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Creativity and Innovation Blog 6: Week 7

1. What do you think are the critical factors in a successful team cps process?

Definitely a no judgement zone! That kills all the efforts and limits the ideas from coming out. Ideas have to just come out and time cannot spend too much time on the ideas because that too limits the creativity. If you think too hard on something, I feel like it is impossible to really come up with something that isn't very safe. Also, I feel that the group has to all be willing to participate. A few Debbie downers in the group is enough to set the group brainstorming in the wrong direction.

2. In what ways did you help create success in your cps process? What might you do next time that might be even more helpful?

I was having fun throwing ideas out, I think it was helping people come up with ideas. I think next time I want to go on the other end. Where that might help elaborate ideas or go deeper in the solutions.

3. What is the one thing that you learned from the group CPS process and how might you use it in the future?

I learned that its not just about using creativity for coming up with ideas but its about using creativity for solutions. So it was a lesson for me that I can apply this beyond using it for brainstorming. I can use CPS to implement solutions at work, home, and even within my friends. Even though it was not as much fun as last week, the energy was still there and it was really great to use that once again for solutions.

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Creativity and Innovation Blog 5: Week 6

1. In what ways did you find brainstorming/ideation effective for generating new creative ideas? Why? In what ways might it have been more effective?

To be honest, this is probably the first time I have ever been asked to do something like this that exercises creativity within ideas in a group. It was quite effective and fun to throw out the wild without feeling any sort of attachment to it at all It was all fun and games until we had to converge and clean up the ideas. Plus having the group work on it was what made it unique to have inspiration from one another. Where we could bounce off each other and really have fun with it. The role of the facilitator was really dictated how the entire session was gonna go. It was obvious when the session was loosing what it had going for it when the facilitator was loosing the interest of the group. Maybe some more training for the facilitator would have generated better results.

2. In what ways did you participate in ideation/brainstorming sessions? What did you learn about your own creativity by participating?

I was part of the group coming up with the ideas. I learned that I genuinely was into it. I had fun, and not to mention I was really encouraged to throw out creative ideas. Creativity wasn't necessarily painting a picture or creating a sculpture but really letting creativity influence ideas. And that I feel like I can do. It was encouraging. It also gave me a lot of energy. I wanted to take the idea and make it happen with that energy from other people and the ideas.

3. How might what you have learned help you to be more creative in the future?

I definitely identified with this problem solving tool so far the most. It was the most fun and it was the most energetic way to find a solution. I don't often work with groups to generate solutions outside of this program, however if I do, I definitely will try this tool first. I would want to practice facilitating this so I can take it outside of this program more.

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Creativity and Innovation Blog 3: Week Four

Mindmapping

1. How do either of these tools help you be more creative?

I believe these two activities allows for a less logical brain storming. However there is still a flow in the two forms of mapping. While they follow similar formats, they are both then spontaneous and have a free flow which is really neat. They help you be more creative because it allows for a less structured thinking which results in a creative plan over a more linear structured plan. I think it also reveals ideas that you may have ruled out because there was nothing to lead the idea up which contribute to the creativity of what the outcome might be.

2. What are some situations that you might use these tools and what would be the benefit to you?

I think that these exercises would be useful to me when I am planning what I should write about, spending my free time and how to approach a project. Even if I have an open space I could use it to brainstorm how to decorate it. I believe the correct answer to this question is that you can use these techniques any time you need to plan something. :)

3. Capture your responses to the experience of walking and seeing for the first time on your blog.

The walking and seeing experience was really neat. I found a spot of the school in the new building that I had not seen before because on ground level it looked like a chair but when I went up on the 4th level, I noticed it was a large "S". So I stared at it for about 10 minutes and I couldn't help but notice how people move around it. My thoughts were on how small people looked walking around, sitting, laughing and socializing. Some people sat at the end eating, some people were lying on it. It was just mesmerizing to watch that space and how time goes and everything around it changes, but the "S" simply stays an "S". It was a relaxing experience. It almost felt like those videos of a spot that fast forwards through activity. It felt like that 10 min of looking at that "S" was like watching those videos without a concept of time.

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Creativity and Innovation Blog 2: Week 3

Creative Blocks

In my reflections about this class I have come to the conclusion that my three top blocks are fear of rejection, not performing well, and priority. When I say rejection, I do not mean people may not like my creative output, rather I mean that my creative output is adapted. Perhaps that makes me slightly egotistic but I feel encouraged when my input is useful. Also leading from my ego is the fact that maybe my creative work is not that great, and I do not think anyone likes to feel like they failed at something. Priority to me just means to me that in a day to day life, I struggle to add creativity in there. It is easy to get caught up in a mechanical process where you just do and not think. In that I struggle to live integrated and I dichotomize things into priority leaving creativity out.

In these 3 blocks, I realize that there is one particular similarity between them and that is that they all are in my head. The fears and blocks are essentially created by myself and therefore can be overcome by myself as well. My action plan then to break the blocks was then to take the first block, fear of rejection, and every day put out a creative idea or do something that was just for the sake of creating something new to me. But while doing this, practicing detachment. When you are regularily throwing things out there or creating, yes you feel a sense of ownership, but at the same time once its out there you can also let it go and share it. So for the last week, I just put things out there and tried my hardest to not take the response personally.

The Result

If I'm honest, when I remembered to do something creative (because my three blocks are definitely connected to one another) I tried to not take it personally when I put it out there. The results were rather transformative but only slightly. At first I was very defensive. If someone didn't like my output or didn't want to adapt it, I was pushy and clingy to my own output. It took me to day 5 to have an epiphany, where I realized how I am rejecting peoples ideas is how I feel when they reject mine. That I think was the feeling that helped me let go. I mean it helped a little. It helped me become a bit more conscious. Was I successful? Probably not, but nevertheless it was still a learning experience. Not to mention it was cool how towards the end of this week, I noticed that I was letting people adapt and change my work, making it different and amazing. It was neat to see how two creativity efforts can be merged into one.

Would I keep doing this? probably not on an intense level, However, creating a sense of conscious effort, for sure. I realize that it is a timely process but it is one that is gradual. My guess is it will be one of those things that you cannot set a date for it or realize when you get to that point. I feel like it just wouldn't come to my mind again.

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Creativity and Innovation Blog 1: Week 1

1. What is your creative inclination? Why did you pick this?

My creative inclination is photography. I picked this because photography allows me to translate what is right in front of me as a form of art. Photography allows me to use a different lens to focus on maybe what is missed and express how I feel through the world around me. It is something that I find reflective and relaxing. It leaves me feeling like I understand my surroundings in a different light.

2. Using the creative definition and your creative process (jump or plan) do one new thing in your creative expression in your creative inclination.

3. Describe what you did and what you learned.

I spend a considerable time sitting at a shisha spot to do my work as well as socialize. It has become a place of reflection and social aspect to my life. While I am here often, I decided to take my camera and do some photography take a scene that is normal and to reflect on it to make it a creation of my own. I took a picture of the ashes of the coal burning but not of the shisha just of the coals. It was as if I felt that my time was burning and I became the coal. By taking that photo, I became embodied with the coal. I learned though this exercise, that by using the creative process and the creative definition. I created something that did not exist and by that I was able to place a part of what I felt into an object that would otherwise not be related to me at all. By doing this I also learned that photography is staged but it is also expressive. Staged in a sense that I can place what I want in the photo but it is also about staging how I feel. In return I can take a perception and translate it into something new.

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Leadership Blog 5: Week 8

- The first thing I learned is that the operational issue and leadership issue is always linked. For an organization to work smoothly, leadership is vital for that organization.

- The key thing I learned about myself is that I can really identify strengths in other people, not just myself. I know why someone is not satisfied, I know why certain people don't engage. I can use that perception to find a sense of motivation for individuals in a team.

- I think I need to grow in terms of team development. Selection of who does what needs to be considered more carefully. I wish we had done that more.

- I learned that there needs to be a solid flow to a presentation. That speech is often underestimated as to its difficulty to articulate ideas. You cannot read off a paper and you need to be direct with the audience.

- "How did you feel when associating with the team?"

"How did your team react to new implications?"

"Why do you think they felt how they felt?

etc.

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Leadership Blog 4: Week 6

1. I learned that in identifying issues, you might not have all the details that lead you straight to knowing what the leadership issues might be. You really have to analyze the situation to discover what the issue might be.

2. I learned that working in groups, everyone has to have a part in the project. I found this group work to be harder than other group work I have participated in before. You have to really understand why everyone is motivated to work. Everyone needs ownership over the time they put into something, it really has changed my perception in working in groups.

3. I have learned that everyone has something to offer, no one is the same and a high performing team uses everyone strengths to succeed. I also learned that a team needs to have someone who guides and focusses the group to a vision. Without a facilitator no one will have a motive to get work done. Lastly, I learned that a team must have everyone in the team to be active. A project cannot have only one voice. It will lack uniqueness that having a diverse group of people on a project can offer.

4.

Having a forum that everyone can participate with.

Having a sense of creativity to keep team motivated.

Having a need for inclusion.

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Leadership Blog 3: Week 5

Using the problem solving template, I personally find that the advantages of working through the operational and the leadership issue is that when identifying the issues, it is easier to locate how one of the leadership issues can solve an operational issue. It connects issues that one may not think are associated with one another. When connecting the issues, it makes it easier to identify steps to solve the issue at hand. The disadvantage of using the template to solve issues is that it is more time consuming to solve an issue at hand. The client must be willing to accept some losses in order to solve both issues at hand. This is the only way to see further success in the long run, even if the short run is not so beneficial.

When applying the cases to the template, I found it beneficial to follow the structure to implement action, it did not stop when the problem was identified. By identifying the issue at hand, then having an analysis that led to an action plan, I found it promotes a positive implication to an organization. I found it challenging however to locate a theory that would best serve issues. I understand that it is necessary to have a theory that has been practiced in order to achieve success but with the many of theories available, I found it difficult to find one that I would think serves the issue at hand best.

I think that the template achieves this because of the structure and procedure to follow. If one can follow in the order of the issue, what is the vision, what is the solution, what will you do, there is no room to miss a step. You must balance your implementation with analysis and action. If you do too much without the other, the results will not be as effective as it would if you implement both.

I think that the most critical leadership theme is change management. In every industry, change is inevitable, whether it is new projects, turn overs, or even new practices. If a team is unable to manage change, other leadership problems follow. For example if there is no change management, then I feel like communication will be an issue, followership wont be active, vision and strategy will be unfocused. In short, I would think that being a huge issue.

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Leadership Blog 2: Week 4

The 14 Areas of Leadership

1. One of the leadership skill I naturally am drawn too is “Authentic Leadership” because I feel like every one is so different and every one has their own capacities and strengths. If a team focuses on who they are and what they are good at, the team will be powerful, unique and different. I also emphasize on the idea of being unique. A powerful team cannot be replicated in the exact same way, just like people cannot be replicated. I think become one entity is very beautiful and important for a high-achieving team. To have the same vision, to act as one, and using people where they excel, that is a good team. And I think that Authentic Leadership is the main way to achieve this dynamic in a team.

2. I do not fully understand the skill of Leadership Motivation. I understand that a strong team is involved with their stakeholders, however for a high-achieving team through that, I don't necessarily understand how that can act as motivation. 

I did google it, there was a quite a few entries regarding powerful leadership through that. The stakeholder involvement with the team, allows for recognition to the team members who may otherwise feel ignored. That is then a really positive influence. It makes me think of when I am at work doing my every-day responsibilities and an individual from the company who is much more higher up comes in and comments about my performance being outstanding. It does create motivation for me to continue engaging with my roles efficiently and effectively. Now in terms of a team, I imagine it having the same result.

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Leadership Blog 1: Week 3

The team I work for at the moment at work, I like to call us the dream team because we can accomplish anything we desire. The communication and patience we have with one another (although is not always perfect) is strong and respectful. When we have a goal, we excel it. When we have a project, we accomplish it efficiently, that when we have visitors in our store, they are in awe with our determination. 

I am an organized worker. I can see what has to be done and know what everyone has to put in order to get the results as soon as possible. My role in the team is always to delegate amongst us. To me it’s not about bossing everyone around. In fact I have the type of personality that will take the most amount of work. However the reality is a lot like the saying that ‘no one can do everything but everyone can do something’. My role is really the one person that can list the to-dos and communicate to the team what needs to be done. 

I mean, I did mention before that we aren't perfect, in fact we are far from it.  Our area that needs the most improvement surrounds the recruiters. Now the staff that know each other very well from working with each other for months now, we work well. That is to say, when we have a new character in the store, the team becomes fractured and we struggle to assist them in their training. Every one has different learning styles and if the staff explains something to a team member a few times and they do not get it, the team no longer practices patience. Understandable, but still a an area of development none the less. 

In terms of conflict, I stay out of anything that is not my business. It is not my place and/or concern to be honest. However if there is a form of conflict between me and a co-worker, my mentality is that it is clearly a misunderstanding and I have to be responsible and confront that issue in the face. Now this isn't always effective as the team member is forced to confront it as well and that may or may not be their way of handling conflict. For me however, it puts the conflict in perspective and my co-worker and I are forced to set aside difference for the sake of our team.

If I worked for a different team, I would probably down play my voice in decision-making in order to hear every one’s solution. I am usually quick to come up with an idea and that doesn't give other people to practice that. I have started to do it already in my team now that I am not there as often I used to be. Interestingly enough, the full-timer who is usually quiet stepped up her problem solving approach and we work more unified then we used to. So I feel like I need to do that more while I work in teams with that kind of dynamic.