The arts play a vital role in helping us find our authentic voice, and remembering who we are as human beings. People trust and respect leaders who show their humanity and believe when we are in touch With our humanity, we envision better futures, and make wiser decisions. -“Linda Anima The arts are emerging as a role model for business and government organizations because the arts excel in areas where managers struggle the most: chaos, diversity, ambiguity, envisioning the future and the ability to dare to break molds. Wall Street Journal 8/19/03). Business has much to learn from the arts, Studying the arts can help business people communicate more eloquently… Studying the arts can also help companies learn how to manage bright people.. Studying the art world might even hold out the biggest prize of all-“helping business become more innovative. Companies are scouring the world for new ideas. In their quest for creativity, they surely have something to learn from the creative industries. Ђ”Schumacher Blob on arts based learning in were Art of Management” The Economist February 2011 Unlocking creative potential is key to economic growth Creativity is not the mystical attribute reserved for the lucky few. Creativity is a process that can be developed and managing Generating innovative ideas is both a function of the mind, and a function of behaviors, behaviors anyone an put into practice. Creativity begins faith a foundation of knowledge, learning a discipline, and mastering whole brain thinking.
We learn to be creative by experimenting, exploring, questioning assumptions, using imagination and synthesizing information. Arts Based Learning Activities Arts based activities include drawing, painting, storytelling, theatre improvisation, photography and poetry. Art-based activities can be used strategically to create safety, build trust, find shared values, shift perceptions. Mine group gold, extract meaningful creativity. And generate breakthrough ideas -” by combining right. Rain imagination with left-brain logic and analysis.
Art- based learning can be applied to Developing the Artful Leader Whole-Brain Creativity & Innovation Improving collaboration and teamwork Values creation and meaningful work Appreciative Inquiry and leading change Corporate retreats: Hosting Strategic Conversations Meetings and Think Tanks Capacity building in creativity and innovation Design-Thinking as a Strategy for Innovation Learning Outcomes & Benefits: Art is an invitation to have a conversation, It is a potent catalyst for a deeper inquiry into business issues, providing the means for ;artful reflection’ Find hared values quickly and without aggravating debate.
Prototype possibilities for developing new products / services. Rehearse “what if options that lead to meaningful insights regarding change. Creativity and innovation skills development Aesthetic experience helps leaders make tacit knowledge visible; e. G. Patterns, processes and relationships. Foster an appreciation for diverse and pluralistic points Of view. Reduce meeting time costs. Envision the future direction Of your company, gain consensus with little conflict and drive sweater from the top down and bottom up, in less than one day. Co. Create a mural to map out our strategies.
This becomes a road map to your future. Foster an innovation ecosystem A Context for Arts-eased Learning for Business To understand the process of creative genius, it is valid for business people to look at the model of the artist. The business of the artist is to create, navigate opportunity, explore possibility, and master creative breakthrough. We need to restore art, the creation of opportunity, to business. -Broadened (1998) The worlds of the arts and business are formulating a new relationship, distinct from the traditional models of entertainment or sponsorship.
As Mina packing, a encore violinist and cultural ambassador to Slovenia, argues: “The world of arts must be rescued out of the prison of entertainment and the world of business must be led out of the desert of dullness of meaning! ” In this new relationship, art is a role model for business, since all great art pushes boundaries beyond the established norms. Thus, it can teach us about aesthetics, ambiguity, diversity, chaos, change, courage, and complexity. According to British aestheticism, Sir Herbert Read, ‘The artist’s task is to break through the limitations of previously codified knowledge, to lead humanity to the future. Businesses today want to reek away from their limitations, aim higher, and be a creative force for the greater good Of the world. We need the transformation experiences the arts give us to thrive in a world of change. In ancient cultures, the mystery schools put students through initiations to overcome fear, learn something about their true nature, and gain self-actualization (self-mastery). The arts give us a taste of the mystery and help make sense of the world. The arts take us on adventures in creative expression that help us explore safely unknown territory, overcome fear, and take risks.
We can transfer these learning experiences to the workplace. Art-making has an alchemical effect on the imagination. Art takes people out of the realm of analytical thinking and into the realm of silence, reverie, and heightened awareness. In my own work with organizations, I’ve noticed this shift in consciousness creates a crucible for deep conversation, from which emerges trust, caring, camaraderie, and genius-level thinking, A shared art experience enhances our sense of belonging and enriches conversation. Linda Anima, Prom Chapter 2, Orchestrating Collaboration at Work (Wiley 2003) The Harvard Business Review (Feb.. 2004) made the astonishing statement that an ‘TVA is he new MBA! ” It reports that “Businesses are realizing that the only way to differentiate their goods and services in today’s overstocked, materially abundant marketplace is to make their offerings transcendent -” physically beautiful and emotionally compelling. ” Metrics are not enough. In this market, the ability to conceptualize is strategically important.
The economic future of an organization depends on its ability to create wealth by fostering innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. Dan Pink, in his book A Whole New Mind (2005), argues that left-brain linear, analytical computer-like thinking are Ewing replaced by right-brain empathy, inventiveness, and understanding as skills most needed by business. Pink points to Asia, automation, and abundance as the reasons behind the shift Pink says “Logical and precise, left-brain thinking gave us the Information Age.
Now comes the Conceptual Age – ruled by artistry, empathy, and emotion. ” What does this mean for future jobs? Winners are designers, inventors, counselors, ethnographers, social psychologists, and other right. Brain folks, while lawyers, engineers, accountants, and other left- brainier will see their jobs evaporate from outsourcing. In reviewing The Art of Business: Make All Your Work a Work of (Davis, 2005) Tom Peters commented: The authors persuasively argue that we are entering an economy which will value-insist upon! -a new way of looking at value creation.
They call it moving from an emphasis on “economic flow” (input-output) to “artistic flow. ” The altered nature of enterprise, the “four elements” of new business thinking: “See yourself as an artist,” “See your work as a work of art,” “See your customers as an audience. ” See your competition as teachers. ” Arts-based dialogue at BP NYC Arts-based learning for business We cannot find all the answers to our challenges in the world of the rational, logical, and scientific. Consequently the arts are emerging as a role model for business to adopt.
Through art we can make it safe ask the deeper questions that lead to the emotional truth about a situation. Art creates 3 bonding experience that facilitates collaboration and accelerates the ability get to the heart Of a problem. Drawing or painting images illustrates how differently we see things, and helps us appreciate that many points of view contribute to the whole. Images externalities the unconscious and make tacit knowledge visible. Art. Based activities can be used strategically to create safety, build trust find shared values, and shift perceptions. Combining right. Rain imagination with left. Brain logic and analysis increases the capacity for breakthrough ideas and insights that lead to success. What can we learn from the arts that we can apply to business? Management is, above all, a practice where art, science, and craft meet. -Henry Miniature, author and protestor at McGill University. John Solely Brown, dormer director to PARA and chief scientist of Xerox Corporation says ‘There are three ways look at (the impact of an art experience]. One is the notion that engaging in these types of activities evoke deeper responses, deeper emotions.
It brings forth many of the tacitly held beliefs and assumptions that you have. So think of it as evocative of the tacit knowledge The second is that focused conversations are built and fused together around evocative objects that concern problems that the researcher has on his or her mind. Have said very often, it was the researcher that had the real problem, but the interaction with the artist actually made a big difference. Now that’s a complex interplay, ’cause it takes over; it’s like a conversation that unfolds over many months. The third concerns the power of simplicity.
Simplicity prior to complexity doesn’t mean much. But simplicity, after you pass through the wall of complexity, after you have marinated in a fully nuanced reading of the situation and then rendering it in very simple ways is extraordinarily powerful. Artists and business leaders have many parallels. Both involve having a guiding vision, a potent point Of view, formulating an ideal, navigating chaos and the unknown, and finally producing a new creation. They must be astute in assessing and developing talent, as well as making ere that the talent works well together.
Executives, however, could learn from artists’ ability to dare to break molds, lead changes in taste, raise funds, and be productive while being frugal. – Wall Street Journal 8/19/2003 Fifth biggest challenges we face today concern global competition, managing change, and employee disengagement (to name a few), what can leaders do to inspire teams to achieve higher levels to performance? How can leaders tap into the hearts and minds of employees, to find the “burning platform” that mobiles strategy into action? Innovation by its nature, demands change. In The
Heart of Change, John Cotter states: “People change what they do less because they are given analysis that shifts their thinking than because they are shown a truth that influences their feelings. ” He emphasizes that the central challenge is changing people’s behavior and the way to change behavior is to influence their feelings. ‘The heart of change, is in the emotions. ” Through art we can make it safe ask the deeper questions that lead to the emotional truth about a situation. Art creates a bonding experience that facilitates collaboration and accelerates the ability get to the heart of a problem.
Drawing or painting images illustrates how differently we see things, and helps us appreciate that many points Of view contribute to the whole. Images externalities the unconscious and make tacit knowledge visible. When Orchestrating Collaboration at Work was first published was invited by the Ginger Group Collaborative, to facilitate what call Arts-based dialogue At the time they were a newly formed consortium of Organizational Development consultants, and were questioning whether they wanted to continue to invest time and energy in creating a new business venture based on collaborative strategic alliances, and if so; how.
The group was interested in how use art to stimulate creativity and enhance collaboration, and wanted to participate in painting processes ‘to get out of their heads’ and access different ways of learning, which could be applied to their work. The collaborative painting activities created a crucible for deeper levels of conversation, and “they found themselves telling stories to sensitive issues, personal journeys, and visions of their future.
The retreat fostered open inquiry, sparked new energy, and ignited a sense of team spirit” (Osborn) One of the associates said ‘The paintings were source of intimacy the group needs to stay together and provided a forum for rich and insightful dialogue. We realized that the archetypes that emerged in the images of our painting represented the essence of what we wanted to convey about collaboration to our public. ” Art-based activities can be used strategically to create safety, build trust, find shared values, and shift perceptions.
Combining right-brain imagination with left-brain logic and analysis increases the capacity for breakthrough ideas and insights that lead to success. TO USE OR NOT TO SEE THE ARTS IN BUSINESS Basically there are four options regarding Arts-in-Business: I. Business uses the arts for decoration. 2. Business uses the arts for entertainment, either by giving the employees benefits such as tickets for selected shows, performances and arts exhibitions in their leisure time, or they invite artists into the company for performances at annual meetings, cuss- tome events or special occasions. . Business applies the arts as instruments demodulating, communication training, leadership development, problem solving and innovation processes. 4. Business integrates the arts in a strategic process petrifactions, involving personal development ND leadership, culture and identity, creativity and innovation, as well as customer relations and marketing. Lotto Daresё, Artful Creation (2004) Organizations using the arts in training and development Terry McGraw, chairman and CEO of The McGraw Hill Companies, characterizes creativity as a Minibuses imperative,” and puts his companies’ successful experiences with arts-based learning in a broad strategic context of “surfacing creativity’ through engagement with the arts. Creativity is essential because it is at the heart of innovation, and innovation is a growth driver and, therefore, a business imperative.
That is why, for several years, The McGraw-Hill companies has been using arts-based learning as a training tool in several key leadership initiatives ‘The arts have served as a complementary vehicle to more traditional learning approaches. They have helped to change attitudes by letting employees confront their assumptions in a nontraditional and non-intimidating environment. ” The results Of using arts-based learning and training have been very positive for The McGraw-Hill Accompaniments-based training is part of an overall strategy and commitment Of the corporation to help ‘surface’ creativity –
Journal of Business Strategy (Swifter, 2005) The McGraw Hill Companies is a global pioneer in the use of arts. Based learning to train leaders, help employees solve problems creatively, and foster personal growth. Keith Weed, Chairman, Lever Faberge sees employee involvement as a key part of developing and sustaining an innovative and creative business. Catalyst, their internal arts and creativity program “brings artists and arts organizations into the business to motivate, inspire, challenge and unlock the potential of our staff, on both a professional and personal level.
Artists and arts organizations come into the workplace to tackle specific business issues, from creative thinking to leadership styles and writing skills. ” Other companies who have used the arts for training purposes such as visioning, communication, customer service, and team development, include: American Express, AT, BBC, British Airways, Coca-Cola, Daimler-Chrysler, Dell Computers, Ericson, Halifax, Hewlett Packard, Honeywell, MM, Kodak, Lever Faberge, Lockheed Martin, Marks Spencer, Matter, Mike, Pfizer, Chitchats & Chitchats, Sears, Shell, Canadians, and the World Bank. Forums for Art-based learning Leadership and team development
Strategic planning Corporate retreats Brand development Art is a potent catalyst for a deeper inquiry into business issues, providing the means for ‘artful reflection’ in organizational development. Create a shared vision. Find shared values quickly and without aggravating debate. Prototype possibilities for developing new products / services. Rehearse ‘Hannah if’ options that lead to meaningful insights regarding change. Creativity and innovation skills development processes and relationships. Art-making processes help nurture relationships between dissimilar groups, fostering an appreciation for diverse and pluralistic mints of view.
Art is the antidote to information overload AND to the pressure of always being in control, Employee engagement. Here’s what university managers and staff members said about painting in an arts-based training session for innovation: Reluctance turned into pleasant anticipation. Great leveler. It didn’t matter how important or knowledgeable you area great self-discovery process. Better way to communicate through visual images and symbols. Fantastic technique for building relationships and creating an environment of collaboration_A great way to stimulate right-brain/ be playful and get into a different space.
Albert Gibson, R Manager at a us-based multi- national good & Beverage Company wrote to me after reflecting on his art experience at a corporate retreat workshop I conducted: If you want something really important to be done you must not merely satisfy the reason, you must satisfy the heart also… For those who would ask, and just how does art benefit my business? , would offer, “If your business has important, pioneering work to do, then develop artful capabilities in your associates just as well as technical skills, else you’ll work at half. Trench at best, and risk losing all the benefit of heir passion,” Now, there is a connection between art and the bottom line, What is Creativity? Revised Feb.. 17, 2014 Creativity is the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. Creativity is characterized by the ability to perceive the world in new ways, to tint hidden patterns, to make connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena, and to generate solutions. Creativity involves two processes: thinking, then producing. If you have ideas, but don’t act on them, you are imaginative but not creative. “Creativity is the process of bringing something new into being.
Creativity squires passion and commitment It brings to our awareness what was previously hidden and points to new life. The experience is one of heightened consciousness: ecstasy. ” -” Roll May, The Courage to Create [Is this possible in business? Believe so, but you have to be willing to take risks and progress through discomfort to get to the finish line. ] ‘”A product is creative when it is (a) novel and (b) appropriate. A novel product is original not predictable. The bigger the concept, and the more the product stimulates further work and ideas, the more the product is creative. -“Sternberg & Lubber, Defying the Crowd What is Innovation? Innovation is the implementation of a new or significantly improved product, service or process that creates value for business, government or society. Some people say creativity has nothing to do with innovation-” that innovation is a discipline, implying that creativity is not. Well, disagree. Creativity is also a discipline, and a crucial part of the innovation equation. There is no innovation without creativity. The key metric in both creativity and innovation is value creation, Creativity and Economic Development: We are living in the age of creativity.
Daniel Pink in his book A Whole New Mind/Amazon_link (2005) defines Economic Development as: 1. Agriculture Age (farmers) 2. Industrial Age (factory workers) 3. Information Age (knowledge workers) 4. Conceptual Age (creators and amphitheatres) [Amazon_image id=”1594481717″ target=”_blank” size=”medium” IA Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainier Will Rule the Pink argues that left-brain linear, analytical computer-like thinking are being replaced by right-brain empathy, inventiveness, and understanding as skills most needed by business.
In other words, creativity gives you a competitive advantage by adding value to your service or product, and differentiating your business from the competition. Without creativity, you are doomed to compete in commodity hell! Creativity is the Most Crucial Factor for Future Success laws 2010 Global CEO study stated: “The effects Of rising complexity calls for Coos and their teams to lead With bold creativity, connect with customers in imaginative ways and design their operations for speed and flexibility to position their organizations for twenty-first century success. The Creativity Gap A 2012 Adobe study on creativity shows 8 in 10 people feel that unlocking reiterative is critical to economic growth and nearly two-thirds of respondents feel creativity is valuable to society, yet a striking minority – only 1 in 4 people – believe they are living up to their own creative potential. Can creativity be learned? The short answer is yes. A study by George Land reveals that we are naturally creative and as we grow up we learn to be uncreative.
Creativity is a skill that can he developed and a emcees that can be managed. Creativity begins with a foundation of knowledge, learning a discipline, and mastering a way of thinking, You learn to be creative y experimenting, exploring, questioning assumptions, using imagination and synthesizing information Learning to be creative is akin to learning a sport. It requires practice to develop the right muscles, and a supportive environment in which to flourish, Studies by Clayton M.
Christensen and his researchers uncovered The Innovators DNA: Your ability to generate innovative ideas is not merely a function of the mind, but also a function Of five key behaviors that optimize your brain for discovery: 1 Associating: drawing connections been questions, problems, or ideas from unrelated fields 2. Questioning: posing queries that challenge common wisdom 3. Observing: scrutinizing the behavior of customers, suppliers, and competitors to identify new ways Of doing things 4.
Networking: meeting people with different ideas and perspectives 5. Experimenting: constructing interactive experiences and provoking unorthodox responses to see what insights emerge Sir Richard Brannon has a mantra that runs through the DNA of Virgin companies. The mantra is A. B-C. D. (Always Be Connecting the Dots). Creativity is a practice, and if you practice using these five discovery skills every ay, you will develop your skills in creativity and innovation.
Additional creativity resources: Creativity and Innovation workshops A curate list of creativity tools and techniques Overcoming myths about creativity Beliefs that only special, talented people are creative-and you have to be born that way- diminish our confidence in our creative abilities. The notion that geniuses such as Shakespeare, Picasso and Mozart were gifted’ is a myth, according to a study at Exeter university. Researchers examined outstanding performances in the arts, mathematics and sports, to find out if “the widespread life that to reach high levels of ability a person must possess an innate potential called talent. The study concludes that excellence is determined by: opportunities encouragement training motivation, and most of all-practice. “Few showed early signs of promise prior to parental encouragement. ” No one reached high levels of achievement in their field without devoting thousands of hours of serious training. Mozart trained for 16 years before he produced an acknowledged master work. Moreover many high performers achieve levels of excellence today that match the capabilities of a Mozart, or a Gold Medalist from he turn of the century. (The Vancouver Sun, Septet, 12/98) Fostering Creativity at Work: Rules tooth Garage Follow these simple rules and you will foster a culture of creativity and innovation: These were defined by HP. Which in fact started in a garage. Believe you can change the world. Work quickly, keep the tools unlocked, work whenever. Know when to work alone and when to work together, Share – tools, ideas. Trust your colleagues. No politics No bureaucracy. (These are ridiculous in a garage. ) The customer defines a job well done. Radical ideas are not bad ideas.
Invent different ways of working. Make a contribution every day. If it doesn’t contribute, it doesn’t leave the garage. Believe that together we can do anything. Invent. _1999 HP Annual Report Great Entrepreneurs Are Creative Thinkers Gallup has created a really useful profile on the creative thinker in business. Use the tips below as a coaching tool to help you and your team develop winning ideas, and convert them into successful innovations. Creative business builders are constantly thinking of novel ways to propel their business forward by Saneness Broadway Bad, Ph.
D. Highly creative entrepreneurs are rule breakers who don’t like to conform to rooms and traditions of the industry. Highly successful entrepreneurs can creatively look beyond the present and imagine possible futures for their company. It you are a Creative Thinker, you are driven to steer your business in new directions. Whether introducing new products and services, entering untapped markets, or initiating innovative technologies or production processes, you are constantly thinking of novel ways to propel your business forward.
Comfortable with the unknown and the unfamiliar, you always look for new ways to combine and recombine resources to create innovative solutions for our customers. Your creative action helps you renew your business’ value proposition and differentiate it from your competitors’. It also enables you to disrupt markets by introducing new and unexpected products or by developing novel methods Of doing business. Creative Thinkers are alert to changes in the external business environment -” new technologies, shifts in customer needs, industry trends, or competitor actions.
You constantly evaluate new possibilities, revise your expectations of the imagined future, and formulate fresh action plans to achieve your goals. This endless cycle Of new information, new opportunities, and new action plans helps you start ventures or grow existing ones. As a Creative Thinker, you are quick to act. You seize opportunities and are usually the first mover in the market. Your unique ability to take an idea and quickly transform it into a business that generates revenue helps you stay ahead of the competition.
