This is a paper on creative thinking. It explores the four styles of creative thinking and dwells on the five forces which influence mental models or mindsets including real life examples. It also looks at the commonly used mental model and how it can be used in decision-making in the organization.
Creative Intelligence
The first of the four styles of creative intelligence is intuition. Intuition focuses on results and relies greatly on the past experience of the individual or organization in order to guide future decisions that are made. Educators always give consideration to the importance of the past since it is a common belief that mistakes can be avoided simply by taking into consideration the history of the action. From the perspective of the business, every business organization needs to take into account the different patterns that arise and to exercise caution at all times. Through strategic planning, the organization will be able to prepare for all scenarios by forecasting any possible outcomes Rowe, 2004.
Some of the largest mistakes that are made are as a result of dependence on past results, but so are the biggest successes.
Imagination
For those individuals who possess the ability to use their own imagination to visualize different scenarios, they are able to impact the decision-making process in the organization greatly. This is because they have the capability to view the current situation from a different point-of-view thus allowing them to have good coping skills for the purpose of solving problems. They are able to have confidence in every situation and thus can influence the members of the organization thus allowing them to plan for the future.
Inspirational
This mindset focuses on those social changes that are taking place in the society and thus presents some form of dedication to change the end result. Those who work in this particular mindset tend have a positive energy and are able to remain motivated, focused and logical. Those organizations with inspirational leaders find that they have a positive outcome of the future since they are able to promote change to a positive direction and thus limit the organizations in various ways.
Innovation
Innovation involves the tendency to focus on the issues that are at hand and the evidence presented. It is the most logical style as a result of it having a clear focus of the visible evidence. The major limitation of the innovative mindset is that decisions are made based on the presented facts and do not incorporate other aspects such as the past or the future.
Five forces that influence mental models or mindsets
The first of these forces is education. Education plays a major role in shaping the mindsets of various individuals and it forms a strong foundation which molds their view of the world. By influencing how people look at the world, education is intended to give the people a common language from which they operate and it makes it easier for them to blend into the environment Wind, Crook, & Gunther, 2005.
A good example of this is that a scientist learns to look at the world in a different way as compared to an artist.
Training is the second force. It is a specific learning approach that is quite related to education. People learn to deal with transitions or to handle new tasks in different ways. A good example is the way data entry personnel learn to enter data while a musician learn to play their instrument of choice.
The third force is the influence of others. These can be mentors, experts, friends, family, etc. The philosophy of other people on life and their approach to problems usually affect people deeply in how they are able to approach and deal with personal challenges Clarke, 2006.
A good example is that a child who grows up admiring a musician may become a musician in future.
Rewards and incentives are the fourth force. By rewarding individuals, they are able to influence their mindset and behavior. Rewards could be tangible such as financial gain, trophies, medals, etc. Or intangible such as recognition, praise, etc. A good example is employees who follow the company culture and give the most effort can be recognized as employee of the month which may also come with certain perks such as a medal, trophy, etc.
The last force is personal experience. People learn from their own personal experience and this makes it easier for them to think outside of the box and to either create their own style or find a particular style to follow. An example of this is how those who are self-taught develop, for example scientists.
You’re 81% through this paper. Sign up to read the full paper.
Sign Up Now — Instant Access Already a member? Log inAlways verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.