THE FIRST PART of the book was concerned with the nature, logic, and importance of creative thinking.
The second part of the book was specifically concerned with the deliberate and systematic tools of lateral thinking.
This third part of the book is concerned with the application of creative thinking.
There might be readers of the book who are mainly concerned with the central section because they want to “tune up” their own creative thinking. There may even be some readers who are most interested in the first section because they want to understand what creativity is all about even if they are not going to try to develop their own creative skill. Many readers will be interested in this third section because they are involved in introducing or using creativity within an organization.
The formal techniques of lateral thinking stand alone. They are ways of generating new ideas when we need them and when we want them. But there has to be a framework of application; otherwise, people are not going to find themselves in a position where they are expected to generate new ideas. No matter how good the techniques may be, if they are not used, they will not achieve much.
This application session will cover the difference between everyday creativity and specific creativity.
The introduction of creativity into an organization will be considered, as this has to be done carefully.
There is a need for someone within an organization to be “responsible” for the creative effort. Who should this be?
Then there are some specific structures for the application of creativity. These provide formal frameworks within which creativity takes place.
There is the matter of training in creative techniques. How is this going to be done?
There is a need to match the lateral thinking techniques to particular situations. Which tools should be used on which occasions?
Then there are suggested formats for individual creative sessions and also for group sessions.
Finally, there are some comments about the evaluation of the ideas that are produced by creativity.
The suggestions put forward in this section are based on years of experience in the field. Nevertheless different corporations have their own cultures and personalities. It can never be guaranteed that something that works with one corporation will work with another. It very much depends on who is involved in making things work.
One important point to remember is that the application of creativity is not as easy as it may seem to some people who believe that the occasional brainstorming session is enough or that it is enough to ask people for suggestions. Unless the application is handled effectively, creativity can become a sort of peripheral luxury that has little relevance to the operations of the organization.
Creativity is of serious importance and this importance can only grow in the future. There is a need for serious creativity. There is a need for the serious application of serious creativity.