November 15, 2011London Council for Adult Education

• Education & Background• Research:•Creativity-fostering behaviours•Teachers perceptions of their environment•Human Ingenuity Research Project•Apprenticeship Retention and Completion

• My Passion:•Understanding effective learning & work environments (cognitive and physical)

• Exercise• Inner work life• Positive Emotions• Creativity• How can we develop and encourage

workplace creativity and talent?

• Think about one recent event that happened at work and that stands out.• Describe it on paper.

Note: you will be asked to share this event with a small group, so please don’t describe anything you do not wish to share.

• IWL is the dynamic interplay of perceptions, emotions and motivations that individuals experience as they react to and make sense of the events of their workday

• It is inner because it goes on inside each person• It is central to your personal experience,

but usually imperceptible to others

• In small groups, discuss:•Was the event positive, negative, or neutral?•What connection does it have to your daily routine?•Does it speak to any internal personal qualities, or external environmental factors?

• Personal qualities

•Perceptions (thoughts, cognitions)

•Emotions (feelings)

•Motivation (drive)

• Environment•External/ physical environment (space, materials, locations)

• Relationships•Coworkers, supervisors, the public

When the going gets tough, the tough get going

ORYou have to love and enjoy what you

do in order to make things happen

• Creativity is the capacity to harness intellectual and social capital – turning it into novel and appropriate things• Fueled by a positive inner work life,

good relationships, and a supportive environment• Significantly influenced by:•Mood•Progress

People who are highly creative are able to mould and improve their jobs to fit their own way of doing things

If individuals have the opportunity to be creative they report higher levels of job satisfaction

Creativity is strongly related to higher self-reports of well-being, which is in turn related to better overall health

• Skill variety and challenge• Task identity• Task significance• Autonomy• Performance feedback• Clear goals• Appropriate resources

Oldham & Cummings, 1996

Visible Progress

• Small Wins• Breakthroughs• Forward

Movement• Goal Completion

Nourishment

• Respect• Encouragement• Emotional

Support• Affiliation

• Take into account Inner Work Life•Understand your own emotions and the factors that motivate you

• Celebrate Progress•Breakthroughs, new ideas, understandings, goal completion

• Pay attention to the psychological and physical environment•Resources, respect, recognition, support & expertise

Amabile, T., & Kramer, S. (2011) The progress principle: Using small wins to ignite joy, engagement, and creativity at work. Harvard Business Press.

Florida, R. (2005) The flight of the creative class: the new global competition for talent. Harper Business, New York.

Johnson, S. (2010). Where good ideas come from: The natural history of innovation. New York: Riverhead.

Oldham, G. R. & Cummings, A. (1996). Employee creativity: Personal and contextual factors at work. Academy of Management Journal, 39, 677-688.

West, M. & Rickards, T. (1999). Innovation. In M. A. Runco & S. Pritsker (Eds.), Encyclopaedia of creativity (Vol. 2, pp. 45-55). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.