Leadership IILeadership II

STRATEGIES FOR PERSONAL SUCCESS

LEADERSHIP IILEADERSHIP II

Managing multiple roles for the CO Creativity Enhancing your personal power base Ethics

Section 2 ObjectivesSection 2 Objectives

Define creativity and innovation Identify importance of creativity &

innovation in the fire service Analyze the elements of creativity Identify the 5 steps of the creative process

OBJECTIVESOBJECTIVES

Evaluate personal blocks to creativity Identify ways of fostering creativity in

subordinates Identify effective techniques for selling new

ideas Develop strategies to enhance creative

leadership traits

OVERVIEWOVERVIEW

What is creativity? What is innovation? Why are they important? Elements of creativity The creative process

OVERVIEWOVERVIEW

Creativity blocks Fostering creativity in subordinates Selling your ideas to top management Self-assessment & personal

improvement strategies

WHAT IS CREATIVITY?

WHAT IS INNOVATION?

WHAT IS CREATIVITY?

WHAT IS INNOVATION?

WRITE YOUR DEFINITION FOR EACH

DEFINITIONDEFINITION

Creativity is the ability to produce original ideas or products

DEFINITIONDEFINITION

Innovation is the ability to improve a present practice, method, or product by adaptation or alteration.

CREATIVITY/INNOVATIONCREATIVITY/INNOVATION

Do they belong in the business world?

Examples Do they belong in the fire service?

Examples Do they belong at the CO level?

Examples

WHY FOSTER CREATIVITY?WHY FOSTER CREATIVITY?

1. Keep up with external changes: Demands for new services Demands for more service Demands for increased productivity

WHY FOSTER CREATIVITY?WHY FOSTER CREATIVITY?

2. Assure state of the art methods & techniques

Using technological advances effectively Adapting principles of private business to

public service

CREATIVE MYTHSCREATIVE MYTHS

You may think of creativity as something mysterious & unattainable.

Such an attitude stems from a series of myths.

LETS EXAMINE EACH MYTH & DEBUNK EACH ONE

MYTHS ABOUT CREATIVITYMYTHS ABOUT CREATIVITY

Myth #1: The more intelligent your are, the more creative your are.

Reality: Creativity is not a function of intelligence. Creativity is

seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought

Myth #2: People are born creative; creativity cannot be

learned.

Reality: It’s true! People are born creative - - that is, all of

us are. We can acquire skills, creativity can be learned...such as tennis, piano, riding a bike.

Myth #3: Creative ideas come in a flash, like lightning bolts.

Reality: Persistence and concentration are keys to creativity. You can’t

plant a garden until you have prepared the soil.

Myth #4: Creativity is disruptive to the day-to- day life of an organization.

Reality: Successful organizations are really two parallel, mutually supportiveorganizations--one innovative,

one routine. Every routine was once an innovation.

Myth #5: Creativity is a luxury; it should be encouraged only in times of abundance.

Reality: When you don’t have money to throw at a problem you need to be more creative. Necessity is the mother of invention.

Myth #6: True creativity is found primarily in the arts and has little practical

business application.

Reality: 80 % of corporate sales are from products unknown 10 years ago.

40% of the gross national product is attributable to research and

development during the past 15 years.

CREATIVITY - EXERCISECREATIVITY - EXERCISE

Take out a blank piece of paper List as many round objects as you can Time limit is 4 minutes

ELEMENTS OF CREATIVITYELEMENTS OF CREATIVITY

• Element #1 Fluency

ELEMENT #1 - FLUENCYELEMENT #1 - FLUENCY

1. The quantity of ideas you can generate in a specific period of time.

2. The more ideas you have, the more potential for being creative.

3. Round objects: avg. 22, typical 3-32

Everyone has ideas--some just have more than others.

ELEMENTS OF CREATIVITYELEMENTS OF CREATIVITY

Element # 1 Fluency Element # 2 Flexibility

ELEMENT #2-FLEXIBILITYELEMENT #2-FLEXIBILITY

1. Let go of predetermined categories

2. Break through mental barriers

3. Generate ideas in different categories

4. Practice free association

5. Measured by ability to generate ideas in a number of different categories

FLEXIBILITY-EXERCISEFLEXIBILITY-EXERCISE

Determine how many categories of round objects are represented in your lists.

FLEXIBILITY-EXERCISEFLEXIBILITY-EXERCISE

The more categories, the more flexible Highest number of categories Are items in categories lumped together?

How could you make this equation read correctly without

moving a match?

How could you make this equation read correctly without

moving a match?

=

A woman dropped her watch. The face broke into 4 parts. The numbers on each part added up to 15.

Draw a picture of how the watch face might have been broken.

A woman dropped her watch. The face broke into 4 parts. The numbers on each part added up to 15.

Draw a picture of how the watch face might have been broken.

ELEMENTS OF CREATIVITYELEMENTS OF CREATIVITY

ELEMENTS OF CREATIVITYELEMENTS OF CREATIVITY

Element #1 Fluency Element #2 Flexibility Element #3 Originality

ELEMENT #3-ORIGINALITYELEMENT #3-ORIGINALITY

1. Ability to generate unusual ideas

2. The fewer times an idea appears in any one group, the more original the idea.

Form small groups & identify ideas not listed by anyone else. Post on board.

ELEMENTS OF CREATIVITYELEMENTS OF CREATIVITY

Element #1 Fluency Element #2 Flexibility Element #3 Originality Element #4 Awareness

ELEMENT #4-AWARENESSELEMENT #4-AWARENESS

Ability to see with your mind & imagination as well as your eyes

Ability to see possibilities, not just reality

Awareness of creativity from others list?

Awareness of subordinate potential, risk taking.

ELEMENTS OF CREATIVITYELEMENTS OF CREATIVITY

Element #1 Fluency Element #2 Flexibility Element #3 Originality Element #4 Awareness Element #5 Drive

ELEMENT #5-DRIVEELEMENT #5-DRIVE

1. Willingness to try & try again

2. Refusal to give up

THE CREATIVE PROCESSTHE CREATIVE PROCESS

An idea happens when someone suddenly discovers................

A NEW IDEAA NEW IDEA

A new combination of existing ideas

An adaptation of existing ideas

STEPS LEADING TO NEW IDEAS

STEPS LEADING TO NEW IDEAS

Preparation Concentration Incubation Illumination Verification / Production

PREPARATIONPREPARATION

Initial awareness of need for improvement Scope out the situation Lay groundwork for creativity End result is a mental definition of your

purpose....why you need a creative solution

Does this ever happen on our department?

CONCENTRATIONCONCENTRATION

Once your “hooked” you become absorbed in generating various ideas

INCUBATIONINCUBATION

When ideas run out, leave it alone for a while

Sleep on it!

ILLUMINATIONILLUMINATION

The light bulb goes on The “Ah-ha” phase -

getting the answer Having a feeling or a

hunch that this is the way to go

VERIFICATION PRODUCTION

VERIFICATION PRODUCTION

Testing the idea Talking about the idea to others Trying out the solution to see if it

works

S-C-A-M-P-E-RS-C-A-M-P-E-R

If the idea works, creative effort switches its focus to selling the idea

If it doesn’t work, we go back to the concentration step and generate additional ideas...enhanced by .....

SCAMPER questions are designed to stimulate fluency & flexibility of ideas.....

S-C-A-M-P-E-RS-C-A-M-P-E-R

S - What can you substitute? C - What can you combine ? A - What can you adapt ? M - What can you magnify, miniaturize ? P - What can you put to other uses? E - What, who, or where else ? R - Can you rearrange or reverse?

CREATIVITY BLOCKSCREATIVITY BLOCKS

We all have blocks which inhibit creativity We unconsciously create secret rules about

what we should or should not do, based on fear or lack of confidence

Evaluate yourselves as we talk about the following creative blocks.

CREATIVITY BLOCKSCREATIVITY BLOCKS

I don’t want to look foolish. I don’t want to fail. I ‘m not creative. That’s not my area (skill, style, etc.). I don’t get paid to have fun.

CREATIVITY BLOCKSCREATIVITY BLOCKS

Allowing yourself to be creative & over-coming your personal blocks are just the first steps if your a supervisor

As a supervisor, you must encourage subordinates to be creative & overcome their own personal blocks

FOSTERING CREATIVITYFOSTERING CREATIVITY

Avoid killer phrases - Examples: List

Don’t stifle innovative subordinates- How do supervisors discourage risk-taking?

TEN RULES FOR STIFLING INNOVATION

TEN RULES FOR STIFLING INNOVATION

1. Be suspicious

2. Be inaccessible

3. Pass the buck

4. Criticize at every opportunity

TEN RULES (cont’d)TEN RULES (cont’d)

5. Discourage people from letting you know when there’s a problem

6. Control everything carefully

7. Make significant policy changes in secret

8. Keep people in the dark

RULES (cont’d)RULES (cont’d)

9. Pass on your dirty work in the name of delegation and participation

10. Above all else, never forget that you, the supervisor, know everything there is to know

CHARACTERISTICS OF SUPERVISORS WHO FOSTER

CREATIVITY

CHARACTERISTICS OF SUPERVISORS WHO FOSTER

CREATIVITY They are willing to

absorb the risks Comfortable with half

developed ideas Make quick decisions Good listeners

CHARACTERISTICS (cont’d)CHARACTERISTICS (cont’d)

Don’t dwell on past mistakes Enjoy their jobs Expect subordinates to succeed Capitalize on subordinates strengths

SELLING YOUR IDEA TO TOP MANAGEMENT

SELLING YOUR IDEA TO TOP MANAGEMENT

Have you ever made a suggestion to your boss which you really believed had potential for improving the department, but the boss refused to try it? What steps did you take?

Selling ideas is more difficult than generating them because it involves risk taking. What risk is involved?

ASSESSING SELLABILITYASSESSING SELLABILITY

Consider 3 questions before proposing new ideas:

1. Will it work?

2. Will people accept it?

3. Is your idea timely?

ASSESSING SELLABILITY OF YOUR IDEA

ASSESSING SELLABILITY OF YOUR IDEA

Will it work? Has it been tested? Is it practical? Is it distinctly better than the present

way?

SELLABILITY OF IDEASELLABILITY OF IDEA

Will people accept it? (Must get a yes) Will it improve quality? Will it increase productivity? Will it use personnel more effectively? Will it improve present methods?

SELLABILITYSELLABILITY

Will it improve safety? Will it eliminate unnecessary work? Will it reduce costs? Will it improve working conditions?

SELLABILITYSELLABILITY

Is your idea timely? Is it fully developed? Is top management ready for it? If it’s approved, are you ready to act on it? Are you sure it doesn’t conflict with other

projects that already have top management approval / priority?

DEVELOPING A PERSUASIVE ARGUMENT

DEVELOPING A PERSUASIVE ARGUMENT

Relate to a recognized need

Appeal to positive values

Anticipate objections Get others involved Ensure your credibility

(cont’d)

RELATE TO A NEEDRELATE TO A NEED

Identify the most sellable features Evaluate the priorities of top management

What bothers them the most

What do they care most about

Examples: Union-safety issues

Citizens-response times Emphasize features that interests the top

APPEAL TO POSITIVE VALUES

APPEAL TO POSITIVE VALUES

Emphasize the ideal qualities of your idea Relate idea to improved public service Clearly spell out benefits to those affected

ANTICIPATE OBJECTIONSANTICIPATE OBJECTIONS

Think of all possible reasons why top management may be reluctant to accept your idea

Build a response to all possible objections into your initial proposal

GET OTHERS INVOLVEDGET OTHERS INVOLVED

If possible, build support for your idea at your level first

Remember, there is strength in numbers

ENSURE YOUR CREDIBILITYENSURE YOUR CREDIBILITY

Don’t make false claims Don’t exaggerate Don’t be defensive If you don’t have the answer, offer to

research the question and follow-up

Activity 1: Self-assessmentActivity 1: Self-assessment

SM p. CR-9

10 minutes to complete questionnaire and self scoring

Results are personal & will not be shared

Activity 1-ImprovementActivity 1-Improvement

List possible strategies for improving your score in each area......

#1 What can you do to get unsolicited ideas, suggestions, or proposals from subordinates?

#1 What can you do to get unsolicited ideas, suggestions, or proposals from subordinates?

EXAMPLESEXAMPLES

Encourage ideas Open door policy Be a better listener Be accessible

#2 What can you do to increase the number of new ideas that you propose to management?

#2 What can you do to increase the number of new ideas that you propose to management?

EXAMPLESEXAMPLES

Take more risks Try a new idea. If you like it, support it Discuss with your boss how important

you think creativity and innovation are. Assess what management’s biggest

problems are

#3 How can you increase the freedom you give your subordinates to experiment with new ideas or to help solve tough problems?

#3 How can you increase the freedom you give your subordinates to experiment with new ideas or to help solve tough problems?

EXAMPLESEXAMPLES

Brainstorming sessions “Beef” sessions Let them know new ideas are welcome Group problem-solving

#4 What can you do to decrease the number of times you refrain from doing something because you do not want to look foolish?

#4 What can you do to decrease the number of times you refrain from doing something because you do not want to look foolish?

EXAMPLESEXAMPLES

Do something foolish deliberately once in a while

Take more risks

#5 How can you avoid using killer phrases or doing other things which stifle creativity?

#5 How can you avoid using killer phrases or doing other things which stifle creativity?

EXAMPLESEXAMPLES

Keep a list of killer phrases where you can see it

If you’ve used one on a subordinate--apologize!

#6 How can you increase your comfort with half-baked ideas?

#6 How can you increase your comfort with half-baked ideas?

EXAMPLESEXAMPLES

Don’t try to get every possible answer before going with an idea

If the idea has potential--support it

#7 How can you allow your subordinates to be more involved in projects which show their strengths?

#7 How can you allow your subordinates to be more involved in projects which show their strengths?

EXAMPLESEXAMPLES

Delegate more often Let a company member star

whenever possible Encourage participation by not

overreacting to failures

#8 How can you improve your ability to listen?#8 How can you improve your ability to listen?

EXAMPLESEXAMPLES

Really concentrate on what your subordinate is saying

Look for an idea’s good points--not reasons it won’t work

Don’t talk so much

#9 How can you increase your own creativity?#9 How can you increase your own creativity?

EXAMPLESEXAMPLES

Buy a book on creativity and get more comfortable with it

Do creativity exercises

#10 What else can you do to generate ideas or suggestions from subordinates?

#10 What else can you do to generate ideas or suggestions from subordinates?

EXAMPLESEXAMPLES

Encourage experimentation Assure your subordinates of your

support Actively involve them in problem

solving

SUMMARYSUMMARY

• Each person has creative / innovative potential

• We can improve our creative ability

• COs must foster creativity in subordinates

• COs must be skilled in ‘selling’ new ideas to management

end