creativity and collaboration–LOEX 2008

I didn’t expect to get information that would be so important to me at this conference for library instruction since that is not my field. But Laurel Ofstein from the Depaul Center for Creativity and Innovation spoke as a keynote and helped me to see a model for a work environment that SO appeals to me!

We can and must CREATE a climate for creativity and collaboration. Here are the major elements the enviroment must provide:

Challenge and Involvement: meaningfulness vs. disengagement (all members part of goal setting…getting a variety of thinking styles in the group, also get all stakeholders)
Freedom: Autonomy vs. Strict Guidelines
Idea Time: slack vs. tightness (great ideas and breakthroughs happen in the bath, on the bus and in bed…) (composting time)
Idea Support (resources vs. Automatic “No”)
Low Degree of Conflict: tension is bad; climate of acceptance is good
Lots of Discussion: Participative vs. Authoritarion (**relaxed readiness–not jockeying, listening for a break to make a point. GOOD Listening skills are KEY)
Humor and Play (spontaneity vs. gravity) be glad to do things differently, experiment, play; not eyes on the prize with judgement and trying only to be “perfect”

Try this activity: assumption reversal
-write down the assumptions of your organization (eg: students need guidance from teachers) and reverse them (teachers need guidance from students OR students WANT guidance from teachers OR students do not need guidance from teachers)

another activity to try:
generate a problem/opportunity statement
–be broad, brief, beneficial
consider the outcomes: say this: “wouldn’t it be nice if…” write those statements on cards and read them out loud to the group. Discuss and brainstorm, look for themes, etc.

A couple of important points:

Negative statments discourage people from thinking of new solutions (”we don’t have the money,” etc.) ROADBLOCK!
instead: spend time imagining, defining the problem in different ways, BEFORE you jump to solution
A healthy environment will encourage “Risk Taking” and tolerance for uncertainty.

if everyone is coming to work every day scared to make a mistake, fearful, nothing good or innovative happens.

Here is a book she mentioned that I think might be helpful to us:
“Ideas are Free”

Cool session. who knew??