The seven habits of successful crea

The seven habits of successful creative
thinkers and innovators
1 Thinking outside the apparent confines of the
problem/situation
• challenging the accepted
• ensuring you have defined the problem correctly
• not assuming existing practices, procedures or
theories are absolutely correct
• widening your span of relevance by considering
how other industries deal with similar problems.
Beyond the nine dots
Consider the puzzle below to discover how your mind works.
Connect up the nine dots by using four straight lines without
taking your pen or pencil off the paper. Allow yourself
3 minutes to solve the problem before turning to the
Appendix on page 98 to find out the answer.
To be able to solve this puzzle you must challenge the assumption
that the ‘rules’ mean that you should stay within the
confines of the dots. Unconsciously imposing assumptions
about a problem will put constraints on being able to find
an answer.
We need to be able to think outside of the problem. We impose
rules and frameworks around situations when we should be
thinking more creatively than those boundaries allow. We need
to have a wide span of relevance to be able to take our thinking
outside the boundaries. We need to learn to ‘leap over the
wall’ into what is the unknown and make it the known.
We should be aware of misconceptions, preconceptions and
unconscious assumptions in our thinking. Listening to
others when they challenge or test our assumptions may lead
your ideas down a different, more beneficial path.
Making some assumptions deliberately and making connections
between ideas that are apparently distant will involve
a greater degree of creative thinking. This may help you
explore ways forward but be aware not to commit yourself
to these assumptions and make sure they are fully tested at
a later date.
‘‘Discovery consists of seeing what everyone has
seen and thinking what nobody has thought.’’ Anon

CHECKLIST: BEYOND THE NINE DOTS
• Did you manage to solve the problem within the
three minutes allowed?
• Are you able to appreciate the differences between
unconscious and deliberately made assumptions?
• Are you aware of making untested assumptions?
• Are you able to find a balance between making
imaginative assumptions and realistic assessments?
• Are you comfortable exploring options outside of
the assumed boundaries?
• Are you able to evaluate your span of relevance
and that of others?

CHECKLIST: BEYOND THE NINE DOTS continued
• Do you find yourself blaming your lack of
creativity on not having the correct specialist
knowledge or education?

2 Welcoming chance intrusions
• being aware of the unexpected
• being open to chance.
Chance meetings or events can often provide the mind with
creative food, providing the missing link in the solution to
a problem. But, the creative thinker must be observant of
everything around them in order to be aware of the chance
and its meaning. This will open up many new ideas to you
when you are not looking for them.
Having a wide span of attention and a broad range of interests
will give you more opportunities to have chance
meetings and experiences. Be open to the possibilities of
transferring technology and ideas from one field to another.
You will be more capable of this type of thinking if you have
worked in more than one industry or have travelled abroad
through your work.
Look out for chance meetings and events and don’t wait for
them to happen. Be sensitive and observant when interpreting
these situations, realise their possible significance
and add to them your own touch of creative thought.

CHECKLIST: CHANCE INTRUSIONS
• Can you recall seizing an opportunity because you
were ready for it?
• Can you recall a chance event or meeting that
aided some creative work you were undertaking?
• Are you observant of the happenings around you
to be able to identify them as relevant to your
creative thinking?
• Have you ever stumbled across opportunities
when you weren’t expecting them?
• Do you have a wide span of relevance which opens
you up to more opportunities of chance meetings
and events?

Results (English) 1:

The seven habits of successful creativethinkers and innovators1 Thinking outside the confines of the apparentproblem/situation• challenging the accepted• ensuring you have defined the problem correctly• not assuming existing practices, procedures ortheories are absolutely correct• widening your span of relevance by consideringhow other industries deal with similar problems.Beyond the nine dotsConsider the puzzle below to discover how your mind works.Connect up the nine dots by using four straight lines withouttaking your pen or pencil off the paper. Allow yourself3 minutes to solve the problem before turning to theAppendix on page 98 to find out the answer.To be able to solve this puzzle you must challenge the assumptionthat the ' rules ' mean that you should stay within theconfines of the dots. Unconsciously imposing assumptionsabout a problem will put constraints on being able to findan answer.We need to be able to think outside of the problem. We imposerules and frameworks around situations when we should bethinking more creatively than those boundaries allow. We needto have a wide span of relevance to be able to take our thinkingoutside the boundaries. We need to learn to ' leap over theWall ' into what is the unknown and make it the known.We should be aware of misconceptions, preconceptions andunconscious assumptions in our thinking. Listening toothers when they challenge or test our assumptions may leadyour ideas down a different, more beneficial path.Making some assumptions deliberately and making connectionsbetween ideas that are apparently distant will involvea greater degree of creative thinking. This may help youexplore ways forward but be aware not to commit yourselfto these assumptions and make sure they are fully tested ata later date.'' Discovery consists of seeing what everyone hasseen and thinking what nobody has thought. '' AnonCHECKLIST: BEYOND THE NINE DOTS• Did you manage to solve the problem within thethree minutes allowed?• Are you able to appreciate the differences betweenunconscious and deliberately made assumptions?• Are you aware of making untested assumptions?• Are you able to find a balance between makingimaginative assumptions and realistic assessments?• Are you comfortable exploring options outside ofthe assumed boundaries?• Are you able to evaluate your span of relevanceand that of others?CHECKLIST: BEYOND THE NINE DOTS continued• Do you find yourself blaming your lack ofcreativity on not having the correct specialistknowledge or education?2nd Welcoming chance intrusions• being aware of the unexpected• being open to chance.Chance meetings or events can often provide the mind withcreative food, providing the missing link in the solution toa problem. But, the creative thinker must be observant ofeverything around them in order to be aware of the chanceand its meaning. This will open up many new ideas to youWhen you are not looking for them.Having a wide span of attention and a broad range of interestswill give you more opportunities to have chancemeetings and experiences. Be open to the possibilities oftransferring technology and ideas from one field to another.You will be more capable of this type of thinking if you haveworked in more than one industry or have travelled abroadthrough your work.Look out for chance meetings and events and don't wait forthem to happen. Be sensitive and observant when interpretingThese situations, realise their possible significanceand add to them your own touch of creative thought.CHECKLIST: CHANCE INTRUSIONS• Can you recall seizing an opportunity because youwere ready for it?• Can you recall a chance event or meeting thataided some of the creative work you were undertaking?• Are you observant of the happenings around youto be able to identify them us relevant to yourcreative thinking?• Have you ever stumbled across opportunitiesWhen you weren't expecting them?• Do you have a wide span of relevance which opensyou up to more opportunities of chance meetingsand events?