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research shows that individuals who are open to experience, are less conscientious,
more self-accepting, and more impulsive, tend to be more creative. [12]
There are many techniques available that enhance and improve creativity.
Linus Pauling, the Nobel prize winner who popularized the idea that vitamin C could

help build the immunity system, said, “The best way to have a good idea is to have a
lot of ideas.” One popular way to generate ideas is to use brainstorming.
Brainstorming is a group process of generated ideas that follows a set of guidelines
that include no criticism of ideas during the brainstorming process, the idea that no
suggestion is too crazy, and building on other ideas (piggybacking). Research shows
that the quantity of ideas actually leads to better idea quality in the end, so setting
high idea quotas where the group must reach a set number of ideas before they are
done, is recommended to avoid process loss and to maximize the effectiveness of
brainstorming. Another unique aspect of brainstorming is that the more people are
included in brainstorming, the better the decision outcome will be because the variety
of backgrounds and approaches give the group more to draw from. A variation of
brainstorming is wildstorming where the group focuses on ideas that are impossible
and then imagines what would need to happen to make them possible. [13]
Ideas for Enhancing Organizational Creativity
We have seen that organizational creativity is vital to organizations. Here are
some guidelines for enhancing organizational creativity within teams. [14]
Team Composition (Organizing/Leading)
• Diversify your team to give them more inputs to build on and more
opportunities to create functional conflict while avoiding personal conflict.
• Change group membership to stimulate new ideas and new interaction
patterns.
• Leaderless teams can allow teams freedom to create without trying to
please anyone up front.
Team Process (Leading)
• Engage in brainstorming to generate ideas—remember to set a high goal
for the number of ideas the group should come up with, encourage wild ideas, and
take brainwriting breaks.
• Use the nominal group technique in person or electronically to avoid
some common group process pitfalls. Consider anonymous feedback as well.
• Use analogies to envision problems and solutions.
Leadership (Leading)
• Challenge teams so that they are engaged but not overwhelmed.
• Let people decide how to achieve goals, rather than telling them what
goals to achieve.
• Support and celebrate creativity even when it leads to a mistake. But set
up processes to learn from mistakes as well.
• Model creative behavior.
Culture (Organizing)
• Institute organizational memory so that individuals do not spend time on
routine tasks.

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