Unit 6

Developing Creativity and Innovation for Work Facilitator Support Materials for Developing Creativity and Innovation for Work

Unit Aim
The aim of this unit is for learners to understand the importance of creativity and innovation in the workplace and to develop the behaviour and skills which encourage creative ideas and innovative solutions.

This unit is 30 Guided Learning Hours

Unit Description
Creativity in organisations focuses on achieving innovation, competitive advantage and social benefits by enhancing the level of creativity in the organisation. The creative manager manages people effectively and has a creative approach to problem solving and teamwork. There is a difference between creativity and innovation in that creativity is about ideas and innovation more about concrete plans or implementation of those ideas. The creative manager needs to be adept at both creating opportunities for identifying and developing ideas as well as recognising and managing risk in innovation. These in turn require key behaviours to support effective processes.

Unit Description Continued

This unit focuses on the use of knowledge, behaviours and skills to identify underlying issues and to solve problems creatively. Learners will also focus on demonstrating abilities to draw on other team members to generate new and creative ideas. Integral to this approach, is understanding the barriers to creativity in ones self and in others and know how to motivate and bring out the best in others.

In the first part of the unit, learners consider the importance of creativity and innovation in the workplace and the barriers which impede them. The skills and behaviour which are required to support creativity and innovation are explored.

Unit Description Continued

Learners investigate creative problem-solving in the second part of the unit and demonstrate their skills and behaviour in solving workplace problems. Ways to support a team to work creatively are investigated in the third part of the unit.

Learners demonstrate their skills in supporting creative teamwork.

In the fourth part of the unit, learners reflect on the development of their skills and behaviours for creativity and innovation.

Learning Outcome 1: Understand creativity and innovation for the workplace

Amplification of the Learning Outcome:
The importance of creativity and innovation in the workplace: creativity is the mental and social process of generating ideas; creativity involves creative thinking skills, expertise and motivation; innovation is the outcome of the creative process; innovation enables the development of services, procedures, processes; enables forward thinking; businesses can adapt to changing circumstances; necessary for competitive business and benefits work environment

Amplification of the Learning Outcome Continued

Skills and behaviours for creativity and innovation: selfmotivation eg achievement drive, initiative, optimism; selfregulation eg innovativeness, generation of new ideas, solutions to problems; social skills eg communication skills, effective give and take; champion change; act as change catalyst and how skills and behaviours contribute to the benefiting of the business

Amplification of the Learning Outcome Continued

Barriers to creativity and innovation: closed organisational culture; lack of challenge; limited freedom to express ideas; experimentation not encouraged; no incentives/rewards for creativity; undermined by reliance on pursuit of productivity; within groups eg group dynamics, personalities and character strengths

Assessment Criteria for Learning Outcome 1

Assessment Criteria:
1.1 Explain the importance of creativity and innovation for the workplace Open discussion with Learners 1.2 Analyse skills and behaviours which support creativity and innovation Open discussion with Learners 1.3 Explain barriers to creativity and innovation at work Open discussion with Learners

Learning Outcome 2: Be able to solve problems at the place of work using skills and behaviours which support creativity
Amplification of the Learning Outcome:
Solving workplace problems creatively: look at what is underneath the problem; look at problems from different perspectives; consider unusual solutions; creative thinking techniques eg brainstorming and reverse brainstorming

Amplification of the Learning Outcome Continued

Skills and behaviours for creativity and innovation: self-motivation eg achievement drive, initiative, optimism; self-regulation eg innovativeness, generation of new ideas, solutions to problems; social skills eg communication skills, effective give and take; champion change and act as change catalyst

Assessment Criteria for Learning Outcome 2

Assessment Criteria: 2.1 Describe four ways to creatively solve workplace problems Open discussion with Learners 2.2 Demonstrate skills and behaviours, which support creativity when solving two workplace problems in given scenarios Open discussion with Learners

Learning Outcome 3: Be able to work creatively with others at the place of work
Amplification of the Learning Outcome: Supporting a team to work creatively: encourage eg lateral thinking; motivate; ideas not discounted; inclusive approach; embrace diversity; work to team strengths; inspire others; encourage risk taking; negotiate to achieve win-win solutions; creative thinking techniques and tools eg brainstorming and reverse brainstorming

Amplification of the Learning Outcome Continued

Skills and behaviours for creativity and innovation: selfmotivation eg achievement drive, initiative, optimism; selfregulation eg innovativeness, generation of new ideas, solutions to problems; social skills eg communication skills, effective give and take, champion change and act as change catalyst

Assessment Criteria for Learning Outcome 3

Assessment Criteria:

3.1 Explain five different ways how to support a team to work creatively Open discussion with Learners
3.2 Demonstrate skills and behaviours in supporting a team to work creatively in given workplace scenarios Open discussion with Learners

Learning Outcome 4: Be able to reflect on own capacity for creativity and innovation for the place of work
Amplification of the Learning Outcome: Evaluation of skills and behaviours for creativity and innovation: awareness of own strengths and weaknesses; stages in reflection eg description (What happened?), analysis (What went well? What was less successful?), clarification (Were goals met? What needs to be done differently?) and what action (What needs to be done next?)

Amplification of the Learning Outcome Continued

Strategies to improve skills and behaviours for creativity and innovation for the place of work: build on strengths; seek opportunities to develop identified weaknesses; seek feedback and use a mentor

Assessment Criteria for Learning Outcome 4

Assessment Criteria:

4.1 Evaluate effectiveness of own behaviour and skills for creativity and innovation demonstrated in given workplace scenarios Open discussion with Learners 4.2 Summarise two strategies to improve own behaviour and skills for promoting creativity and innovation for the place of work Open discussion with Learners

Appropriate Books
Boynton, B & Fischer, B Virtuoso Teams: The Extraordinary Stories of Extraordinary Teams (Financial Times/ Prentice Hall, 2008) ISBN 978-0273721833 Goleman D Emotional Intelligence & Working with Emotional Intelligence: "Emotional Intelligence", "Working with EQ" (Bloomsbury Publishing 2004) ISBN 978-0747574569

Appropriate Websites
www.employer-employee.com/creative.html Workplace creativity www.creativity-portal.com/articles/business Articles about workplace and business creativity www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_CT.htm Creativity tools and techniques

Appropriate Websites Continued

www.innovationtools.com Articles and tools about innovation www.businessballs.com/motivation.htm Ideas for motivating teams