3/15/2008
Project Management & The Benefit Of Creativity & Innovation
Thanks to my friends at
journyx I found an interesting article:
Positive Leadership In Project Management – Creativity and Innovation, The Leader’s Edge By Frank P. Saladis PMP. I liked this article because it highlights the importance of creativity and innovation in project management. Most stuff I read is focused on core pm skills and doesn't touch on other skills and development areas that will make a good project manager great. The first sentence was enough to draw me in "Creativity and innovation are critical skills for any leader and a “must have” for success.". It is so true yet often this skill is overlooked and under appreciated. You can read the whole article
here but I thought I'd share the tips for expanding your mind:
It is important for the leader to keep his or her creative talent sharp and ready. Looking for new ideas is actually enjoyable and can be very educational as well. You never know where the next idea may be hiding. It’s important to keep looking. One should never believe that there are no more good ideas out there. Sometimes you just need a place to start looking. Here are a few places where creativity and innovation can be nurtured and come alive and they are relatively easy to get to:
- The local book store – just read book titles and try changing the title to fit your work environment
- Magazines – if you travel often, pick up a few magazines and read the advertisements as well as the articles. Quite a bit of imagination goes into an ad.
- In the shower – this is a place where you are most likely very relaxed. Your mind is at ease and stress is very low. Ideas flow freely when your mind and body are relaxed
- A walk in a park – again, a place to reduce stress and let the mind daydream a bit.
- The internet – this is an unlimited source of ideas. Pick a topic, do a search, read the various views on the subject and draw your own conclusions.
- The History and Discovery TV channels. Sometimes learning how something works helps to find solutions to a wide variety of issues.
- Colleagues and mentors – Ask questions. Become a bit inquisitive. Find out more about a lot of things.
- Observe artists and hobbyists. They are usually very creative and are willing to discuss their work enthusiastically.
- Listen to speakers at seminars. Really listen to their thoughts. Many speakers have a very inspiring effect on their audiences.
- Listen to audio books while driving. There is much more to most books than just the story.
Read more here: http://www.allpm.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1862&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0
Some related reading:
Posted by Raven Young at Raven's Brain under Project Management
Technorati tags: Project Management, Project Management Innovation, Creativity Tips, Project Management Blog
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