Creativity through collaboration

Created: 2023-11-15

Unlocking Creativity in Teams: The Role of Information Exchange

Creativity is a valuable asset for any organization, but it can be challenging to foster in a group setting. The relationship between individual creativity and team creativity is complex and not fully understood. Two main models have been proposed to explain this relationship: the additive model and the disjunctive model.

The additive model suggests that team creativity is simply the sum of the creativity of its individual members. In other words, the more creative each team member is, the more creative the team as a whole will be.

The disjunctive model suggests that team creativity is only as high as the creativity of its most creative member. In other words, the team's creativity is determined by the single most creative person on the team.

Neither of these models consistently explains the data. Research shows that team information elaboration, or the exchange and discussion of ideas among team members, is a key factor that moderates the relationship between individual and team creativity. When team information elaboration is high, the additive model is more likely to hold. This means that the more team members share ideas and discuss their work, the more creative the team will be. When team information elaboration is low, the disjunctive model is more likely to hold. This means that the team's creativity will be determined by its most creative member, and the contributions of less creative team members will have little impact.

Effective communication within teams and with other teams is crucial for tapping into the collective knowledge and expertise of organizations to foster innovation. This process of exchanging information and ideas expands the knowledge base, improves problem analysis, and generates new and unexpected solutions. Sharing and building on each other's ideas leads to more unique associations and creative solutions. Moreover, open communication and socialization among team members enhance their engagement in creative tasks. However, it is also important to allow time for reflection on the creative process.

Improving Information Exchange in Teams

There are a number of things that teams can do to improve information exchange and foster creativity. Here are a few examples:

Use communication tools effectively: WhatsApp, meetings, emails, and shared folders can all be used to facilitate the exchange of ideas. However, it is important to use these tools in a way that promotes open communication and collaboration.
Create a psychologically safe environment: Team members need to feel comfortable sharing their ideas without fear of judgment or ridicule. Leaders can create this environment by actively promoting inclusivity, valuing diverse perspectives, and encouraging open dialogue.
Encourage diversity of thought and skills: Teams that are diverse in terms of their backgrounds, expertise, and perspectives are more likely to generate creative ideas.
Provide opportunities for collaboration and interaction: Team members need to have time and space to collaborate, brainstorm, and share insights. This can be done through regular brainstorming sessions, cross-departmental interactions, and virtual collaboration tools.

Problems with brainstorming in groups

Production blocking: This occurs when people are reluctant to share their ideas because they are afraid of being judged or criticized by others. This can be especially true in groups where there is a strong hierarchy or where there are members who are more dominant or assertive than others.
Social loafing: This occurs when individuals in a group don't put in their full effort because they assume that others will pick up the slack. This can lead to a situation where the group as a whole generates fewer ideas than if each individual had worked independently.
Conformity: This occurs when people are more likely to agree with the ideas of others, even if they don't actually believe in them. This can lead to a groupthink mentality, where the group prioritizes consensus over creativity.
Domination: This occurs when one or two individuals take over the brainstorming session and prevent others from contributing. This can stifle creativity and prevent the group from generating a wide range of ideas.
Evaluation apprehension: This occurs when people are afraid of being judged or criticized for their ideas. This can lead to a situation where people are reluctant to share their ideas, even if they are good ones.
Lack of focus: Brainstorming sessions can often be unfocused and unstructured, which can lead to participants going off on tangents or getting sidetracked. This can make it difficult for the group to generate a coherent set of ideas.
Lack of preparation: Brainstorming sessions are often more effective when participants have had some time to think about the topic beforehand. This allows them to come to the session with more ideas and to contribute more effectively.
Lack of follow-up: Brainstorming sessions are often followed by no action, which can be discouraging for participants. When participants see that their ideas are not being taken seriously, they are less likely to be motivated to contribute in future brainstorming sessions.

Alternating group and alone sessions can be beneficial for both groups and individuals in the idea generation process. This is because group ideation can stimulate additional ideas, while individual reflection can allow for more focused thought and the building on of shared ideas. Additionally, breaks in the ideation process can be beneficial for cognitive rest and restoration of attentional capacity. However, long breaks may be counterproductive as they can interrupt the momentum and task focus gained during the collaborative ideation process.

Facilitating creativity

1. Silence:

This technique involves providing no specific instructions or guidelines during the idea generation process. Instead, individuals are encouraged to let their thoughts flow freely and generate ideas as they come to them. This approach is based on the belief that both conscious and unconscious thought processes can contribute to creativity.

Example:

A group of designers is tasked with developing a new type of chair. Instead of giving them specific instructions, the facilitator simply asks them to brainstorm as many ideas as possible for a new and innovative chair design. During the silent brainstorming session, participants are encouraged to think outside the box and not worry about whether their ideas are practical or feasible.

2. Lines of Evolution:

This technique is based on the observation that many innovative products and ideas have evolved from earlier ones. By studying the patterns of evolution in different fields, people can identify potential areas for innovation and generate new ideas.

Example:

A company is looking for ways to improve the design of its bicycles. To stimulate their thinking, the designers are given a presentation on the evolution of bicycle design, from the early penny-farthing to the modern mountain bike. By understanding the trends and patterns in bicycle design, the designers can generate new ideas for bicycle improvements.

3. Random Connections:

This technique encourages creativity by prompting people to make connections between seemingly unrelated objects or concepts. This can lead to unexpected and innovative solutions.

Example:

A team of engineers is working on a new type of solar panel. To break out of their conventional thinking, they are given a random object, such as a rubber duck, and asked to generate as many associations as possible with the object. They then try to connect these associations to the problem of improving solar panel efficiency. This process might lead to ideas like using the rubber duck's shape to create a more efficient solar panel design.

4. SCAMPER:

This technique provides a structured approach to generating ideas by prompting people to consider different ways to change or modify an existing idea or product. The acronym SCAMPER stands for:

Substitute: Replace some part of the existing idea with something else.
Combine: Combine two or more elements of the existing idea.
Adapt: Change the existing idea to make it work in a new context.
Modify: Change the attributes of the existing idea, such as its size, shape, or color.
Put to another use: Find a new use for the existing idea.
Eliminate: Remove some part of the existing idea.
Reverse: Reverse the order or direction of the existing idea.

Example:

A company is looking for ways to improve its packaging for a new product. They use the SCAMPER technique to generate new ideas. For example, they might consider substituting the current plastic packaging with a biodegradable material, combining the packaging with a promotional tool, adapting the packaging to make it easier to open, modifying the packaging to make it more visually appealing, putting the packaging to another use after the product is consumed, eliminating the packaging altogether and using a reusable container, or reversing the packaging so that it is easier to recycle.

By using these techniques, individuals and groups can overcome creative blocks and generate new and innovative ideas.

Reference

Castillo, M. (2012). Do Not Brainstorm! American Journal of Neuroradiology. [online] doi:https://doi.org/10.3174/ajnr.a3286.

How to facilitate a brainstorming session: The effect of idea generation techniques and of group brainstorm after individual brainstorm. (2018). Creative Industries Journal. [online] doi:https://doi.org/10.1080//17510694.2018.1523662.

Paulus, P.B., Jonali Baruah and Kenworthy, J.B. (2018). Enhancing Collaborative Ideation in Organizations. Frontiers in Psychology, [online] 9. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02024.

Yuan, Y. and Daan van Knippenberg (2020). From member creativity to team creativity? Team information elaboration as moderator of the additive and disjunctive models. _PLOS ONE_, [online] 15(12), pp.e0243289–e0243289. doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0243289.