1. Creativity Adapted from J. Scott Armstrong Updated March 2016
This lecture can be done in about 40 minutes, also it could easily be expanded to a whole session by doing an exercise.
Adapted from J. Scott Armstrong
Updated March 2016
Creativity-R18

2. Learning Diary
The lectures follow an experiential learning experience. To make this work more effectively:
Obtain a learning diary (paper).
Use the learning diary for all of your learning sessions
Usethe diary to track your learning progress. Keep it up to date.
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3. Objectives of this session
To understand and apply these principles and techniques (not to convince you). Ask for clarification as need.
Set a goal for yourself on how many principles and techniques you plan to use by the end of this session. _____ Then click to proceed.
Note: We will discuss only some of the slides. When you go through the lecture  on your own, view it in “Slide Show” and follow the experiential procedures.
It is typically difficult (and a bit upsetting) to students when they are asked to set objectives, so I go easy here.
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4. Discussion topics Selecting creative people Nurturing their creativity
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5. Selecting creative people via a personality test
Describe the personalities of creative people in your learning diary.
(Time out for brainwriting).
In brainwriting, each person writes as many ideas as they can on a topic.
It helps to set an ambitious goal for the number of ideas.
Once you have your list, click for a list of characteristics.
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6. Which list describes creative people?
(Persuasive Advertising p 279)
Less-creative
More-creative A B
fun-loving
compulsive
sociable
aggressive
meek
argumentative
supportive
ambitious
extroverted
independent
aesthetically sensitive
hostile
gentle
anxious
patient
enthusiastic
concerned with others
Click again to see the answer.
Source: Ng (2001)
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7. Hiring creative people
Assume that you want to hire creative people for advertising. How would you do this? Write your answers in your learning diary then click for answers.
Use pre-specified evidence-based criteria (e.g., on personality or cognitive skills).
Ask for evidence of creativity in their prior work.
3. Give a test that is a sample of the job they would do.
4. Do not meet the person until after deciding that you want to hire that person (For a summary of the research, see this review of Moneyball).
How many of these does your organization use?
Michael Lewis’ book on professional baseball shows how he successfully implemented procedures consistent with Paul Meehl’’s evidence-based advice that you should decide whether you want to hire someone before you meet them, Details in PA, p 279) 7

8. How can you harness the creativity of a group of people?
“If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve its full potential, that word would be ‘meetings.’” (Dave Barry)
“Search the parks in all the cities, you won’t find statues of any committees.”(David Ogilvy)
If you must meet in groups, keep the groups small and have a facilitator who structures the meetings. (See PA, p. 285)
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9. Virtual groups: Speculation
Benefits Saves time (scheduling, traveling, no show, idle banter) Enhances creativity (fewer distractions) Allows for analysis (self-paced) Provides good records (and individual contributions apparent) Costs Less fun for some people If someone does not contribute, it is obvious Requires more thinking; pressure to perform Some are unable/unwilling to do things independently
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10. Stages in developing creative ideas
Do each stage separately:
Generate ideas
Evaluate ideas
We focus
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11. Structure aids creativity
Contrary to popular belief, structure aids creativity. Such things as brainstorming have been shown to produce far more creativity than unstructured meetings. How many of you have used brainstorming?
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12. Brainstorming
Brainstorming uses a highly structured set of rules in a face-to-face setting.
The rules are designed to reduce evaluation,* aim only at quantity, and ensure that no ideas are lost.
The process requires a trained facilitator (who does not contribute ideas), and a person who records ideas.
In practice, brainstorming is expensive and rarely used.
* The original design was to discourage negative evaluation. Later research found that positive evaluation was even more damaging.
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13. Structure the problem first
Seek structures that are based on evidence. One useful tool to structure problems: Evidence-based Checklists. This course uses six basic checklists. (Top menu bar on AdPrin.com)

14. Brainwriting: A Group procedure
Each individual writes as many ideas as they can on the topic
If in a meeting, take a time-out for this.
Software is available

15. Brainwriting is more efficient and creative than brainstorming
Brainwriting is superior to brainstorming:
Less expensive (no need for a trained leader or recorder)
No need to meet (people can work when convenient)
An effective way to remove group pressure
Easier to keep ideas anonymous
Shown to foster creativity
Use brainwriting, not brainstorming as shown by experimental studies (Gallupe, Bastianutti & Cooper 1993)
Brainwriting is particularly useful when done electronically.
As with most people, students are poor at running meetings. They resist structure and also resist trying new approaches. One way to try to get around this is to have them try the methods in class. Brainstorming is difficult for them and their groups are too small.
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16. Enhancing brainwriting
Checklists allow brainwriting to be directed at each aspect of a problem.
Gallery writing: Participants prepare unsigned lists of their ideas for groups. These are posted on large sheets of paper, overhead projectors, or blackboards. This approach is effective and participants like it (See Aiken & Vanjani 2003).

17. Use Synectics
Problem: Currently in Africa, people must walk long distances to get water from the nearest well. They carry the water in jugs balanced on their heads along dirt trails. What could you do to make this job easier and more efficient?
Synectics: Think of analogous problems. What solutions have been used when were heavy loads must be moved from one place to another.
One solution: The water-wheel.

18. Problem Storming
The way that you state a problem can limit your creativity in finding possible solutions. 1. Write alternative ways of stating the problem (problems often imply solutions). 2. Then think of ways to solve each problem Questions? Will you be able to use this? I think this is one of the most important techniques in the course.

19. Review on creativity
People in a 30 story apartment building are complaining about the long wait for elevators. There are two elevators and there is no room to add a third elevator in the building.
Your group has been asked to suggest cost effective solutions. You have three minutes.
How many solutions did you consider?
State your best solution.
How did you generate your solutions.
Optional problem if time is available, The key to this is problem storming. If you focus on the elevators, you get expensive solutions. If you focus on how to make people happy while they wait, you get other solutions. Thus, an inexpensive solution is to provide mirrors. Another is to provide a TV monitor. Also the elevator can indicate when it will arrive (reduces uncertainty.

20. Problem storming Did you use problem storming?
Brainwrite problem statements for the elevator problem. When finished writing, click here.
Examples: Brainwrite solutions for:
How can we make people happy while they wait?
Are there other ways to get people to other floors?.

21. Keeping unusual ideas alive
Problem: Unusual ideas tend to die quickly A solution: Nurture ideas using the “Build” technique prior to evaluation. 1. Listen 2. Suspend evaluation 3. Find ways to improve ideas
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22. Develop action steps for applications
Write a plan for applying at least one technique from this session. Be explicit about what you will do. Set a time deadline for completing the application.
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23. Advice on learning
One study found that fewer than 10% of students were successful in applying new knowledge.
This rose to 20% when students actively applied what they were taught during a class session.
It then rose to 90% when students worked with a learning partner and coached each other. (changed animations to appear)
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24. Follow-up: Complete prior to next session
___Study Persuasive Advertising pages and record your reading time in your diary. Highlight techniques that you want to apply in yellow. ____ Answer the relevant end-of-chapter questions and record your score in your learning diary.
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