Leading on the Creative Edge: Gaining Competitive Advantage Through the Power of Creative Problem Solving

Even in the worst employment environments a person has a 33% chance of improvement through creativity and an imaginative idea is needed. The book ideas are designed for situations that are complex and ambiguous and where a working solution does not exist. First, take responsibility for creativity. Second, leader management quality directly affects the level of worker creativity. Many leaders will not tolerate an idea that does not fit their world. Creativity starts small and begins with small questions. Third, identify the problem to be solved by asking five why questions before settling on a problem definition. For example, Question 1: why should I write the Service Request software? Answer: To create a central electronic location for the purpose of coordinating software development. Question 2: Why is coordinating group activity important? Answer: Group coordination allows for the sharing of information and provides quick communication and relevant information. Question 3: Why is quick communication important? Answer: Quick communication reduces development delays, reduces time caused from rework, and reduces error caused from ambiguity. Question 4: Why is reducing time and error important? Answer: Because reducing time and error improves quality and quality sales. Question 5: Why is quality important? Answer: Quality allows the software developer to have more time increasing value and reduces waste that distracts from value. Defer judgment on an ideas, "The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas." By deferring judgment allowing individuals who are looking for a better way to do business too have a space where they can voice their ideas and opinions. Judgment used at the wrong time is one of the greatest inhibitors of creativity. Get ideas fast, defer judgment, strive for quality, become "free wheeling", and combine ideas and gain improvement. By deferring judgment 70% more good ideas can surface. An idea is not an action. An idea is potential action that might be taken after careful evaluation. "The danger is I will close myself off to new opportunities because they don't fit in my preconceived notions". Contrast US and Japanese employees: the Japanese employee submits 32.5 ideas and 88% of these ideas are implemented and the US worker submits 0.17 ideas and 37% are implemented; Eligible Employees:US 6.7 mil verses Japan 1.7 mil; Suggestions received (US 1.1 mil verses Japan 56 mil); Participation rate (US 8% verse 73.6%); Adoption rate (US 37% verses 88.7%); Average award per adoption (US $510.67 verses $3.20); Avg net savings per adoption (US 6k verses $197) Ideas and planning must be based on affirmative judgment. Be consciously looking to find strength in the idea. State the idea to be developed in the form of an idea phrase; picture what the concept might look like in action; the idea should be written with a specific and measurable result in mind; list the key learnings from the idea; list on paper

I was in the final throes of completing a training course and went to the library to gather some minor research support. In looking through one section I stumbled onto this book. What a lucky find. While the organization/sequencing of the materials was not as "tight" as I might like, there were enough concepts here that got me thinking, which is just what I needed. I look for things that inspire. There was even an example in the book that I'm using to illustrate a good solution that missed its potential (not the author's intent). Roger even reminded me of the importance of other research I've done before and helped me find a way to tie that research into the materials I was collecting.Even more importantly, it introduced a concept that blew out a personal mental block I was having (a performance limiting factor). My family will be grateful for that serendipidous event.