Creativity - Managerial Skills

Know your mental models	The ability to modify the way you see the world is critical today to innovate, initiate change as well as adapt to it and work with people of different backgrounds. Yet, we note every day that merely wanting to change is not enough. Neuroscientists have fascinating things to say on this topic. In particular, they explain how the human brain uses “mental models” to manage reality more effectively by simplifying it. You must therefore get to know your mental models in order to take the blinders off and open your mind.
The Power of Impossible Thinking , Jerry Wind and Colin Crook, Wharton School Publishing, 2004,. La cinquième discipline - Le guide de terrain, Peter Senge et al, Doubleday/Currency, 1994.

Lateral Marketing	The traditional product development approach rarely generates radical innovation. Many products that have revolutionized their respective markets are actually the result of pure chance or a spark of genius, rather than of a methodical analytical process. Lateral Marketing recommends being more creative with the innovation process. The authors suggest a specific method to do this – lateral thinking. Using a wide range of examples, they illustrate how companies can use this technique to think in new ways, and propose a methodical approach to apply it.
Philip Kotler and Fernando Trias de Bes, John Wiley & Sons, 2003.

New Ideas About New Ideas	The author of New Ideas About New Ideas, a consultant in innovation, interviewed one hundred corporate executives recognized for their creativity. From this study, she draws a plethora of ideas on just how they manage be so creative. She formulates her proposed thinking in colorful images, illustrated with numerous examples from both the business and artistic world. Create a “sizzling” environment to make ideas “bubble up”, learn to live in “spark soup”, don’t try to develop talent - hire it! These are just some of the provocative suggestions that deserve consideration.
Shira P. White, with G. Patton Wright, Perseus, 2002.

Building Cross-Cultural Competence	Building Cross-Cultural Competence offers an original approach for finding creative solutions to the dilemmas that confront us, i.e. drawing lessons from different cultures. The authors effectively emphasize that the first solution comes to mind is generally conditioned by our culture of origin. They recommend seeking inspiration in imagining the solution that could have been suggested by someone from a different culture, then combining the two points of view. They show readers how it is often possible to combine the advantages of the solutions recommended by each culture.
Charles M. Hampden-Turner & Fons Trompenaars, John Wiley & Sons, 2000.

Corporate creativity	From training seminars to creativity techniques, brainstorming sessions, idea generation, etc., companies abound with recipes to stimulate employee creativity. Yet, Corporate Creativity notes that these methods are insufficient. A defining characteristic of creativity is the fact that it is effectively unpredictable. The author consequently advises companies to leave room for the unexpected, rather than trying to plan creativity artificially. He indicates how companies can organize themselves to benefit from the ideas of every employee.
Alan G. Robinson & Sam Stern, Berrett-Koehler, 1997.

Competitive Innovation Management	Innovation is a crucial corporate success factor. Yet, many companies are able to launch an innovative product at one time or another, few have managed to innovate sustainably. Competitive Innovation Management shows how innovation can be made systematic, provided that management systems are adapted accordingly. The author provides a detailed analysis of eight corporate innovation success stories to identify key drivers that can help improve innovative performance. This book offers an opportunity to create a sustainable competitive advantage.
James A. Christiansen, MacMillan Business, 2000.

When Sparks Fly	Creativity is often considered to be an individual phenomenon, based on mysterious personal abilities. For this reason, creativity is rarely managed proactively. When Sparks Fly shows that this is a mistake. Creativity can and must be a team-based effort. Based on numerous research findings, the authors help readers understand this process and provide guidelines for efficiently managing it.
Dorothy A. Leonard and Walter C. Swap, Harvard Business School Press, 1999.

Serious Creativity	The author, a recognized creativity expert, presents major, highly-effective techniques to inspire creativity, and gives practical advice on how to develop creativity within companies.
Edward de Bono, Harper Collins, 1994.

Wellsprings of Knowledge	This book identifies four key creativity drivers inherent to every organization: know-how of personnel; know-how embodied in physical systems; management systems that support knowledge development; organizational values that direct and channel knowledge development. The author recommends that managers use all three of these drivers to foster creativity, and particularly emphasizes the importance of teamwork, testing, and openness.
Dorothy Leonard-Barton, Harvard Business School Press, 1995.