Best Practice Creativity


Book Description

The ability to generate new products and services is emerging as one of the few sources of competitive advantage. There is no shortage of books on personal creativity or collections of creativity techniques. What makes Peter Cook's approach unique is its strategic perspective. He is concerned with ways of developing organizations where creativity is valued and systematically encouraged.




Creativity at Work


Book Description

Although many leaders acknowledge and invest in creativity, we seldom see it hold a credible place in the business development process. Creativity at Work takes a practical approach to creativity, showing how to select practices to produce results and add value. The authors explain how to: * Understand the creative preferences of organizations, departments, work groups, and individuals * Identify and compare the different creativity profiles that describe specific purposes, practices, and people * Produce the desired results by developing the right practices * Blend creativity practices to meet the complex needs that characterize most work situations o Develop required creative abilities in a team and in oneself




The Practice


Book Description

From the bestselling author of Linchpin, Tribes, and The Dip comes an elegant little book that will inspire artists, writers, and entrepreneurs to stretch and commit to putting their best work out into the world. Creative work doesn't come with a guarantee. But there is a pattern to who succeeds and who doesn't. And engaging in the consistent practice of its pursuit is the best way forward. Based on the breakthrough Akimbo workshop pioneered by legendary author Seth Godin, The Practice will help you get unstuck and find the courage to make and share creative work. Godin insists that writer's block is a myth, that consistency is far more important than authenticity, and that experiencing the imposter syndrome is a sign that you're a well-adjusted human. Most of all, he shows you what it takes to turn your passion from a private distraction to a productive contribution, the one you've been seeking to share all along. With this book as your guide, you'll learn to dance with your fear. To take the risks worth taking. And to embrace the empathy required to make work that contributes with authenticity and joy.




Best Practices Are Stupid


Book Description

What if almost everything you know about creating a culture of innovation is wrong? What if the way you are measuring innovation is choking it? What if your market research is asking all of the wrong questions? It's time to innovate the way you innovate. Stephen Shapiro is one of America's foremost innovation advisrrs, whose methods have helped organizations like Staples, GE, Telefónica, NASA, the U.S. Air Force, and USAA. He teaches his clients that innovation isn't just about generating occasional new ideas; it's about staying consistently one step ahead of the competition. Hire people you don't like. Bring in the right mix of people to unleash your team's full potential. Asking for ideas is a bad idea. Define challenges more clearly. If you ask better questions, you will get better answers. Don't think outside the box; find a better box. Instead of giving your employees a blank slate, provide them with well-defined parameters that will increase their creative output. Failure is always an option. Looking at innovation as a series of experiments allows you to redefine failure and learn from your results. Shapiro shows that nonstop innovation is attainable and vital to building a high-performing team, improving the bottom line, and staying ahead of the pack.




Authoring a PhD


Book Description

This engaging and highly regarded book takes readers through the key stages of their PhD research journey, from the initial ideas through to successful completion and publication. It gives helpful guidance on forming research questions, organising ideas, pulling together a final draft, handling the viva and getting published. Each chapter contains a wealth of practical suggestions and tips for readers to try out and adapt to their own research needs and disciplinary style. This text will be essential reading for PhD students and their supervisors in humanities, arts, social sciences, business, law, health and related disciplines.




Creative Confidence


Book Description

IDEO founder and Stanford d.school creator David Kelley and his brother Tom Kelley, IDEO partner and the author of the bestselling The Art of Innovation, have written a powerful and compelling book on unleashing the creativity that lies within each and every one of us. Too often, companies and individuals assume that creativity and innovation are the domain of the "creative types." But two of the leading experts in innovation, design, and creativity on the planet show us that each and every one of us is creative. In an incredibly entertaining and inspiring narrative that draws on countless stories from their work at IDEO, the Stanford d.school, and with many of the world's top companies, David and Tom Kelley identify the principles and strategies that will allow us to tap into our creative potential in our work lives, and in our personal lives, and allow us to innovate in terms of how we approach and solve problems. It is a book that will help each of us be more productive and successful in our lives and in our careers.




Creativity


Book Description

____________________________ We can all be more creative. John Cleese shows us how. Creativity is usually regarded as a mysterious, rare gift that only a few possess. John Cleese begs to differ, and in this short, immensely practical and often very amusing guide he shows it's a skill that anyone can acquire. Drawing on his lifelong experience as a writer, he shares his insights into the nature of the creative process, and offers advice on how to get your own inventive juices flowing. ____________________________ 'Humorous and practical ... Whether you're hoping to write a novel or paint a masterpiece, you're sure to feel inspired' OK Magazine 'His candor is endearing ... An upbeat guide to the creative process' Kirkus 'A jovial romp ... Cleese fans will enjoy, and writers and other artists will breeze through, picking up a few nuggets of wisdom along the way' The Festival Review 'A sincere and thoughtful guide to creativity, and a very useful book' Graham Norton 'Wise words on the serious business of being silly' Sunday Business Post




Handbook Of The Management Of Creativity And Innovation: Theory And Practice


Book Description

Handbook of the Management of Creativity and Innovation: Theory and Practice is a collection of theories and practices for the effective management of creativity and innovation, contributed by a group of European experts from the fields of psychology, education, business, engineering, and law. Adopting an interdisciplinary and intercultural approach, this book offers rich perspectives — both theoretical and practical — on how to manage creativity and innovation effectively in different domains and across cultures.This book appeals to students, teachers, researchers, and managers who are interested in creative and innovative behavior, and its management. Although the authors are from the fields of psychology education, business, engineering, and law, readers from all disciplines will find the coverage of this book beneficial in deepening their understanding of creativity and innovation, and helping them to identify the right approaches for managing creativity and innovation in an intercultural context.




The Practice of Creativity


Book Description

Every meeting leader has faced groups that stagnate creatively, or worse turn acrimonious-a dullness or negativity stemming from the group's inability to pursue ideas productively and beyond their obvious limits. "The Practice of Creativity" offers a bold and time-tested approach to this problem, an approach both dependable and dynamic; one that uses a unique method of metaphorical thinking to stimulate creative response. Written by the former president of Synectics, Inc., this book provides detailed instructions on how to use a method already proven successful in many organizations, including some of the largest and most successful in the world. It explores the process of facing and understanding problems, eliminating inadequate ideas, and unifying the entire group to concentrate its collective intelligence and imagination on fresh solutions. The leader's role is also discussed. Showing leaders not only how to enhance and encourage imagination and flexibility, but to insure that the personal interactions remain open and constructive, that the discussion retains healthy momentum, and that the fear of being "wrong" will not inhibit open, creative expression. An invaluable book for business, government and other organizations, "The Practice of Creativity" is unique in the field of meaningful communications. George Prince was the co-founder and president of Synectics, Inc. Educated at Exeter and at Williams College, he lived in Winchester, Massachusetts until his death in 2009 at age 91. His work has appeared in many prominent publications, including the "Harvard Business Review, " which lists his article on running meetings as one of its all-time most requested reprints.




Creativity in Research


Book Description

Provides concrete guidance, grounded in scientific literature, for researchers to build creative confidence in their work.