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Creativity and Team Creativity and Team Decision MakingDecision MakingCreativity and Team Creativity and Team Decision MakingDecision Making

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PreparationPreparation

Creative Process ModelCreative Process ModelCreative Process ModelCreative Process Model

IncubationIncubation

Insight

VerificationVerification

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R. Ernst, Vancouver Province

Creativity at Millenium Technology Creativity at Millenium Technology Creativity at Millenium Technology Creativity at Millenium Technology

Illich Cheng and his employees

at Millennium Technology Inc.

have the persistent motivation

and insight to design a better

magnetic resonance imaging

system (MRI). Some people are

more creative than others due to

their intelligence, experience,

inventive thinking style, and

persistence.

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Characteristics of Creative People Characteristics of Creative People Characteristics of Creative People Characteristics of Creative People

• Intellectual abilities– Synthetic, general, practical

• Relevant knowledge and experience

• Motivation and persistence

• Inventive thinking style

R. Ernst, Vancouver Province

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Creative Work EnvironmentCreative Work EnvironmentCreative Work EnvironmentCreative Work Environment

• Organizational support– Tolerates mistakes– Encourages communication– Offers job security

• Intrinsically motivating work– Task significance, autonomy, feedback– Self-leadership– Flow -- align competencies with job

• Sufficient time and resources

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Creative PracticesCreative PracticesCreative PracticesCreative Practices

•• JammingJamming

•• Review past Review past projectsprojects

•• Tell me, Tell me, strangerstranger

RedefineRedefinethe Problemthe Problem

•• Chain storyChain story

•• Artistic Artistic activitiesactivities

•• MetaphorsMetaphors

•• Morphological Morphological analysisanalysis

AssociativeAssociativePlayPlay

•• Diverse teamsDiverse teams

•• In-house In-house presentationspresentations

Cross-Cross-PollinationPollination

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© Photodisc. With permission.

Team Decision Making ConstraintsTeam Decision Making ConstraintsTeam Decision Making ConstraintsTeam Decision Making Constraints

• Time constraints– Process loss

– Production blocking

• Evaluation apprehension– Belief that other team

members are silently evaluating you

• Conformity to peer pressure– Suppressing opinions that

oppose team norms

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© Photodisc. With permission.

Team Constraints: GroupthinkTeam Constraints: GroupthinkTeam Constraints: GroupthinkTeam Constraints: Groupthink

• Tendency in highly cohesive teams to value consensus at the price of decision quality

• More common when the team:– is highly cohesive– is isolated from outsiders– faces external threat– has recent failures– leader tries to influence

decision

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© Photodisc. With permission.

Team Constraints: Group PolarizationTeam Constraints: Group PolarizationTeam Constraints: Group PolarizationTeam Constraints: Group Polarization

• Tendency for teams to make more extreme decisions than individuals alone

• Riskier options usually taken because of gambler’s fallacy -- believe luck is on their side

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Decision ProcessDecision Process

High RiskHigh Risk

IndividualOpinions

Low RiskLow Risk

Group Polarization ProcessGroup Polarization ProcessGroup Polarization ProcessGroup Polarization Process

Team Decision

Team Decision

Social SupportSocial SupportPersuasionPersuasion

Shifting ResponsibilityShifting Responsibility

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Improving Team Decision MakingImproving Team Decision MakingImproving Team Decision MakingImproving Team Decision Making

1.Ensure neither leader nor any member dominates

2.Maintain optimal team size

3.Team norms encourage critical thinking

4. Introduce effective team structures

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Generating Constructive ControversyGenerating Constructive ControversyGenerating Constructive ControversyGenerating Constructive Controversy

• Form heterogeneous decision making team

• Ensure team meets often to face contentious issues

• Members should take on different discussion roles

• Team thinks about the decision under different scenarios

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E. Luse. San Francisco Chronicle

Brainstorming at IDEOBrainstorming at IDEOBrainstorming at IDEOBrainstorming at IDEO

IDEO, a leading industrial

design firm, relies on

brainstorming sessions that

generate ideas, usually about

designing products. A typical

session lasts between 1-2 hours

and is attended by the design

team as well as other IDEO

engineers with relevant skills.

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E. Luse. San Francisco Chronicle

Features of BrainstormingFeatures of BrainstormingFeatures of BrainstormingFeatures of Brainstorming

1. No criticism

2. Encourage many ideas

3. Speak freely

4. Build on others’ ideas

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Photo: Courtesy of IBM Canada

Evaluating Electronic BrainstormingEvaluating Electronic BrainstormingEvaluating Electronic BrainstormingEvaluating Electronic Brainstorming

Benefits+ Less production blocking+ Less evaluation apprehension+ More creative synergy+ More decision efficiency

Problems– Too structured– May be costly– Lacks interpersonal dynamics– Candid feedback is threatening

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DescribeDescribeproblemproblem

IndividualIndividualActivityActivity

TeamTeamActivityActivity

IndividualIndividualActivityActivity

Nominal Group TechniqueNominal Group TechniqueNominal Group TechniqueNominal Group Technique

Write downWrite downpossiblepossiblesolutionssolutions

PossiblePossiblesolutionssolutionsdescribeddescribedto othersto others

Vote onVote onsolutionssolutionspresentedpresented

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Solutions to Creativity Solutions to Creativity BrainbustersBrainbustersSolutions to Creativity Solutions to Creativity BrainbustersBrainbusters

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Double Circle ProblemDouble Circle ProblemDouble Circle ProblemDouble Circle Problem

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Nine Dot ProblemNine Dot ProblemNine Dot ProblemNine Dot Problem

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Nine Dot Problem RevisitedNine Dot Problem RevisitedNine Dot Problem RevisitedNine Dot Problem Revisited

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Five Letters ProblemFive Letters ProblemFive Letters ProblemFive Letters Problem

FCIRVEEALTETITVEERS

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Burning Rope ProblemBurning Rope ProblemBurning Rope ProblemBurning Rope Problem

One Hour to Burn Completely

After first rope burnedi.e. 30 min.