mple, that differences in creative behavior between adults and children represents a very wide gap indeed. One study found that only 2% of adults of any age level can be accurately classified as “highly creative” while over 90% of children five years old or younger can be classified this way. The huge drop-off begins at ages 6 and 7 (only 10% in these age groups were found to be considered “highly creative”) and at age 8, adult levels begin. Only 2% of children aged 8 and above test out asIn a high-speed global marketplace that reverberates daily with quick-shifting customer expectations and demands from the marketplace to immediately respond, companies may no longer rest on their laurels or keep doing things the way they’ve traditionally been done. The smartest, most successful companies, for example, take pains to pursue not only present customer desires but anticipated, as-yet unexpressed, customers needs and desires in the future. Such projections require both research and imagination.

Take Toyota, for example, perennially ranked among the top five sellers of cars and trucks in the US. Its management tinkers constantly with fresh ideas for customizing its vehicles to meet customer desires, each year introducing more models, lighter weight materials, faster cruising speeds, even a first-of-its-kind hybrid engine utilizing electric as well as gas fuel sources. Toyota managers search round-the-clock for ways to do things better and different.

“The companies who are innovative ask totally different questions from those who are not,” says Jack Ricchiuto, a creativity consultant based in Cleveland and author of Collaborative Creativity: Unleashing the Power of Shared Thinking (Oakhill Press). “A traditional set of management questions begins with ‘How can we listen to our market better?’ and ‘How can we meet customers’ requirements?’ But creative companies like Toyota ask ‘How can we SURPRISE our market?’ Answering that one requires a high level of commitment to management creativity.”

For such reasons, creative companies and managers continually re-evaluate, re-tool and revise what they’re doing, forever gazing beyond the horizon, eager to glimpse what’s to come. Their transition from the traditional to the creative rarely proceeds easily, however, especially with so many managers conditioned since grade one to tow the line and think of themselves as LACKING creativity.

Research in this area reveals, for example, that differences in creative behavior between adults and children represents a very wide gap indeed. One study found that only 2% of adults of any age level can be accurately classified as “highly creative” while over 90% of children five years old or younger can be classified this way. The huge drop-off begins at ages 6 and 7 (only 10% in these age groups were found to be considered “highly creative”) and at age 8, adult levels begin. Only 2% of children aged 8 and above test out as

nd imagination.

Take Toyota, for example, perennially ranked among the top five sellers of cars and trucks in the US. Its management tinkers constantly with fresh ideas for customizing its vehicles to meet customer desires, each year introducing more models, lighter weight materials, faster cruising speeds, even a first-of-its-kind hybrid engine utilizing electric as well as gas fuel sources. Toyota managers search round-the-clock for ways to do things better and different.

“The companies who are innovative ask totally different questions from those who are not,” says Jack Ricchiuto, a creativity consultant based in Cleveland and author of Collaborative Creativity: Unleashing the Power of Shared Thinking (Oakhill Press). “A traditional set of management questions begins with ‘How can we listen to our market better?’ and ‘How can we meet customers’ requirements?’ But creative companies like Toyota ask ‘How can we SURPRISE our market?’ Answering that one requires a high level of commitment to management creativity.”

For such reasons, creative companies and managers continually re-evaluate, re-tool and revise what they’re doing, forever gazing beyond the horizon, eager to glimpse what’s to come. Their transition from the traditional to the creative rarely proceeds easily, however, especially with so many managers conditioned since grade one to tow the line and think of themselves as LACKING creativity.

Research in this area reveals, for example, that differences in creative behavior between adults and children represents a very wide gap indeed. One study found that only 2% of adults of any age level can be accurately classified as “highly creative” while over 90% of children five years old or younger can be classified this way. The huge drop-off begins at ages 6 and 7 (only 10% in these age groups were found to be considered “highly creative”) and at age 8, adult levels begin. Only 2% of children aged 8 and above test out as

companies who are innovative ask totally different questions from those who are not,” says Jack Ricchiuto, a creativity consultant based in Cleveland and author of Collaborative Creativity: Unleashing the Power of Shared Thinking (Oakhill Press). “A traditional set of management questions begins with ‘How can we listen to our market better?’ and ‘How can we meet customers’ requirements?’ But creative companies like Toyota ask ‘How can we SURPRISE our market?’ Answering that one requires a high level of commitment to management creativity.”

For such reasons, creative companies and managers continually re-evaluate, re-tool and revise what they’re doing, forever gazing beyond the horizon, eager to glimpse what’s to come. Their transition from the traditional to the creative rarely proceeds easily, however, especially with so many managers conditioned since grade one to tow the line and think of themselves as LACKING creativity.

Research in this area reveals, for example, that differences in creative behavior between adults and children represents a very wide gap indeed. One study found that only 2% of adults of any age level can be accurately classified as “highly creative” while over 90% of children five years old or younger can be classified this way. The huge drop-off begins at ages 6 and 7 (only 10% in these age groups were found to be considered “highly creative”) and at age 8, adult levels begin. Only 2% of children aged 8 and above test out as

high level of commitment to management creativity.”

For such reasons, creative companies and managers continually re-evaluate, re-tool and revise what they’re doing, forever gazing beyond the horizon, eager to glimpse what’s to come. Their transition from the traditional to the creative rarely proceeds easily, however, especially with so many managers conditioned since grade one to tow the line and think of themselves as LACKING creativity.

Research in this area reveals, for example, that differences in creative behavior between adults and children represents a very wide gap indeed. One study found that only 2% of adults of any age level can be accurately classified as “highly creative” while over 90% of children five years old or younger can be classified this way. The huge drop-off begins at ages 6 and 7 (only 10% in these age groups were found to be considered “highly creative”) and at age 8, adult levels begin. Only 2% of children aged 8 and above test out as

mple, that differences in creative behavior between adults and children represents a very wide gap indeed. One study found that only 2% of adults of any age level can be accurately classified as “highly creative” while over 90% of children five years old or younger can be classified this way. The huge drop-off begins at ages 6 and 7 (only 10% in these age groups were found to be considered “highly creative”) and at age 8, adult levels begin. Only 2% of children aged 8 and above test out as highly creative and this figure does not rise again for any age group thereafter.

The researchers directing this study concluded that repeated instructions throughout our school years on how to do things “right,” after years of hearing such admonitions as “no,” “bad,” “wrong,” and “incorrect” take their toll. Negative signals sear little minds with the impression that there’s only one way to do things. Disagree with that and you’re officially “deficient.”

With society officially downgrading the idea of creativity so strongly, it becomes problematic for businesses to get their managers and other employees thinking truly freely and “out of the box.” Also, genuine creativity, by definition, subverts the status quo by facing down long-held assumptions and uncorking new ways of approaching things. Thus, employee and manager alike may resist attempts to uproot established company traditions or fiddle with untried, risky procedures. Their responses to creativity initiatives may in fact take shape vigorously, adamantly and fearfully.

“I always ask my clients what they’re experimenting with,” says Ricchiuto. “The scariest response I hear is, ‘We don’t like to experiment—it’s messy and we don’t like to fail.’ Of course that’s just kidding yourself. Innovative companies understand that you’ve got to put up with ‘messiness’ and failure in order to succeed.”

Ricchiuto continues, ”The truth is if you want to learn to do it better, you’ve got to try a lot of things, many of which won’t work. Most artists will tell you the biggest item in their studios is their dumpster. A leading design firm uses the motto, ‘Fail often to succeed sooner.’ That’s how successful companies and individuals truly employing their natural creativity think.”

It’s a wise move, then, for a company to consider injecting innovative thinking and action into its corporate atmosphere. However, taking into account that creativity, by definition, knows no