Contrary to common perception, creativity can be made tangible, measurable and useable. In terms of measurement, benchmarking and improvement, the first step is to decide on definitions, the second is to decide on methods of measurement and finally, to monitor each measurement for improvement.

Definitions of creativity are not elusive. In fact, the number of definitions helps the analyst better define creativity and refine its management:

a) Coming up with original ideas.

Misleading. It can be compellingly argued that all new ideas are actually evolutions of previous ideas. Implies a break from the past.

b) Recombination.

The recombination of existing elements to form something new. Thus creativity is not something completely new but relatively new. Offers a practical method. For example, Synectics the practice of taking two elements and consciously creating new links and elements from them.

c) Novel and useful solutions.

Does not imply a complete break with the past and introduces the concept of applicability. Can be extrapolated to arrive at creative and critical thinking. Where creative thinking is used generate a large idea pool and critical thinking is used to reduce that pool to feasible ideas. Implies that creativity can be measured according to degrees of novelty. Someone who expands on Einstein's Theory of Relativity is not as creative as Einstein was as the ideas are not as novel.

d) Expressing unusual thought. Experiencing the world in novel ways. Effect significant changes in culture (Csikszentmihalyim, 1996).

Implies creativity has practical, expressive and cognitive elements. Closer to the common perception of "artist."

e) Producing a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of rare ideas. The most thoroughly "scientific" definition and practical on a quantitative level.

f) Creativity as problem identification and idea generation and innovation as idea selection, development and commercialisation. Provides a good distinction between creativity and innovation. Implies a number of differing competencies are involved and also implies the universality of creativity we are creative on some level as we all solve problems.

Other definitions, measurement and benchmarking techniques are covered in depth in the MBA dissertation on Managing Creativity & Innovation, which can be purchased (along with a Creativity and Innovation DIY Audit, Good Idea Generator Software and Power Point Presentation) from http://www.managing-creativity.com. You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author's name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop MBA, is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com

XML error: not well-formed (invalid token) at line 14

Common misspellings for words used in this page include acceptible accoring acording actualy addres adn adres adress ahev ahve alse alsot amke anbd artical artice articel aslo atributes baceause bakc baout bcak beacuse becasue beccause becouse becuase beleive belive beng betwen bewteen cannnot cant challange challege clasic completelyl concider conciously consdider consept consulant coudl crtical deffine deffined definiton defintion delevopment deside developement develpment devolopement dicovery diea disctinction distiction diversed eahc eearly eiter ened esle everthing exemple exmaple eyars eyasr faciliate facillitate feasable fianlly finaly fomr frome ganerate ganes gerat graet grat haev halp hapened happend happended happenned htere htey htikn hting htink htis hvae hvea hwihc idaeidae idaes idesa inbetween inclreased inot inprisonment instade iwth jouney jstu jsut knwo konw kwno larg lastr leaded levle liek littel litterally liuke loev lsat lveo lvoe managment meaninng mear mkae mkea moeny mysef nkow nkwo nmae nto oftenly onyl orginal origional otehr owrk owudl palce peopel peronal phenomenom phenomonenon phenomonon practial pratice previvous probablly probaly probelm pwoer realitvely reched recieve regluar relativly relitavely ressurect siginificant signficant signficiant signifigant smoe soem sofware somene soudn sould stange sterotypes tahn taht tath techiniques teh tehy tghe thast themselfs themslves ther theri thgat thge thier thign thigns thigsn thikn thikning thiunk thna thnig thnigs throughly throught thsi thta thyat tihkn tihs tje tjhe tkaing twpo tyhat tyhe uise unsed untill usefull useing vell vetween veyr vrey vyer vyre waht wass weas wehn whcih whic whihc whith whlch whn whta wich wih wiht wirting witht witn wokr wokring worls woudl writen wrok wroking ws wtih yeasr yeras yersa youself ytou yuo.