I think of creativity as being applied mainly to tangibles, like new products or technologies. How does it apply to less tangible efforts, such as strategy or organizational change?
The earliest work in business creativity was, in fact, applied to new products and technologies, and this remains a major focus. But the same kinds of group behaviors that are conducive to producing breakthrough inventions – e.g., searching for ideas from non-related sources, listening to build on the thinking of others, willingness to “play” with imperfect ideas – can be applied just as well to initiatives such as strategic planning or re-inventing the organization. The results may be less “visible,” but no less important!
