Who Killed Creativity?: ...And How Do We Get It Back?

Who killed creativity? Was it X.S. Stress in the executive′s office with ′crushing coercion′? Or was it Beau Rock–Racy in the accountant′s office with ′noxious negativity′? Your help is needed to crack an unsolved crime: creative thinking is declining at an alarming rate —how can we get it back? A recent survey of CEOs revealed that creativity is considered the most important quality in leadership. Who Killed Creativity? investigates how companies, leaders, managers and individuals can build (or rebuild) a culture of innovation by fostering creative thinking and problem–solving—finding better solutions faster. Through exploring such intriguing questions as ′Are bully bosses psychopaths in disguise?′ and ′Why does the future of civilisation lie in a garbage dump in Mexico?′, this book offers a compelling tale with a novel twist. In a fascinating forensic approach, carefully researched facts are blended with humorous anecdotes to reveal the creative thinking killers. Practical tools and case studies then demonstrate how everyone can rewire their brain using seven essential creative thinking strategies. Who Killed Creativity? will help you resuscitate the spirit of innovation at all levels.

About the authors xi Acknowledgements xiii Introduction xv PART I: Who killed creativity? 1 1 Investigating the crime scene 3 Is creative thinking that important? 5 Is creative death imminent? The vital statistics 7 Are you creative? 10 2 Who killed creativity, and with what weapons? 13 Stage 1: oppression 17 Murder profile 1: the Control Crew 17 Murder profile 2: the Fear Family 28 Stage 2: restriction 36 Murder profile 3: the Pressure Pack 36 Murder profile 4: the Insulation Clique 47 Stage 3: degeneration 58 Murder profile 5: the Apathy Clan 58 Stage 4: destruction 70 Murder profile 6: the Narrow–minded Mob 70 Murder profile 7: the Pessimism Posse 81 3 Where has creativity died? 89 Locating the crime hotspots – from the boss′s office to the coffee shop 90 Any time, any place 102 4 Why save creativity? 105 Innovation is a necessity, not a luxury 107 Innovate, don′t amputate 109 PART II: ... And how can we get it back? 115 5 The forensic lab report 117 Exercising the brain: stretch, but don′t snap 119 To what extent can creative thinking be taught? 122 The brain workout 124 Slowing down for the synaptic fire–up 127 Triggering the brain′s ′on/off′ switch 129 New paths to superior thinking 130 6 How can creativity be saved? 131 Stage 1: liberation 135 Rescue strategy 1: cultivate curiosity 138 Rescue strategy 2: accept ambiguity 147 Stage 2: initiation 151 Rescue strategy 3: unleash your imagination 155 Rescue strategy 4: access all parts of the brain 163 Stage 3: motivation 168 Rescue strategy 5: reconstruct common concepts 172 Stage 4: transformation 177 Rescue strategy 6: explore different paths 180 Rescue strategy 7: embrace optimism 190 7 Where can creativity be revived? 195 Building innovation hothouses – revisiting the boss′s office and the coffee shop 196 Bringing the bedroom to the boardroom 208 8 And they lived happily ever after ... or did they? 213 Can the killers be redeemed ... and are the rescuers squeaky clean? 214 The yin and yang of creativity 216 Playing with fire and other disruptive innovations 219 Innovate or die – the commercial and social consequences of regeneration 221 Change is inevitable, so scale the slopes constructively 223 Why the Mexico rubbish dump dwellers might just save the planet 226 9 The rescue plan in action 229 Disarming the killers 230 Coming the full circle: the complete Creative Thinking Life Cycle Model 232 Implementing the seven creative thinking strategies – a case study 233 Endnotes 243 Bibliography 261 More ways to get creative 275 Index 277

ANDREW GRANT and GAIA GRANT are the executive directors of international consultancy Tirian, and have travelled the world for over 25 years to explore creative thinking for positive change. The book includes insights from DR JASON GALLATE , an award–winning neuroscientist and specialist psychologist.