Creative approach plays well in workplace

Ninth-grade art class was difficult for me – that’s when I learned I wasn’t “creative.” I could not make anything that looked good enough to take home. I’m grateful that I sat next to Alishia Brundege, who now teaches grade school art in Springfield.

Mrs. Brundege, as her students call her, insisted that a person could be creative without being an artist. I didn’t believe her, but never forgot her words and desperate attempts to convince me.

Later, I realized she was right, of course, and discovered my own ability to demonstrate creativity.

The art that Brundege produces today wins awards and is sold at competitive prices. She has spent more than three decades consciously honing her skills as an artist. It causes me to wonder what our world would be like if we made the same effort to be creative in business.

A few authors are leading the way to understanding how to better use our minds to think our way through life’s challenges. William C. Miller has an exciting and complete approach to business creativity and innovation.

His approach takes into consideration personal creativity, team innovation and the work culture that inspires or crushes them. Two of his books on creativity and innovation are “Flash of Brilliance: Inspiring Creativity Where You Work” and “Flash of Brilliance Workbook: The Eight Keys to Discover, Unlock and Fulfill Your Creative Potential at Work.”

These books provide enough information and insight for individuals, teams and leaders to actually do things differently. However, Miller recommends training to increase personal creativity and team innovation and to develop an innovative culture. Business workshops are available through Miller’s collaboration with Wilson Learning Corporation, which I work with as a free-lance consultant.

An important aspect to these workshops is that they are accompanied by survey-based profiles. One identifies the way we, as individuals, prefer to create new ideas and implement them. Another is for a team or organization to assess its ability to support innovation.

During the mid-1990s, on behalf of Wilson Learning Corporation, I had the opportunity to work directly with Miller in helping AT&T establish a more innovative culture. We worked with individuals, teams and executives in large groups and small.

The small groups were the most effective because they could apply Miller’s concepts and tools to specific challenges during the workshop. They consistently reported amazement at the outcomes.

An AT&T sales manager in Chicago reluctantly went into the team innovation workshop, thinking the team was well prepared and didn’t need to spend the time. Afterward, he told the facilitator that he couldn’t believe how vulnerable to competition they were; their thinking had been traditional and limited.

Miller has simplified his concepts and built more tools in the past decade as is evident in the “Flash” series. In these books, he provides thought-provoking questions, creative thinking tools and team exercises in a very friendly format. No matter who you are, you will feel creative after reading his books.

If you have any doubt about your personal creativity or are just curious, try this exercise from the “Flash of Brilliance Workbook.” Ask yourself these questions for each of the eight skills that creative people demonstrate, as noted below – When did I use this skill in the past? How did I apply the skill? What happened as a result of using the skill? How did I feel when I used this skill?

Here are the eight skills that creative people demonstrate:

• See the big picture: When you look at a sand bar and “see” the next Miami Beach.

• Take initiative: When you decide you are going to do something about the mess in the plant by organizing a Safety Task Force.

• Be open to new ideas: When you decide to hold your staff meeting off-site, even though it’s not in the budget.

• Look for input from others: When you ask your sales managers to participate in your ad agency’s brainstorming session.

• Generate many options: When you help your twins make their Halloween costumes.

• Make decisions based on your values: When you decide to assign the account to the new kid in order to help her grow.

• Take action and be persistent: When you organize 50 dinner parties to raise money for the new wing of the hospital.

• Share the credit and reward yourself and others: When you throw a surprise for your wife to celebrate her graduation from medical school.

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