MAKING DISTINCTIONS: CONSTRUCTION vs. CREATION

"The whole difference between construction and creation is exactly this: that a thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists."

~ Charles Dickens;

INTERESTING PERSPECTIVES ABOUT CREATIVITY & INNOVATION FROM GREAT MINDS

"‘Creativity’ is not the miraculous road to business growth and affluence that is so abundantly claimed these days… Those who extol the liberating virtues of corporate creativity… tend to confuse the getting of ideas with their implementation – that is, confuse creativity in the abstract with practical innovation."

~ Theodore Levitt, ‘Creativity Is Not Enough’ in Harvard Business Review (1963);

"Creativity is a central source of meaning in our lives... most of the things that are interesting, important, & humans are the results of creativity... when we are involved in it, we feel that we are living more fully than during the rest of life."

~ Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi;

"There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress & we would be forever repeating the same patterns."

~ Edward de Bono;

"Creativity does not automatically lead to actual innovation... Creativity without a business plan & an organisational structure to administer the plan (i.e. action-oriented follow-through) is meaningless. At best, creative ideas remain good intentions..."

~ Peter F Drucker;

"Innovation is the specific tool of entrepreneurs, the means by which they exploit change as an opportunity for a different business or a different service. It is capable of being presented as a discipline, capable of being learned, capable of being practised. Entrepreneurs need to search purposefully for the sources of innovation, the changes & their symptoms that indicate opportunities for successful innovation, & they need to know & to apply the principles of successful innovation."

~ Peter F Drucker;

So, in the final analysis, creativity is just ideation, which is the generation of new ideas by approaching problems or existing practices in innovative &/or imaginative ways.

Obviously, creativity must eventually link to innovation, which is the process of taking a new idea & turning it into a workable reality or preferably, market offering, to generate value, or usefulness in the case of the former.

Hence, ideation is not synonymous for innovation.

Very often, we tend to use 'Creativity' & 'Innovation' interchangeably. They should not be, because, while creativity involves coming up with new ideas, it is the bringing of the new ideas to life, i.e. action-oriented follow-through, that makes innovation the distinct undertaking it is.

Dilip Mukerjea likes to use his favourite expression to delineate the two: Ideas to Cash!

MAKING DISTINCTIONS: DATA, INFORMATION & KNOWLEDGE

I thought the following interesting exposition from Natalie Michon is worth sharing with readers:

Knowledge is considered as the personal appropriation of information. In order to better understand this notion, let us explain the terms data and information.

A data is an objective description of a fact: it describes what we can observe, without specifying context or justifications. It is limited to a precise instant and does not mean anything if alone.

"Data are facts, observations, or measures that have been recorded but not put into meaningful context. A single musical note is data." (Hunter)

Then data becomes information as soon as it is put into a context, and linked to an object.

"Information is data that has been arranged in a systematic way to yield order and meaning. A series of notes arranged into a tune is information." (Hunter)

The process of transformation of data into information involves five processes: Condensation, Contextualisation, Categorisation, Calculation & Correction (attributed to 'The Knowledge Management Toolkit' by Amrit & Tiwana).

After this process of transformation, information can be absorbed by an individual and became thus knowledge.

"Knowledge is information in the mind, in a context which allows it to be transformed into action. A musician is able to play a tune because of his knowledge." (Hunter)

There is thus a relation of anteriority between data, information and knowledge.

Knowledge appears in individual mind, and evolves with experiences, successes, failures and learning; it must entail an observable behaviour, in answer to a precise context, that is to say it must be “actionable”. But afterward, an individual knowledge can be integrated into a collective one.

[Source: Natalie Michon, 'Impact of Knowledge Management on the Innovation Process in Companies';]

For me, I have a slightly different perspective: Data is always raw & neutral.

Information is the significant meaning we attach to it, drawn from our prior knowledge & past experiences. In other words, we "shape" the information.

It is pertinent for me to point out that "significant meaning" implies initially a personal interest in the data on our part, followed by a personal "understanding" of the data.

From all the disparate streams of information coming our way, we generate useful ideas through the creative process of recombinination or reorganisation, or both, using our ingenuity & imagination.

The ability to generate ideas empowers us with the ability to discern masses of information.

With ideas, we can then know how to make ready use of whatever information. Hence, it is important to realise that, WE THINK WITH IDEAS, NOT INFORMATION!

That's to say, IDEAS ALWAYS COME FIRST!

This is a valuable lesson I have learned from Nobel laureate Arno Penzias as well as creativity guru, Edward de bono.

Then, we put the best ideas to work.

That gives us the opportunity to know what ideas work & what don't. In the process, as action has consequences, we gain valuable experience.

Cummulative experience generates as well as hones our knowledge, which gives us the capability to solve many problems & tackle global challenges.

Over time, cumulative knowledge builds & extends our repertoire of expertise, thus enhancing our breadth & depth of understanding the world in general.

For me, cumulative expertise generally implies a broader & deeper understanding about human interactions, in light of our seasoned experience, so to speak.

Ultimately, the discerning use of our acquired expertise - usually over an extensive period of time, i.e. age counts! - creates wisdom, which allows us to make finer distinctions about the ways of the world, coupled with a good grasp of human nature.

In the end analysis, I reckon the resultant wisdom equips us with the exceptional ability to make more effective use of data, information, & knowledge.

That's how I see the vital connection.

THE CRUX BETWEEN CREATIVITY & INNOVATION

I have stumbled upon the following interesting insight attributed to Hugh MacLeod of the 'Gaping Void' weblog:

"One of the buzzwords you hear a lot in the business world these days, is “Innovation”. Yes, it’s a genuinely worthy thing to aspire to. Genuine innovation creates lots of genuine value, every young intern knows this. Which is why people like to throw it around like confetti. It’s one of those words that sound good in meetings, regardless of how serious one is about ACTUALLY innovating ANYTHING.

Here’s some friendly advice for all you Innovation-buzzword fanboys:

You don’t get to be more innovative, until you make yourself more creative FIRST.

“Innovative” is an “external” word. It can be measured. It generally talks about things that have been tested properly and found to have worked in the real world.

“Creative”, however, is more of an “internal” word. It’s subjective, it’s murkier. It’s far harder to measure, it’s far harder to define. It’s an inward journey, not outward. Which is why a lot of people in business try to keep the word out of their official lexicon, preferring instead more neutral, more externally-focused language like “Value”, “Excellence”, “Quality” and yes, “Innovation”."

You can read the rest of it - plus many diverse viewpoints from readers - at this link to the 'Lateral Action' weblog.

THE HAPPINESS FACTOR II

[continued from the Last Post]


The verb “laugh” comes from the Old English hliehhan, an onomatopoeic word (soundimitating).

Note some of the origins of words that represent such sunny sentiments:

HAPPINESS (noun) Origin: Middle English (in the sense ‘lucky’): from the noun HAP + -Y where HAP (archaic) = a mass noun meaning luck or fortune.

LAUGHTER (mass noun) Origin: Old English hleator, of Germanic origin; related to German Gelächter, and to Origin of ‘laugh’ ~ Old English hlaehhan, hliehhan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German lachen. Gelotology = the science of laughter (gelos is Greek for “laughter”)

SMILE (noun or verb, depends on context) Origin: Middle English: perhaps of Scandinavian origin; related to SMIRK (Origin: Old English sme(a)rcian, from a base shared by ‘smile’. The early sense was ‘to smile’; it later gained a notion of smugness or silliness).

JOY (mass noun) Origin: From Middle English: from Old French joie, based on Latin gaudium, from gaudere ‘rejoice’.

COMEDY (mass noun) Origin: Late Middle English(as a genre of drama, also denoting a narrative poem with a happy ending, as in Dante’s Divine Comedy): from Old French comedie, via Latin from Greek kômôidia, from kômôidos ‘comic poet’, from kômos ‘revel’ + aoidos ‘singer’.

FUN (mass noun) Origin: Late 17th c. (denoting a trick or a hoax) from obsolete fun ‘to cheat or hoax’, dialect variant of late Middle English fon ‘make a fool of, be a fool’ , related to fon ‘a fool’, of unknown origin. Can be compared with FOND, Origin late Middle English (in the sense ‘infatuated, foolish’): from obsolete fon ‘a fool, be foolish’, of unknown origin.

ECSTASY (mass noun) Origin: late Middle English (in the archaic sense of an emotional or religious frenzy or trancelike state, originally one involving an experience of mystic self-transcendence) from Old French extasie, via late Latin from Greek ekstasis ‘standing outside oneself’ , based on ek- ‘out’ + histanai ‘to place’.

Sources: The New Oxford Dictionary of English © Oxford University Press 1998, 1999, and Chambers English Dictionary, © 1988

[Excerpted from the 'Leadership, Learning & Laughter' edition of The Braindancer Series of bookazines by Dilip Mukerjea. All the images in this post are the intellectual property of Dilip Mukerjea.]

MAKING DISTINCTIONS: CREATIVITY vs INNOVATION IV

[continued from the Last Post.]

I take this opportunity to share the following easy-to-understand definitions from Gerald Haman, the creative brain behind the award-winning KnowBrainer & innovation tools:

[He is also the founder of SolutionPeople®, developer of the Chicago Thinkubator®, adjunct professor of innovation at Northwestern University, editor of InnovatorsDigest.com and creator of the InnovationToolofTheMonthClub.com. He is recognized by clients as “Solutionman”, because of his ability to quickly help people develop breakthrough solutions.]

"CREATIVITY

is developing

new, interesting, or different

IDEAS"

"INNOVATION

is the process of transforming creative ideas into

valuable or profitable

SOLUTIONS"

Creative Ideas Provide Energy for Innovative Solutions!

It appears that many people are more comfortable talking about innovation than creativity. Their discomfort in talking about creativity may be rooted in the perception that that creativity is just fun and games. However, creativity is necessary for innovation to occur.

Creative thinking yields the ideas that fill the pipeline of innovation. Innovation cannot happen without the energy generated by creativity.

Haman's definition also has makes a subtle, yet important distinction between IDEAS and SOLUTIONS.

Creativity produces the ideas and once they yield value or profit, they become solutions.

Below is Haman's other "creative" definition to help people define the relationship between creativity and innovation.

"Innovation is how people make money

or create value from creativity"

[to be continued in the Next Post.

Way back in the nineties, I had used the Pocket Innovator, the precursor to the KnowBrainer innovation tool, from Gerald Haman. In fact, I was also one of his retailers in this part of the world during that period. Naturally, I also own the first generation of the KnowBrainer, in addition to The Persuasive Advantage, a creative marketing planning tool.]

MAKING DISTINCTIONS: CREATIVITY vs INNOVATION III

[continued from the Last Post.]

I am taking the liberty of extracting a beautiful piece of writing - to illustrate the distinction between 'creativity' & 'innovation' - from an interesting article, 'The Essence of Creativity: A Creative Definition of Creativity', by Jason Cangialosi, a free-lance creator & ghost-writer of books, articles & screenplays, based in Denver, Colorado:

". . . Not all that exists is creative; most of life is redundant and we as a species relish in the routine of predictability.

This is also where the difference between creativity and innovation resides, as creativity is the origin of new ideas and innovation is the act of applying them.

It is the moments of creativity that there is an evolution in humankind's constant recycling of innovation .

We may all have creative potential, just as we can all ask the question, "why"? Yet, it is in the answers to "why" that creativity is kindled, and innovation is answer to the question "how?".

I love what he has written, especially his acronym for 'Creativity', with the symbolic analogy of the whale ". . . so as it swims to the innermost depths of the oceans and then explodes to the surface. Creativity empowers that ability in us; to look deep inside and then reach out with explosive forces in what we have found.":

Controlled
Release
Entering
All
Time's
Inner
Visions
Inspired
To
You

Here's the link to the original article.

[to be continued in the Next Post.]

MAKING DISTINCTIONS: CREATIVITY vs INNOVATION II

[continued from the Last Post.]

In the last post, I have concluded in the interim that 'creativity' is the process of generating something new.

In contrast, 'innovation' is the practical application of 'creativity' into something that has an impact, at least from the organisational or business standpoint.

So, it's about real-world action more than simply great ideas.

In reality, there actually lies the big difference:

It's the harvesting, sorting out, finding out the right idea & bringing it to life that defines 'innovation'.

Out of the many, many creative ideas, only a few or may even be only one of them, will eventually be chosen & then implemented.

For those precious few that are, we now know of them as 'innovation', or simply 'applied creativity'.

[Interestingly, according to Tom Peters, writing in the Foreword of the book, 'Innovation : Breakthrough Thinking at 3M, DuPont, GE, Pfizer, & Rubbermaid', by John Kao, & drawing on the 3M experience, 250 creative ideas = 1 $ making innovation.]

Creativity guru Edward de bono has a different perspective about creativity. This is where he always shines best, especially with his almost original & sometimes contrarian views about creativity.

He thinks that the word 'creativity' in English is too broad to be of practical use, as it ranges from creating a mess to painting a masterpiece.

He argues that its emphasis is on bringing forth something new, & yet, at the same time, repetition does not qualify.

To him, the word 'creativity' describes a result, not a process.

Also, he argues further, the element of change is not sufficiently covered, & there is also the problem that for some people 'creativity' means difference for the sake of difference, with no other value.

That's why there is an urgent need for 'lateral thinking', which he has coined appropriately, & for which he defends that it relates more to the way our brains form asymmetric patterns.

Interesting perspective, no doubt.

With regard to 'innovation', I like the perspective from the Innovation Network, founded by Joyce Wycoff, as follows:

Innovation is "people implementing new ideas to create value.'

Here are some of their valuable thoughts:

- only people innovate; systems, tools, tactics & techniques may support the process, but only people can produce the magic that's innovation;

- innovation is about taking something new into the real world;

- all innovations spring from new ideas;

- innovation must create new value for customers (internally as well as externally) & the organisation;

- innovation requires people using new knowledge & understanding to experiment with new processes in order to implement new concepts that create new value;

In a way, I am very inclined to think that 'creativity' is seemingly an individual or even solitary endeavour.

That's to say, the creative & imaginative sparks come from individual minds, whereas 'innovation' is more of an organisational or team effort to make the resultant outputs into a physical reality.

So, 'innovation' cannot follow without a chosen creative & imaginative spark first.

'Innovation' is therefore the aggregate sum of all the creative & imaginative sparks, & the work done in an organised team effort to give it realisation & tangibility.

'Creativity' is the spark plug that sets the ball rolling in motion.

Staying in focus & sustaining a bias for action with persistence & perseverance keep the ball rolling continuously in motion, & the end result with value realisation to the organisation is 'innovation'.

When used as a verb, 'innovation' entails both the ability to create & communicate great ideas, & the willingness to work together as a team towards bringing the vision to life.

[to be continued in the Next Post.]

MAKING DISTINCTIONS: CREATIVITY vs INNOVATION

During the early years, around the eighties, when I had started to read books on 'creativity' & 'innovation', I had often used the two terms interchangeably. I often substituted 'creativity' into 'innovation', & vice versa.

In a nut shell, I didn't know that there was a distinctive difference between the two terms, 'creativity' & 'innovation'.

It was only until I had embarked on a journey to become a strategy consultant for small business, during the early nineties, that I had begun to realise my own misunderstanding, or more specifically, my own ignorance, of the two terms.

Today, I notice that a lot of businesspeople, including managers & even CEOs, get really "confused", without realising their folly, with the frequent use of the two terms in their corporate statements.

In this post, I will share with readers my own relentless pursuit in understanding the distinctive differences, & also, highlight some interesting perspectives from "gurus" or "industry experts", whom I thought had shared more light on the two terms in use in the business landscape.

In fact, I had already written an earlier post in my 'Optimum Performance Technologies' weblog, but drawing mostly from an expert assessment by creativity guru Ned Herrmann, who gave the world the HBDI profile.

In the first place, let's go back to word origins:

"Create" has it Latin roots which means "to bring forth", "to cause something to come into being, as something unique";

"Innovate" has its Latin roots which means "to renew"; "to introduce something new"; "make changes, as adding something new to an existing product or process";

With these word origins, we can say that 'creativity' is a process that create the product in the first place. The product didn't exists before it was created.

The bottom line: It's the process that produces an original outcome, from combining ideas in a unique way or making unusual associations between ideas.

On the other hand, 'innovation' is the change, modification or implementation of an existing product.

No wonder management guru Peter Drucker said it best:

"Innovation is change that creates a new dimension of performance."

The bottom line: Innovation is an outcome of the creative process, resulting in taking the creation idea & turning it into a useful product, service or method of operation.

Putting them into an organisational &/or business perspective:

'Creativity' is essentially a mental process - as such, it involves a lot of imagination & thinking - that discovers new ways of looking at problems & challenges, & generates new ideas, solutions or concepts to tackle them.

'Innovation' is a management process - as such, it involves a lot of planning & execution - that applies creative solutions to problems & challenges, & ultimately turn them into something of value or life-enhancing or enriching impact.

Tactically, as I see it, 'creativity' has a focus on 'idea or solution generation', while 'innovation' has a focus on 'value realisation'.

I like the way of researcher/innovator Frans Johansson, author of 'The Medici Effect', who puts it in a beautiful perspective:

"To be considered creative, an idea must be new . . . it must also have some measure of relevance. It must be valuable."

"To be considered innovative, it must not only be valuable, it must be put to use by others . . . it must become realised . . . it has also to be sold to others in the world."

Arnold Wasserman, Chairman, The Idea Factory, a pet project of John Kao, who wrote the classic, 'The Art of Jamming', reinforces the foregoing with his own expert assessment:

"Innovation is Creativity Implemented. It's taking creative ideas & bringing them into the world so that they change lives & change the organisation that brings them to the world."

So, 'creativity' is just a part or component of 'innovation', while the latter is something that looks at the larger picture.

In a nut shell, 'creativity' is simply the way in which we come up with new ideas, while 'innovation' uses new ideas as well as existing ideas, coupled with our inventory of knowledge & experience, to meet a specific purpose, usually in the context of a business or commercial endeavour.

It's the ultimate purpose, & the concept of commercialisation, which gives rise to the value realisation in the final product, that differentiates 'innovation' from 'creativity'.

[to be continued in the Next Post, as this is quite a challenging post to write.]