx.com

Private & Confidential

•How to define and understand creativity

•The role of creativity in change,

improvement and innovation

•How to assess and develop creativity in

individuals

•Key issues for creativity in teams

introductioncontext and aims

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why creativity?

• Defining creativity and innovation…

definitionswhat do we mean by creativity?

Creativity is the capacity within individuals and teams to develop ideas for the purpose of

solving problems and exploiting opportunities

Innovation is the application of creativity to give rise to a new concept, product, service or process

delivering something new and better to the world

definitionswhat do we mean by innovation?

Do organisations really need creativity?

why creativity?

“One in three CEOs say they are concerned that a skills gap is

hampering the ability to innovate, and with innovation identified as

a key strategic priority for most companies to get them out of the

global economic slump, it is unsurprising that talent shortages are

seen as a top threat to business expansion”

“Creative and innovative working are essential for all jobs and how

to enhance innovative working continues to be the most significant

challenge for organisations.”

Survey of over 1600 executives worldwide found that creativity and

innovation are the primary strategic objectives for 72% of

companies

why creativity?

Research reports from the Accenture Institute for High

Performance found that creativity and innovation were key

hallmarks of high performing companies

“We assume that 50% of our revenue in 5 years’ time must come

from sources that do not exist today.

That is why we innovate.”

“More than rigor, management discipline, integrity or even vision -

successfully navigating an increasingly complex world will require

creativity.”

why creativity?

case study

building a creative culture the vision

“To build a culture that instinctively encourages the development of ideas - liberating them and making them fly, building value for today and tomorrow”

building a creative culture investment in creative skills development is key

Insight Ideas Impact

The bridge of creative thinking

Personal accountability and process support

“A Brilliant Idea” “Passionately Executed”

building a creative culture making progress

Employee Attitude Survey

Morale in my department is high

My boss does a good job of developing people’s abilities

My team works to well defined KPI’S

Overall

I&I&I (%)

85

77

87

84

Rest (%)

33

42

63

47

building a creative culture getting results

Within 3 years…• Developed and launched 3 new products £100m+

• Reduced packaging costs £2m+

• Improved process control £1m+

psychology of creativity

• Rich research history• 1898 to the present• Early research

• Intelligence• Divergent Thinking• Personality• Motivation• Confidence

psychology of creativity

• Comprehensive review of the characteristics• Batey & Furnham (2006). Creativity, Intelligence and

Personality: A Critical Review of the Scattered Literature.

• New measurement model• Batey (2012). A New Heuristic Framework for the

Measurement of Creativity.

psychology of creativity

• Creativity is multicomponential• Idea Generation processes• Personality traits• Motivational orientations• Confidence

key concepts

• Connections• Chain reactions• The creative process• Often strengths are weaknesses too• Strength in diversity

key conceptsconnections

Creativity relies on making connections between ideas and the elements of our knowledge

key conceptschain reactions

Team creativity is best achieved when we set off chain reactions of ideas