Creativity, Innovation and Knowledge Capital

"People have ideas - not businesses, people learn - not businesses and creativity is the foundation on which our 'Knowledge Capital' is built." David Birchall

More and more owners and managers are beginning to realise that Knowledge Capital is a major asset within a business.
 
Knowledge capital is not simply information it is more than that; to simplify the matter it might help if we explain what we mean by knowledge.

We believe that knowledge is what is "in your head" all else is information

Lately, firms have been working or more accurately struggling with processes to manage information and increasingly at work we have more information passing across our desks in paper based hard copy and on our computers as soft copy/web based data than ever before.
 
Not only are we as owner managers, directors and employees required to view more information, we are also expected to retain it for instant use in winning business, making us leaner, more profitable, more competitive and more flexible. The phrase that knowledge is power has never been truer for those who have particular aspects of knowledge deemed important to the survival and profitability of a company. But true power in the business setting can only come from the sharing of knowledge to achieve competitive edge within a company. This applies as much to the small business as it does to the large organisation. Knowledge is needed at the level at which it is to be utilised effectively by all who require access. The restriction of knowledge is the biggest filter to organisational success in the west today and in particular within the UK and Europe.

The reason that we have so much information passing between individuals in companies is predominately down to the speed of communication. I can literally type this document in the UK, send it by email, have it viewed and reviewed by a colleague in Australia and returned with comments in a matter of minutes. The speed now possible of such communication facilitates research and development into new theories, philosophies, paradigms, trade and commerce on a global scale none of which would have been possible without creative thought and action.
 
The importance of creativity in thought and actions cannot be overstated for what many of us lack in todays economic and business climate is clear and effective thinking driven by creativity and imagination. So much so that managers in both the public and private sectors are desperately seeking what they call "the right people", those who can find solutions not problems; anyone can find a problem, it takes a special kind of individual to find or produce the right solution.

One of our strongest assets as a nation, in communities and in business is the inventiveness and creativity of our people.

Our research, through many years of delivering our Creative Problem Solving workshops, has shown us that the simpler the process, the more likely it is that the person using it will use it again and again but more importantly, remember it. Too many companies use very complicated techniques, which may probably give a more accurate answer to a complex problem, but it usually takes a long time to learn, is difficult to remember, and as a result is simply not used by all but a few.
 
We use a wide variety of creativity and creative problem solving techniques and tools which can be tailored to the needs of the delegates on each programme. Due to the dynamic approach we use in our programmes, delegates very quickly learn to switch between creativity and problem solving techniques and evolve the process to suit their own style of learning and thinking that can then be matched to corporate needs.
 
This "integration of simple tools" is a key to their continuing use on a regular basis and eventually they will switch to "problem solving mode" automatically.

We are born creative; it is what has made human-kind so successful in the evolutionary stakes.

Often what we need to learn is how and when to apply our creative nature and abilities. In business we must have focussed creativity which has time boundaries and parameters otherwise an open programme of creativity may well result in nothing except interesting thought and conclusions. Whilst that may be interesting it rarely pays the rent.
 
Understanding and applying the processes of creativity is not difficult, we can learn techniques which help us to be more creative, innovative and productive and from this process comes Effective Thinking.

One Man's Problem is another Man's Opportunity!

It is a simple enough fact that you really do need to be AWARE that a problem or opportunity exists before you can actually take steps to creatively solve it or take advantage of it. Often we are aware of symptoms rather than the actual problem itself so keep that in mind. Nothing highlights this more than looking for the root cause of damp in a building. The visible patch of damp (the symptom) may be far removed from its root cause (which is what we actually need to treat) because of the way liquids or moisture may travel along impermeable and through permeable structures. So what you see may not actually be what needs to be treated or questioned.