Removing the Barriers to Creativity NYSDOH AIDS Institute HIVQUAL Workshop February 18 th, 2011

CREATIVITY DRIVES THE GENERATION OF IDEAS. WE NEED NEW IDEAS TO CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE.

What can block our creativity? Key areas:  Perceptual  Cultural and Environmental  Emotional

Perceptual Barriers Difficulty in isolating the problem A tendency to define the problem too narrowly Inability to see the problem from different viewpoints Seeing what you expect to see Failure to use all sensory inputs

Cultural and Environmental Barriers Problem solving is serious business Tradition is preferable to change Any problem can be solved by scientific thinking Most problems can’t be solved without a lot of money Endless distractions Lack of support

Emotional Barriers Fear of making a mistake, to fail, to take a risk Preference for judging ideas rather than generating them Inability to distinguish reality