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Innovations, by definition, change and improve
the status quo. Mostly, they do so in small ways, such as
a twist on an already existing idea. But when they do so
in big ways -- such as a new idea altogether -- innovations
can catapult the inventing company years ahead of competitors.
Those kinds of innovations -- from the wheel
to the assembly line, from the pen to the PC -- are born
of creativity. And many companies are allowing this
critical wellspring to run dry. In Creativity, Inc.,
Jeff Mauzy and Richard Harriman marshall forty years of
research into how creative ideas happen and how they become
innovations to reveal a set of fundamental principles for
infusing creativity into every aspect of an organization.
The authors argue that sustained leadership
comes from making creativity a broad, enterprise-wide capability
that is "on" all the time -- to fuel day-to-day
innovative responses, to imagine multiple future possibilities,
and to develop the foundation from which fundamental, purposeful
innovations can be launched. Through vivid examples from
a wide range of industries, they show how companies can
rework organizational climate, structures, and procedures
to build systemic creativity in individuals, in teams, and
at the corporate level.
The book's creativity framework -- designed
to be customized to a company's unique needs -- walks readers
through four interacting dynamics that make up the creative
process: motivation, curiosity and fear, the making and
breaking of connections, and evaluation.
Individuals will learn how to:
- Reclaim their own creative wellspring
- Exercise creativity in all aspects of
their work
- Strengthen their ideas to address corporate
response
Leaders of teams and organizations will
learn how to:
- Build a climate that supports constant
creativity
- Fuel daily creative response and
long-term vision
- Develop a ready foundation for transforming
ideas into innovations
Marrying practical strategies with theoretical
research, Creativity, Inc. shows how entire organizations
can embody and implement creativity and innovation.
Jeff Mauzy is a Consulting Manager and
Richard Harriman is Managing Partner at Synectics, a pioneering
consulting firm specializing in business creativity and
innovation.
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