The Foundations of Creativity and Innovation


Overview/Description
Target Audience
Expected Duration
Lesson Objectives
Course Number



Overview/Description
What is creativity, and how does it affect the brain? Why is it that people often have many of their best ideas once they leave work, when performing the most mundane tasks? Is this a coincidence, or is there a particular reason for it? As more and more organizations encourage employees to propose creative and innovative ideas in the workplace, it's imperative that you understand the foundations of creativity and innovation, how creative thought happens, and what is needed to stimulate it further. This course begins with definitions and an exploration of the science of creativity, including biological and psychological perspectives. You will then examine specific models that are used to explain creativity and innovation. Of course, creativity is not a "dry" subject. The human mind must be stimulated, excited, and nurtured to produce creative thinking. In short, people need the right climate and culture for creativity and innovation to flourish. Starting with an examination of the barriers to fostering a creative culture, you will go on to look at teams and environmental factors. Crucially, your own outlook, your likes and interests can be a determining factor in how creative you are.

Target Audience
This course is for anyone who wants to be more creative and innovative at work. This includes team members and team leaders, and those appointed to roles with responsibility for innovation, such as innovation directors, product development managers, and R&D specialists.

Expected Duration (hours)
4.5

Lesson Objectives

Definitions and Science of Creativity and Innovation

  • recognize the benefits of knowing the biological and psychological fundamentals of creativity and innovation.
  • distinguish between examples of creativity and innovation.
  • distinguish between alpha, beta, theta, and delta brainwaves in relation to creativity.
  • determine how to boost a team's creativity in a hypothetical business situation, based on brainwave theory.
  • recognize how the psychological terms "restructuring" and "functional fixedness" apply to creative thinking.
  • Models of Creativity and Innovation

  • recognize the value of using models to understand how creative and innovative thinking takes place.
  • distinguish between the stages of Wallas' Model of Creativity.
  • use the Wallas Model of Creativity to recommend the next step for a creative assignment.
  • correctly apply Osborn's 7-Step Model to a given business situation, to stimulate creative and innovative thinking.
  • Creating the Right Culture

  • recognize the value of creating an organizational culture that will foster creativity and innovation.
  • make appropriate recommendations to remove barriers to creativity and innovation, in a given work situation.
  • distinguish between the four different creative and innovative styles.
  • determine the impacts of different creative and innovative styles on the teams described.
  • make appropriate recommendations about a hypothetical working environment, in order to foster creativity and innovation.
  • distinguish between the essential and desirable attributes for fostering creative and innovative thinking.
  • Course Number:
    PD0031