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CREATIVITYINWORKIMPROVEMENT
byDr.BenS.Graham,Jr.
TheBenGrahamCorporation
Copyright2000,TheBenGrahamCorporation.Allrightsreserved.

Permissionisgrantedtopost,printanddistributethisdocumentinitsoriginalPDFformat.

Peoplewhoarehighlycreativedothingsthatmakeiteasyforthemtoseecreativeopportunities.
Itiseasilydemonstratedthatwhenanyonedoesthesethingstheircreativityimproves.This
articlecoversbasicelementsofcreativebehaviorandincludesseveraltechniquessomeofwhich
aregeneralcreativitytechniquesandothersthatarespecificallyaimedatfindingbetterandeasier
waysofdoingwork.

BasicElementsofCreativeBehavior

CreativityandValues,ImprovementVsChange
Thereisacrucialdistinctionbetweentheconceptsofchangeandimprovement.Change
simplymeansdoingsomethingdifferentandthisrequiresnoskillatall.Improvement
requiresthatourchangeleavesusbetteroffandbetterisanissueofvalues.

Assoonasweconsiderthesubjectofvaluesthequestion,whosevalues?becomes
important.Ifweimproveforthebenefitofonefactiontothedetrimentofanotherthe
sidethatbenefitswillconsiderthechangeanimprovementbutthosewhoaredamaged
willnot.Toqualifyasalegitimatebusinessprocessimprovementachangegenerally
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needstobenefitfourimportantfactions,theowners,themanagement,theemployees
andthecustomers(sometimesreferredtoasclients,students,citizens,patients,etc.).

Thisisthemajorcreativechallengeinworkimprovement.Winlosechangessimply
dontwork.Forinstance,amedicinethatclearsthelungswhilecausingaheartattack
destroystheorganism,lungsincluded.Whenourworkimprovementblatantlyrewards
oneormoreofthefactionsattheexpenseofothers,thepayoffisshortrunatbest.For
instance,changesthatreapprofitsforownersandmanagersattheexpenseof
employeesandcustomerswillhurtsalesandangeremployees.Intime,dissatisfied
customerswillleaveandthealienatedemployeeswillnotdothethingsthatare
necessarytogetthemback.Organizationsofeverysort,privateandgovernment,can
failasaresultofsuchonesidedchangeandcallingitimprovementorreengineeringor
reinventingordownsizingoranyotherbuzzwordwontcorrectthesituation.

Instead,weshouldlookforwinwinopportunities.Infactweshouldlookforwin
winwinwin!Therealchallengeofworkimprovementistocomeupwithcreative
changesthatprovidebetterproductsandservicesatlowerprices(ortaxes)thatinturn
generateincreasedvolumesandsurpluscashflow.Thismakesitpossibletorewardall
factions.Thekeytoaccomplishingthisistofocusourcreativityondoingthebest
possiblejobandnotongettingabiggershareofthecurrentpie.Asforfindingthe
creativitytodothis,thekeyistomakeuseofthecreativepotentialthatresides,
generallyunused,intheorganization.

Universality
Itisimportantnottoconfusecreativebehaviorwithcreativepotential.Behavioriswhat
weactuallydoandsocialconditionssuchasbureaucracytendtorestricttheamountof
creativebehaviorthatisactuallydone.Potential,however,includesallofthethingswe
coulddo.And,almostallpeoplehavewithinthemselvesfarmorecreativepotential
thantheyexhibitorareevenawareof.Weshouldnotassumethatapersonwhorarely
exhibitscreativebehaviorisanoncreativeperson.

Peoplesometimesmasktheirmostcreativeeffortsintentionally.Certainlytheydoso
whentheyareembezzlingbutitdoesnothavetobeoutrightcriminalbehavior.Almost
everychildlearnsearlyinlifetopretend,Ididntknow.Inanalienatedbureaucracy
therewillbelotsofpretending;dysfunctionalcreativebehaviorlikedefensiverecord
keeping,fudgingexpenses,sleepingundetectedinthewarehouse,andbeatingthe
systemingeneral.

Infactagreatdealofhighlycreativebehaviorhasanoncreativeappearance.This
happensinbureaucraciesasfollows.Peopleinauthorityimposetopdowndecisions
thatareineffectivebecausetheyareoutoftouchwithreality.Theemployeeswhoarein
touchwiththefactsarekeptbusytryingtomakebadprocesseswork.Eventually
peoplegettiredoftrying.TeeShirtPhilosophieslikeIfitaintbrokedontfixit.and
Dontmakeawavetakeonanauraofwisdomthattheydontdeserve.Peoplefindit
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easiertodirecttheircreativityatavoidingcreativechallengesthanataddressingthem.
Oncethispatternisestablishedpeoplegetsousedtomakingexcusestheyfailtonotice
wonderfulopportunitiesforimprovement.Outofforceofhabittheywindup
expendingfarmorecreativeenergyprovingthatimprovementscannotbemadethanit
wouldtaketoaccomplishthem.

Alevelofcreativeimprovementeffortevolves,ineachorganization,basedonthe
improvementskillsofthepeopleandhowmuchtheyhavewornthemselvesoutwith
ineffectiveimprovementefforts.Thislevelcontinuesbecausethepeoplefindthatifthey
doanymoretheycauseflackandiftheydoanylesstheyfeelirresponsible.

Allpeoplehaveapotentialforcreativeimprovement.However,thereisaselffulfilling
prophecywherelackofopportunityleadstotheappearanceoflackofability,leadingto
furtherlimitingofopportunity.Peopleapplytheircreativityinthosepartsoftheirlives
wheretheyhavetheopportunity.Forjuniorpeopleinbureaucracies,thisisalmost
exclusivelyoffthejob.Onthejob,seniorpeoplesometimesgettheideathatthejunior
people(particularlyinclericalareas)arenotcreativeandtheylimittheexerciseof
creativitytothemselvesandtheirlieutenants.Theyjustifytopdownchangeand
establishanelitewhohavetheexclusiveopportunitytoexercisecreativityandwho
operateatadistancefromreality.And,thustheyignoreavastresourceofingenuity.

Appearances
Toassumethatemployeesarenotcreativebecausetheyarenotdoingcreativethingsis
superficial.Itisalsosuperficialtoassumethatyoucantellcreativepeoplebyhowthey
dressandweartheirhair,bythelanguagetheyuseandtheunconventionalthingsthey
do.Sufficeittosaythatbeingpreoccupiedwithappearancesisstandardadolescent
behaviorandgrowingupcallsforfocusingoureffortsonthingsofgreaterconsequence.
Welladjustedadultssimplydonottreatappearanceasanissue.Peoplewhose
appearanceisveryconventionalmaybeextremelycreativeandpeoplewhose
appearanceisoffthewallmaygothroughlifeneveraccomplishinganythingof
authenticvaluewiththeircreativity.

Similartoassociatingcreativitywithbizarrehairstylesanddressisatendencytoalso
associatecreativitywithmood.Somepeopleareconvincedthattheycantforce
creativityandthereforetheyshouldwaitforthespirittomovethem.Thisbadly
underestimatesourcreativeabilitiesandleadstoprocrastination.Unfortunatelythe
spiritmovesthemastimerunsoutandtheresultisarushjob.Wedonthavetodoit
thatway.Wecanbringonthespiritofcreativityanytimewewantandthemoreoften
wedosotheeasieritgets.

Peoplewhohavehadabrushwithpsychologysometimesholdanothersuperficialview
ofcreativity.Havingheardthatcompulsivepeoplearerarelycreativetheyassumethat
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anydisciplinedeffortatorganizingwillstiflecreativity.Actuallyorganizationand
disciplinearenecessaryifcreativityistobedirectedatworthwhileaccomplishments.

Theproblemwithcompulsivepeopleisnotthattheyareorganized.Theproblemisthat
theydontstoporganizing.Iftheyspendalloftheirtimegettingorganizedtodo
somethingcreativeandnevermusterupthecouragetostartdoingit,obviouslythey
wontgetmuchdone.But,thatdoesnotmeanweshouldignorethenecessary
preparationsforimprovement.Thetrickistoorganizequicklyandrealisticallyandget
onwithimprovement.Thefollowingtechniquescanhelppeopletobecreative
effectively.And,theycanbeappliedquickly,anytimetheneedarises.

PureCreativityTechniques

Thereasonastrologicalforecastsappearsoamazinglyaccuratetopeoplewhobelievein
themisnotbecauseoftheinsightofthewriter.Itisbecauseofthenaturalcreativityof
thereaders,whousuallyhavelittleideaofhowcreativetheyare.Thewordsthatthe
astrologicalwriterputsinfrontofthereader,momentarilyshifttheperspectiveofthe
readerwhoisbrieflyliftedoutofwhateverrutsmaybechannelinghisorherlife.For
thatmoment,thereaderlooksathisorherlifefromtheperspectiveofthewordsthat
havebeensupplied.And,amazingly(becausethehumanmindissoamazing,notthe
astrologist)thereaderfindsamessagethatfitsbeautifully.

FreshEyes
Anysubjectcanbehandledmorecreativelybyviewingitwithfresheyes.Wecanusea
graphicpresentationofit,adiagram,achart,aphoto,amodel,etc.toviewitwithfresh
eyes.Theessentialelementistostepoutoftherutofhabitandgainanewperspective.
Hereareacoupleoftechniquesforaccomplishingthis.

TheYellowPages
TaketheYellowPagesandholditbythespline.Allowittofallopenandthenblindly
placeafingersomewhereononeoftheexposedpages.Readwhatitsaysandusethat
subjectasastartingpointfordiscoveringcreativewaysofdealingwiththesubject
understudy.

TheThinkTank(Dr.EdwarddeBonoandlateralthinking)
Thethinktankisaplasticballthatcontains30,000plasticstrips,eachwithanEnglish
wordprintedononeside.Thereisatransparentwindowononesideoftheball.When
thestripsarestirredupintheball,typically4or5ofthewordscanbereadthroughthe
windowandtheseareusedtoformaconceptthatbecomesastartingpointfor
discoveringcreativewaysofdealingwiththesubjectunderstudy.

SimplySteppingBack
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Artistshaveknownforcenturiesthatworkingonapaintingtoolongleadstoseeing
whatyouwanttoseeratherthanwhatyouhaveactuallypainted.Thereareseveral
waysofavoidingthis,eachofwhichcanberelatedtocreativeprojectsthatarenot
painting.

SimplyStepBackBysimplysteppingbackafewfeetfromthepaintingtheperspective
changes.

StepBackandUseaMirrorWhilesimplysteppingchangestheperspective,theeffect
offresheyescanbedramaticallyincreasedbyusingamirrortoviewthepainting.This
isusuallydonebyfacingawayfromthepaintingandviewingitinamirrorheldsothat
thepaintingcanbeseenovertheshoulder.Thislittleexpedientreversesthepictureso
that,atleastmomentarilytherearefresheyes.

LimitingtheAmountofTimeBylimitingtheamountoftimethatyouworkona
paintinginonesessionyouleaveitandcomebacktoitthenextdaywithfresheyes.
Raphaelworkedonseveralpaintingsatonetime.Eachtimehestartedwithadifferent
paintingheturnedoveranhourglassandwhenthehourglasswasatthebottomhe
stoppedworkonthatpaintingandmovedtoanother.

Alloftheseeffortshelptoprovidefresheyes.Thisisthevisualequivalentofgettingout
oftherut.

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CreativeTechniquesforWorkImprovement

CreativityinWorkImprovement(whenitisconstructive)istheactionoffindingbetter
andeasierwaysofdoingourwork.Itisnotworkinglongerorharder.Itisworking
smarter.Itisthebiggestsinglefactorthatdistinguishesbetweenaccomplishmentsthat
areoutstandingandthosethatarent.Whenitisdonewellinahospitalthereisbetter
healthforthepatients.Whenitisdonewellinalegalprocessthereismorejustice.
Whenitisdonewellinnationaldefenseournationsaremoresecure.Whereverwedoit
wellwebenefit.And,wherewedonotdoitwellwesimplylivelesswellthanwe
might.

Brainstorming
Thetechniqueofbrainstormingisoneofsuspendingjudgmentwhileassemblingideas.
Brainstormingisusuallydonebyasmallgroupofpeople,oneofwhomrecordsthe
ideasonaflipchartwhiletherestsimplyblurtoutanythingthatcomestomindwithout
considerationofhoweffectiveorpracticalitmayseem.Astheycalloutoneridiculous
notionafteranotheritbecomeseasiertobenonconventionalandoccasionallyanidea
emergesthatprovestobeajewel.Oftenitissodifferentfromcurrentpracticeasto
seemnonsensicalbutonsecondthoughtitbecomesobviousthatitisanexcitingand
practicalalternative.

TheQuestioningMethod
Thequestioningmethodisamorerigorousapproach.Itinvolvesaskingaseriesof
questionsaboutthestepsofaprocess.Clear,reasonableanswerssuggestthatthework
stepsarejustifiedasis.However,whenweaskthequestions,Whatishappeninghere
andWhyisithappening?andwefindnoreasonableexplanation,thatworkstepcan
probablybeeliminated.Asweaskthequestions,WhenisthisstepdoneandWhyisit
doneatthattime?opportunitiesforstreamliningbychangingthetimingemerge.As
weaskthequestions,WhereisthisdoneandWhyisitdonethere?opportunitiesfor
streamliningbychangingthelocationbecomeapparent.Asweaskthequestions,Who
doesthisandWhydoesthispersondoit?wefindopportunitiestobenefitbyshifting
workassignments.And,whenweaskthequestions,HowitisdoneandWhydowe
doitthatway,opportunitiesforimprovingthewaythatstepisdonebyworkplace
redesign,programming,formdesign,etc.surface.Thesequestions,askedinthis
sequenceareboundtogenerateideas.

Summary

Allmindsarepotentiallycreative.Theyactcreativelywhentheyareopen.Theyare
openwhentheyarewillingtostepbackandentertainquestions.Havinglotsof
questionsisanaturalconditionforchildrenandsages.Pretendingtohaveallthe
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answersisaphonyconditionthatthrivesundersocialpressureandinhibitsnatural
creativity.