BA 562 - Creativity
Course Outline
COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Jim Southcott
Class meeting times:
Email: jim.southcott@sauder.ubc.ca
001 – Mon. 1-4
003 – Tues. 1-4
002 – Wed. 1-4
Phone: Cell: 604.240.8404
Section number: 001, 002, 003
Course duration: Sept. – Oct. 2015
Evaluation: See below
Course website: Connect
Classroom location: DL 009, HA 133/254
Check course schedule for room info
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Creativity is at a crossroads as a powerful tool for business. An IBM-led study of 3,000 CEOs
listed “creativity” as the third most important factor that they believed would drive their business
success over the next 5 years. Never before has creativity been such a valuable, sought after
asset in companies across all industries. At the same time, business schools and business are
increasing themselves at risk of squashing the creative spirit in individuals. We’ll find out why
and what you can do to ensure your creative voice and ideas flourish, both personally and in any
business challenges you tackle.
FT MBA LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Demonstrate your creative potential; how to unlock it, express it, foster it.
2. Recognize that creativity is a process, not a flash of blinding light.
3. Foster in others (in a business environment) – the tools to build a creative culture,
brainstorming, visioneering, problem solving, prototyping
4. Explore how creativity can be killed/muzzled intentionally or not.
5. Gain experience using creativity tools to solve complex business problems.
6. Explore how you can be the inspiration for ideas in your company.
ASSESSMENT
SUMMARY
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25% Participation – 25%
25% Journals (Reflection) – 25%
25% Book Report (Inspiration) – 25%
25% Project (Creation) – 25%
Total - 100%
NOTES:
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BA 562 - Creativity
Course Outline
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No final exam - more on this in Class #1
Small course fee to cover special guest and journals - $25 per student
COURSE RESOURCES AND MATERIALS
Good Reference Books (but not mandatory!)
 Thinkertoys – Michael Michalko
 Gamestorming: A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers and Changemakers
 The Happiness Advantage – Shaun Achor
 Creativity Inc. – Ed Catmull
 Out of Our Minds – Ken Robinson
 A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future – Daniel H. Pink
 Start With Why – Simon Sinek
 Beyond Disruption: Changing the Rules in the Marketplace – Jean-Marie Dru
KEY THEMES FOR THE COURSE
1. Intro & Baseline
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Why are you taking this course? What do you hope to get out of it?
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Creating a common language around creativity
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How does creativity happen? A few academic models
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Creativity in action – some examples, inspirations
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Creativity brainteaser exercises
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Why creativity in a business school?
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Class admin details – Course philosophy, assessment
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Give yourself an ‘A’ exercise
Homework reading:
The Creativity Crisis – Newsweek (http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/07/10/thecreativity-crisis.html
2. Your Creative Self
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Homework review – top insights, learning from the articles
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How do you get more creative?
Divergent & Convergent thinking
John Cleese weighs in
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Personal creativity tools, skills:
– Analogies, What-if’s
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Personal “Brand Archetype”
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Why is your personal creativity so important in business today?
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How do you lose creativity?
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Homework reading:
Fight the Fears That Block Creativity – David Kelly
(http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/11/fighting_the_fears_that_b.html)
Idea Watch: Harnessing Creativity – HBR Ideacast
(http://blogs.hbr.org/ideacast/2012/02/idea-watch-harnessing-creativi.html)
3. Play!
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Why “play” is important to creativity
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“Lego Serious Play” activity; discussion/de-brief
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Homework reading:
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BA 562 - Creativity
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The Role Imagination Plays in Innovation (Fast Company http://www.fastcompany.com/1829576/role-imagination-plays-innovation)
4. Observation & Mind Mapping
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Importance of setting the stage for observation
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Role of the journal
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Seeing the ‘unseen’
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Mind mapping techniques
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Finding creativity on campus
5. Weird Rules of Creativity
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Best practice insights from an eclectic array of top creative thinkers
Pixar’s unique creative process
Feng Shui and creativity
Paco Underhill – Why We Buy
Discuss/debate the homework reading – which creative processes resonate the most
for you?
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Homework reading:
The Weird Rules of Creativity – Robert I. Sutton (HBR)
The Six Myths of Creativity – Bill Breen (Fast Company http://www.fastcompany.com/51559/6-myths-creativity)
6. Fostering Creativity in Business
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Innovator’s DNA
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Inspiration:
Steven Jobs & Calligraphy
Inspiration – “The Why”
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Disruptive thinking:
The Four Disruptive Forces
Beyond Disruption
Six Hats
Blue Ocean thinking
SCAMPER
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Debate: does disruptive thinking work for all companies?
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More tools for the tool kit – Scamper, Association, Visualization, Interpretation, Vudeja
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Learning by “failing” – homework insights
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Six Hats group exercise
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Homework reading:
Failing By Design – Rita Gunther McGrath (HBR)
TED Talks: Linda Hill – How to Manage for Collective Creativity
7. Creativity by Design
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Design Thinking
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IDEO – philosophy & processes
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Design algorithms
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“Objectified” Documentary – learning & inspirations
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Frog Design example
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In-class design prototype project
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Homework reading:
IDEO’s David Kelly on Design Thinking (Fast Company http://www.fastcompany.com/1139331/ideos-david-kelley-design-thinking)
Design Thinking – Tim Brown (HBR)
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BA 562 - Creativity
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Design Thinking is a Failed Experiment – Bruce Nussbaum (Fast Company http://www.fastcodesign.com/1663558/design-thinking-is-a-failed-experiment-sowhats-next)
Design Thinking and Innovation at Apple – Stefan Thomke, Barbara Feinberg
(HBR)
8. Theatre Sports
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Guest hosts
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Class project check-in
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Homework reading:
It’s Not Quite Funny or Die, But Improv Works to Fuel Powerful Innovation (Fast
Company - http://www.fastcompany.com/1826837/its-not-quite-funny-or-dieimprov-works-fuel-powerful-innovation)
9. Enabling Creativity in Large Groups
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The importance of culture in cultivating creativity
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“Hats” exercise
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Constraints – The Five Obstructions
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How to brainstorm more effectively; group exercise
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Scenario Planning, Storyboarding
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Inspiring creativity – better problem definition & creative briefings
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Practical tips - how to handle yourself in a creative presentation
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Swiffer case – Jonah Lehrer
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Homework reading:
Borrowing Brilliance: The Six Steps to Business Innovation by Building on the
Ideas of Others – David Kord Murray (Youtube)
The Picture Problem – Malcolm Gladwell (New Yorker)
3 Ideas for Cultivating Creativity at Work – Kevon Saber (Fast Company http://www.fastcompany.com/3003901/3-ideas-cultivating-creativity-work)
10. Organizing for Creativity to Happen: Building a Creative Culture
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Importance of organizational culture for creativity
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Importance of diverse thinkers
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Cultural behavior that is detrimental to creativity
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Pinterest boards – “Where do I want to work”? project
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Homework reading:
What Doesn’t Motivate Creativity Can Kill It – Steve Kramer
(http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/04/balancing_the_four_factors_tha_1.html)
TED Talks: Eddie Obeng – Smart Failure for a Fast-Changing World
11. Democratizing Creativity: Consumers as Disruptors & Co-Creators
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Crowd sourcing – where is it going? What are the ethics?
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Case study in action – the music biz
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Collaboration – Jonah Lehrer on Steve Jobs
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Class project Q&A
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Homework reading:
Welcome to Co. Create Nation – Tyler Gray, Teressa Iezzi, Nancy Miller (Fast
Company - http://www.fastcompany.com/1793525/welcome-cocreate-nation)
12. Final Project - Class Presentations
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5 minute presentation of your creativity project
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Mark includes a Class Assessment component
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BA 562 - Creativity
Course Outline
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