In the Workplace
The moment of illumination in the movie “The Sixth Sense” comes when Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment)
reveals his secret to Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis). “I see dead people…Walking around like regular
people…They don’t know they’re dead.”
The same might be said of creativity in the corporate world. At the ImagineIt Project we see creative
people, walking around like regular people. Sadly, they don’t know they’re creative. Each one is a victim of
a socialization process which has robbed them of their innate creative potential. From a business
perspective, it is much like owning a warehouse of raw materials, hidden from view, un-used in a company’s
manufacturing process. In a competitive global economy, no business has the luxury of underutilizing a
valuable asset. (CLICK HERE to learn more about Dr. George Land’s research on how childhood creative
genius is unlearned.)
ImagineIt’s corporate offering is drawn largely from the internationally acclaimed course “Imagination and
Entrepreneurship” taught by ImagineIt CEO Joseph Kayne. Over the past three years, the basic content
has been continuously revised based on our interviews with thought leaders on creativity and innovation,
conversations with entrepreneurs and corporate executives and through practicing what we preach, using
the same creative process and techniques we share with our clients, to find new and better ways to promote
and support creativity in the workplace.
The ImagineIt Effect
Promoting creativity in every aspect of your business can have unexpected positive impact on your bottom
line. Example: Skype. Conventional wisdom says marketing is an expense. The Skype founders challenged
that assumption and approached headset manufacturers such as Logitech & Plantronics, showing them how
Skype could help them sell more of their products. Not only did Logitech and others advertise their
headsets as Skype compatible, the manufactures gave Skype a cut of each sale shifting marketing to the
revenue column.
The ImagineIt Difference
As mentioned in our introduction to “ImagineIt in the Workplace,” corporate America spends billions of
dollars annually on creative consulting. In most cases, a consultant is procured in REACTION to changes in
market conditions or the competition. The consultant’s scope of work involves solving a particular problem
or taking advantage of a perceived opportunity. While your company’s issues may be unique, consultants
rely on a process used with other clients. And their measure of success is often whether they are rehired to
address the next problem or opportunity.
Alternatively, ImagineIt views creative consulting as human development which leads to business
development. In other words, our goal is to unleash the creative consultants already on your payroll. More
importantly, this creative asset stays with the company and can be drawn on continuously. Your workforce
PROACTIVELY looks for new opportunities which make you the market leader rather than a follower.
Creativity and opportunity recognition become engrained in your corporate culture. And finally, your
company develops its own internal creative process, based on sound principles, which is unique to your
needs and interest.
The following is a brief description of the ImagineIt in the Workplace offering. For more information, please
Course Content
The ImagineIt business package consists of two elements:
· Deprogramming 101: Rediscovering Your Creative Inner Child
· Managing Creativity
Deprogramming 101
Research by George Land and others suggests most adults have been enticed into joining the “cult of
suppressed creativity.” Thus the name “Deprogramming 101.” In order to open one’s mind to new
possibilities, the first task is to debunk the engrained tenets which have caused non-creative thinking and
behavior.
Rediscovering one’s creative potential is an iterative process. It revolves around three sequential elements:
acquiring knowledge about the creative process, applying that knowledge and reflecting on the application
of the knowledge. For each module in Deprogramming 101, ImagineIt addresses each of these elements
through classroom discussion of creative principles and techniques, in-class exercises and homework
assignments and, finally, debriefing sessions on each exercise or assignment. [Note: In-class exercises and
homework assignments involve application of the content to real workplace situations. If requested, the
ImagineIt! facilitator will execute a non-disclosure agreement to ensure confidentiality.]
Deprogramming 101 consists of the following modules.
· How Did I Miss That: Opportunity Lost
· The Physiology of Creativity
· Is Mental Baggage Weighing You Down?
· Don’t Ask So FEW Questions!
· Stop and Smell the Details
· Creative Triggers: Making Connections Where None Exist
· Making Connections Where None Exist: The Power of Analogies
· Go Lateral: Creating New Playing Fields
· Team Creativity: Lessons from Improv
Managing Creativity
We have NEVER heard a CEO say, “I don’t want my employees to be creative.” Yet there are numerous
examples and much research which suggests management more often than not sends messages or takes
actions which inhibit, rather than support, creative thinking. Why? Creativity can lead to chaos while
management desires order and discipline. However, the two need not be mutually exclusive.
ImagineIt! believes it would be irresponsible to train a workforce to be more creative without also
addressing the question of how best to manage that new-found creativity. We, therefore, offer an additional
one day workshop for upper management as an essential part of “ImagineIt! in the Workplace.” This
training consists of the following topics.
· Creativity and Corporate Culture
· What Are You Afraid Of?
· Listen ALWAYS! Execute MAYBE!
· Structure: Finding a Safe Haven for Creative Thought
· Creativity and the Law of Unintended Consequences
Including creativity management training in this offering has a secondary goal. In “Genius is Not Enough,”
Ted Levitt suggests there is a disconnect between management and employees when it comes to
implementing new ideas. Either management comes up with an idea and then delegates implementation to
employees who have no buy-in. Or employees are encouraged to come up with new ideas which
management has no intention of executing. Including management in “ImagineIt! in the Workplace”
training sends the positive signal that moving toward a more creative culture involves everyone in the
organization. [Note: Management participation in this module does not preclude also taking the
“Deprogramming 101” course.]
Pricing
The cost of the ImagineIt corporate package is dependent on the number of participants and whether the
package is offer at one or more locations . Upon request, ImagineIt will prepare a detailed cost proposal for
discuss the parameters associated with program delivery.
