Collective creativity
Featured in the Developing an Emotionally Intelligent Team training manual
By Mike Bagshaw
Category: Emotional Intelligence
Credit price: 4 download credits (Single user)
Creativity is sometimes an inspired thought fro an individual. It can also come from a group. You couldn’t have great works like cathedrals, festivals or expeditions without collective creativity. An orchestra consists of a group of skilled musicians and a conductor. You might get a technically perfect performance just from their skill and co-operation. For an inspiring performance, you need to unleash the creativity of individuals to bring a collective creative force. There may be times when it doesn’t seem to be working but there cannot be excellence without experimentation and, sometimes, failure. Progress in business needs creative input too. This comes from inviting initiative from the workforce and being open to new ideas. There will be mistakes because innovation involves the untried and untested. You can’t have anything new without trying out the unknown. This means there has to be a climate where it’s acceptable to get it wrong, as part of the process of getting it right. This has a great unifying effect on the team and it vastly improves people’s willingness and confidence to create. For example, Leyland Trucks reported an increase from 0 to 21 ideas on average per employee to a total of over 16,000 ideas.
You begin the training activity with input and discussion about the role of creativity in the work environment. In particular, the experience of playfulness and the role of risk, two very powerful emotional elements, are emphasised. You then address myths about creativity before asking the group to engage in a series of creativity exercises that are reviewed with particular emphasis placed on the collaborative process and the underpinning emotional drivers. To close the training activity, you run a short creative exercise giving each participant the opportunity to choose one way in which they could be a more effective team member.
Who is it for: This training resource is intended for use by trainers with participants to explore the myths and realities surrounding creativity, and the role of playfulness and risk.
| Resource Type: | Activity |
| Min Group Size: | 4 |
| Max Group Size: | 12 |
| Typical Duration: | 02:55:00 |
| No of Pages: | 28 |
Resources: View standard resources for Fenman training activities
Additional resources: A good supply of A4 sheets of coloured paper (4 colours).
Purpose: This training resource is intended for use by trainers on creativity, decision making, project leadership, team building, and team development programmes. It is designed for teams which have already developed a sound basis of trust, identity and efficacy.
Download the training activity, Collective creativity as featured in the Fenman training manual; Developing an Emotionally Intelligent Team