Creative Disobedience: How, When and Why to Break the Rules (from BIL 2014)
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Transcript of Creative Disobedience: How, When and Why to Break the Rules (from BIL 2014)
Andrea Kuszewski
@AndreaKuszewski
Creative DisobedienceHow, When, and Why to Break the Rules
BIL: March 1st, 2014
Creative Disobedience
Creative Disobedience
Creative Disobedience
Creative Disobedience
?
Creative Disobedience
Right?Wrong?
Creative Disobedience
Good vs Evil
Creative Disobedience
Good vs Evil
Right vs Wrong
Creative Disobedience
Good vs Evil
Right vs Wrong
Legal vs Illegal
Creative Disobedience
What is Creativity?
Creative Disobedience
Creative Disobedience
fail
• ThinkingwithyourENTIREbrain!R+L
• Switchingbackandforthbetweenconventionalandunconventional
• Makingremoteassociations
• ‘Zoominginandzoomingout’,fromconvergenttodivergent
• Constantlyeditingforusefulness
Creative Cognition is:
Creative Disobedience
Creative Disobedience
Creativity is:
“an original, novel solution that is both useful and appropriate given the context, environment, and
the task at hand.”
Creative Disobedience
By definition, creativity involves breaking rules.
Creative Disobedience
“Creativity: An Asset or a Burden in the Classroom?” Westby & Dawson (1995)
• Asked teachers to identify personality characteristics associated with cre-ativity
Creative Disobedience
“Creativity: An Asset or a Burden in the Classroom?” Westby & Dawson (1995)
• Asked teachers to identify personality characteristics associated with cre-ativity
• Highcreativity:determined, independent, individualistic
Creative Disobedience
“Creativity: An Asset or a Burden in the Classroom?” Westby & Dawson (1995)
• Asked teachers to identify personality characteristics associated with cre-ativity
• Highcreativity:determined, independent, individualistic
• Lowcreativity:responsible, sincere, reliable, dependable, clear-thinking, tol-erant, understanding, peaceable, good-natured, steady, practical, and logical
Creative Disobedience
“Creativity: An Asset or a Burden in the Classroom?” Westby & Dawson (1995)
• Asked teachers to identify personality characteristics associated with cre-ativity
• Highcreativity:determined, independent, individualistic
• Lowcreativity:responsible, sincere, reliable, dependable, clear-thinking, tol-erant, understanding, peaceable, good-natured, steady, practical, and logical
Creative Disobedience
“Creativity: An Asset or a Burden in the Classroom?” Westby & Dawson (1995)
• Asked teachers to identify personality characteristics associated with cre-ativity
• Highcreativity:determined, independent, individualistic
• Lowcreativity:responsible, sincere, reliable, dependable, clear-thinking, tol-erant, understanding, peaceable, good-natured, steady, practical, and logical
Leastfavorite=Mostcreative
Creative Disobedience
Even when people say they want creativity,
oftentheyrejectitinpractice.
Creative Disobedience
“The Bias Against Creativity: Why People Desire But Reject Creative Ideas” Meuller, et al (2011)
• There is a bias against creativity, fueled by uncertainty
Creative Disobedience
“The Bias Against Creativity: Why People Desire But Reject Creative Ideas” Meuller, et al (2011)
• There is a bias against creativity, fueled by uncertainty
• “...effective creative problem solving includes both generating many novel options and subsequently reducing
uncertainty by identifying the single best option from the set.” (Cropley, 2006)
Creative Disobedience
“The Bias Against Creativity: Why People Desire But Reject Creative Ideas” Meuller, et al (2011)
• There is a bias against creativity, fueled by uncertainty
• “...effective creative problem solving includes both generating many novel options and subsequently reducing
uncertainty by identifying the single best option from the set.” (Cropley, 2006)
• Identifying the optimal solution may prime an uncertainty reduction motive or intolerance for uncertainty, and thereby evoke the creativity bias
Creative Disobedience
“The Bias Against Creativity: Why People Desire But Reject Creative Ideas” Meuller, et al (2011)
• There is a bias against creativity, fueled by uncertainty
• “...effective creative problem solving includes both generating many novel options and subsequently reducing
uncertainty by identifying the single best option from the set.” (Cropley, 2006)
• Identifying the optimal solution may prime an uncertainty reduction motive or intolerance for uncertainty, and thereby evoke the creativity bias
• Peopleseektoavoidanddiminishuncertainty:Kill the creative idea
Creative Disobedience
“The Bias Against Creativity: Why People Desire But Reject Creative Ideas” Meuller, et al (2011)
• There is a bias against creativity, fueled by uncertainty
• “...effective creative problem solving includes both generating many novel options and subsequently reducing
uncertainty by identifying the single best option from the set.” (Cropley, 2006)
• Identifying the optimal solution may prime an uncertainty reduction motive or intolerance for uncertainty, and thereby evoke the creativity bias
• Peopleseektoavoidanddiminishuncertainty:Kill the creative idea
• By requiring gate-keepers to identify the single “best” and most “accurate” idea, you are promoting that uncer-tainty, thereby creating an unacknowledged aversion to creativity.
Creative Disobedience
“The Bias Against Creativity: Why People Desire But Reject Creative Ideas” Meuller, et al (2011)
• There is a bias against creativity, fueled by uncertainty
• “...effective creative problem solving includes both generating many novel options and subsequently reducing
uncertainty by identifying the single best option from the set.” (Cropley, 2006)
• Identifying the optimal solution may prime an uncertainty reduction motive or intolerance for uncertainty, and thereby evoke the creativity bias
• Peopleseektoavoidanddiminishuncertainty:Kill the creative idea
• By requiring gate-keepers to identify the single “best” and most “accurate” idea, you are promoting that uncer-tainty, thereby creating an unacknowledged aversion to creativity.
Thereisalwaysmorethanonegoodsolutiontoaproblem,but the value varies depending on context
Creative Disobedience
The8TypesofCreativeContributions
Robert Sternberg, “Handbook of Creativity”, 1999
Creative Disobedience
The8TypesofCreativeContributions1. Replication
Robert Sternberg, “Handbook of Creativity”, 1999
Creative Disobedience
The8TypesofCreativeContributions1. Replication
2. Redefinition
Robert Sternberg, “Handbook of Creativity”, 1999
Creative Disobedience
The8TypesofCreativeContributions1. Replication
2. Redefinition
3. Forwardincrementation
Robert Sternberg, “Handbook of Creativity”, 1999
Creative Disobedience
The8TypesofCreativeContributions1. Replication
2. Redefinition
3. Forwardincrementation
4. Advancedforwardincrementation
Robert Sternberg, “Handbook of Creativity”, 1999
Creative Disobedience
The8TypesofCreativeContributions1. Replication
2. Redefinition
3. Forwardincrementation
4. Advancedforwardincrementation
5. Redirection
Robert Sternberg, “Handbook of Creativity”, 1999
Creative Disobedience
The8TypesofCreativeContributions1. Replication
2. Redefinition
3. Forwardincrementation
4. Advancedforwardincrementation
5. Redirection
6. Reconstruction/redirection
Robert Sternberg, “Handbook of Creativity”, 1999
Creative Disobedience
The8TypesofCreativeContributions1. Replication
2. Redefinition
3. Forwardincrementation
4. Advancedforwardincrementation
5. Redirection
6. Reconstruction/redirection
7. Reinitiation
Robert Sternberg, “Handbook of Creativity”, 1999
Creative Disobedience
The8TypesofCreativeContributions1. Replication
2. Redefinition
3. Forwardincrementation
4. Advancedforwardincrementation
5. Redirection
6. Reconstruction/redirection
7. Reinitiation
8. Integration
Robert Sternberg, “Handbook of Creativity”, 1999
Creative Disobedience
The8TypesofCreativeContributions1. Replication
2. Redefinition
3. Forwardincrementation
4. Advancedforwardincrementation
5. Redirection
6. Reconstruction/redirection
7. Reinitiation
8. Integration
Acceptcurrentparadigmsandattempttoextendthem
Robert Sternberg, “Handbook of Creativity”, 1999
Creative Disobedience
The8TypesofCreativeContributions1. Replication
2. Redefinition
3. Forwardincrementation
4. Advancedforwardincrementation
5. Redirection
6. Reconstruction/redirection
7. Reinitiation
8. Integration
Rejectcurrentparadigmsandattempttoreplacethem
Acceptcurrentparadigmsandattempttoextendthem
Robert Sternberg, “Handbook of Creativity”, 1999
Creative Disobedience
The8TypesofCreativeContributions1. Replication
2. Redefinition
3. Forwardincrementation
4. Advancedforwardincrementation
5. Redirection
6. Reconstruction/redirection
7. Reinitiation
8. Integration
Mergesdisparatecurrentparadigms Rejectcurrentparadigmsandattempttoreplacethem
Acceptcurrentparadigmsandattempttoextendthem
Robert Sternberg, “Handbook of Creativity”, 1999
Creative Disobedience
HowtoTeachandEncourageCreativity(and when not to)
Creative Disobedience
TEACHINgCREATIvITy:THEEARLyyEARS
Psychology researcher Allison Gopnik: Creative behavior in young children
Creative Disobedience
TEACHINgCREATIvITy:THEEARLyyEARS
Psychology researcher Allison Gopnik: Creative behavior in young children
• Whenchildrenweregivenaproblemandtoldtofigureouthowsomethingworks,theywereabletogeneratethemostintelligentsolutionsthroughexperimentation.
Creative Disobedience
TEACHINgCREATIvITy:THEEARLyyEARS
Psychology researcher Allison Gopnik: Creative behavior in young children
• Whenchildrenweregivenaproblemandtoldtofigureouthowsomethingworks,theywereabletogeneratethemostintelligentsolutionsthroughexperimentation.
• Whentheywereshownaworkingsequence(oneofmany),theyimitatedthatsolution,andthenstoppedlookingforamoreintelligentsolution.
Creative Disobedience
TEACHINgCREATIvITy:THEEARLyyEARS
Psychology researcher Allison Gopnik: Creative behavior in young children
• Whenchildrenweregivenaproblemandtoldtofigureouthowsomethingworks,theywereabletogeneratethemostintelligentsolutionsthroughexperimentation.
• Whentheywereshownaworkingsequence(oneofmany),theyimitatedthatsolution,andthenstoppedlookingforamoreintelligentsolution.
Take-homepoints?
Creative Disobedience
TEACHINgCREATIvITy:THEEARLyyEARS
Psychology researcher Allison Gopnik: Creative behavior in young children
• Whenchildrenweregivenaproblemandtoldtofigureouthowsomethingworks,theywereabletogeneratethemostintelligentsolutionsthroughexperimentation.
• Whentheywereshownaworkingsequence(oneofmany),theyimitatedthatsolution,andthenstoppedlookingforamoreintelligentsolution.
Take-homepoints?
Encouraging critical thinking and finding more than one correct solution to a given problem helps to develop creativity
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Creative Disobedience
TEACHINgCREATIvITy:THEEARLyyEARS
Psychology researcher Allison Gopnik: Creative behavior in young children
• Whenchildrenweregivenaproblemandtoldtofigureouthowsomethingworks,theywereabletogeneratethemostintelligentsolutionsthroughexperimentation.
• Whentheywereshownaworkingsequence(oneofmany),theyimitatedthatsolution,andthenstoppedlookingforamoreintelligentsolution.
Take-homepoints?
Encouraging critical thinking and finding more than one correct solution to a given problem helps to develop creativity
Encouraging one to ‘follow the outline’ prevents deep understanding of the problem, and decreases ability to creativly problem-solve
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Trainingpeopletoaskquestionsandthinkaboutproblemsbefore they receive a solution encourages and teaches creative
thinking,toproducebetterinnovators,problemsolvers,&problemfinders.
In the workplace:
Creative Disobedience
Does this method make progress toward the overall
goal?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
About the same
More progress
Good idea to do it.
Less progress
Can this method scale up?
Will others be required to learn this?
Don’t do this.
Does this method maintain the integrity of the funda-
mental pillars of the project?
Does this method make the current step
more efficient?ahow-toguidetoCreative Disobedience
Creative Disobedience
HoWToENCouRAgEACREATIvEWoRkENvIRoNMENT
Creative Disobedience
HoWToENCouRAgEACREATIvEWoRkENvIRoNMENT givethemsomespaceDeadlinesareimportant,buthourlycheck-upsarenot.Creativityinvolveslinkingconcepts,whichmeansholdingseveralthingsinyourworkingmemory--abalancethatcanbedisruptedeasily,soabuffer against distractions are essential.
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Creative Disobedience
HoWToENCouRAgEACREATIvEWoRkENvIRoNMENT givethemsomespaceDeadlinesareimportant,buthourlycheck-upsarenot.Creativityinvolveslinkingconcepts,whichmeansholdingseveralthingsinyourworkingmemory--abalancethatcanbedisruptedeasily,soabuffer against distractions are essential.
Don’tmicromanageAllowfreetimeforemployeestoworkonanythingtheywant;intrinsicmotivation(workingonsome-thingjustbecauseit’sinteresting)leadstocreativity.
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Creative Disobedience
HoWToENCouRAgEACREATIvEWoRkENvIRoNMENT givethemsomespaceDeadlinesareimportant,buthourlycheck-upsarenot.Creativityinvolveslinkingconcepts,whichmeansholdingseveralthingsinyourworkingmemory--abalancethatcanbedisruptedeasily,soabuffer against distractions are essential.
Don’tmicromanageAllowfreetimeforemployeestoworkonanythingtheywant;intrinsicmotivation(workingonsome-thingjustbecauseit’sinteresting)leadstocreativity.
openyourmindgettingstuckinahyper-focused,linearthinkingpatterncanstallfindingacreativesolution.Takebreakswhenworking,justtothinkaboutnothing.
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Creative Disobedience
HoWToENCouRAgEACREATIvEWoRkENvIRoNMENT givethemsomespaceDeadlinesareimportant,buthourlycheck-upsarenot.Creativityinvolveslinkingconcepts,whichmeansholdingseveralthingsinyourworkingmemory--abalancethatcanbedisruptedeasily,soabuffer against distractions are essential.
Don’tmicromanageAllowfreetimeforemployeestoworkonanythingtheywant;intrinsicmotivation(workingonsome-thingjustbecauseit’sinteresting)leadstocreativity.
openyourmindgettingstuckinahyper-focused,linearthinkingpatterncanstallfindingacreativesolution.Takebreakswhenworking,justtothinkaboutnothing.
ToleratecreativityReward creative thinking, not with financial incentives, which, alone, have been shown to decrease creativity,butbypromotingtheconditionsthatpermitit.Toleratetheoccasionalfailureandallowrules to be broken when there is a social benefit.
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In this age of innovation, even more important than being an effective problem solver, is being a problem finder. It’s one thing to look at a prob-
lem and be able to generate a solution; it is another thing to be able to look at an ambiguous situation, and decide if there is a problem that
needs to be solved.
That’s a skill that isn’t really targeted by traditional teaching methods, and in fact, it is often discouraged. In order to teach problem finding, more cre-ative methods must be utilized. Rule-breaking , to an extent, should be tol-
erated and encouraged, and yes—even taught.
“
“ Andrea Kuszewski, “The Educational Value of Creative Disobedience”, Scientific American, 2011
Creative Disobedience
Thankyou!
Andrea Kuszewski@AndreaKuszewski