Tools for Creativity

The desire for companies to be creative in all aspects of their businesses has been paralleled by the arrival of many management texts with creativity in their titles. Just as many others have been written by consultants specialising in teaching or applying creativity tools to a whole range of industries. There are web sites devoted to creativity that are useful resources, having details of books, tools, courses and links to other relevant sites [C-12]. It should be noted that most of the tools in the following sections are now available in software versions. These are known collectively as Creativity Software [C-47]. 

It is impossible to insist on creativity but it is possible to assist in the process by employing the right tools. R D Managers should be familiar with such tools, understand when they can be used most effectively and encourage their use within teams, groups and individuals. 

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Since all is ultimately consciousness, mind (as Buddhist metaphysics terms consciousness) is the builder of all and the source of the illusion of separateness. It is by the skillful use of the image-building faculty of consciousness (imagination) that we fashion the tools for our liberation. The subjectivity of inner vision does not diminish its reality value. It is real on its own level. Such visions are not hallucinations, because their reality is that of the human psyche. They are symbols in which the highest knowledge and the noblest endeavor of the human mind are embodied. Visualization is the creative process of spiritual projection, through which inner experience is translated into visible form, comparable to the creative act of an artist whose subjective idea, emotion, or vision is transformed into an objective work of art which then takes on a reality of its own, independent of the creator. 

This chapter exemplifies how the development of highly active catalysts and creative reaction design have revitalized the interest in Stetter reactions as a valuable tool for efficient C-C-bond-forming reactions. The next challenges to be met in this field are the reduction of the catalyst loading and the catalytic asymmetric intermolecular Stetter reactions. 

Unique new enzymes are now readily accessible in quantity with properties that are amenable to modification on demand. It is my firm belief that such fascinating possibilities not only open new playgrounds for creative minds but will also assist each practising scientist with effective tools for tackling the future challenges in Organic Synthesis, and it is my hope that this volume will actively support this goal. 

The next 10 years will no doubt bring further technological advances and creative insights to improve the drug discovery process even further. This will keep HTS approaches as a mainstream drug discovery tool for years to come. 

Radioactive elements, especially carbon-14, were key products of the Manhattan Project, and could be produced in large quantities by the nuclear reactors. They would provide the world with new tools for chemical and biomedical research. Radioactive tracers were able to broadcast their presence as part of radiolabeled molecules as they defined the the stream of life. Being able to measure the chemical processes in every part of the body of living organisms made it possible for creative biological and medical scientists to provide a whole new approach to biochemistry and medicine. The radionuclides, chiefly carbon-14 and phosphorus-32, led the way. 

More recent attempts to utihze findings from the new genre of leadership theory in selection use both biodata and assessment center procedures. AvoUo and colleagues from South Africa have developed a preliminary tool to assess the leadership potential of candidates to the South African police force. This tool is based on the multifactor leadership questionnaire (MLQ) developed by Bass and Avolio (1996) to measure the full range leadership styles. The assessment center also includes a biodata survey that has been used in previous research (Avolio 1994). Sinulariy, researchers from the Center for Creative Leadership examined the process of executive selection and identified that success in the top three jobs in large organizations was predicted mostly by relationships with subordinates and expressed affection (Kouzes 1999). 

Mountford, S. J. (1990), Tools and Techniques for Creative Design, in The Art of Human-Computer Interaction, B. Laurel, Ed., Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, pp. 17-30. 

Other tools The creativity methods provide a refreshing alternative to the other methods to gather information. Tools for organizing information can be used with information collected using the creativity methods. 

The cause-and-effect diagram basically dissects a defect type into the associated causes. The causes can be further subdivided into additional groupings if the team believes such structure is necessary. Japanese-based tools such as the cause-and-effect diagram are useful for creative problem solving, and teams using such tools should be allowed flexibility in customizing tools for their specific needs. Example 4 presents the use of a cause-and-effect diagram. 

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