Total Creativity Management

For many years creativity and innovation was achieved in a rather ad hoc manner, only engaging those parts of the organisation as they were required, often in a linear way as this was seen as a logical progression. The more successful companies realised that this was inefficient. Blocks in the innovation pathway were only cleared as they appeared and often this lead to a resistance to change, particularly from those not involved from the start in the process of innovation. 

Learning and applying creative thinking techniques that provide new ideas that seed creative thinking. 

Capitalising on the value of diversity in thinking preferences and styles in building successful teams and task forces. 

Engaging the organisation so that people will surface who have a clear idea of the values and of the initiative and want to take part. 

Setting up structures and systems to sustain momentum in the initiative. 

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As mentioned earlier, Total Quality Management (TQM) focuses on careful, thoughtful analysis. However, the analysis should be creative, innovative, and innoveering. The carefulness enters in when it comes time to implement. We want to make sure that we are implementing positive, goal-focused changes before we move a muscle. 

With pure or fundamental research the provision of commercial opportunities is, by its very nature, a long way into the future. However, in industry this is the final objective, no matter how far into the future, it is not science for the sake of science. This type of long-term work is uncommon in most chemical companies and at best only represents a very small fraction of total R D budgets, even in the largest companies. It is often contracted out or carried out in collaboration with research institutes and universities, these bodies finding that it provides them with a useful source of funding and indeed a new role in the economic welfare of a country. The time frames and measures of success are quite different from product oriented research and when carried out in industry requires special management skills. This will be dealt with in Section C on innovation and creativity. 

The Distribution Manager, driving the four horses of Creativity and Control, Business, and Technology, must become the master of them all. He must integrate their efforts into the total materials flow concept —a concept whereby he sees his company as a part of a continuous flow system from its vendors to its customers. As part of the continuous process, automation-instrumentation conscious chemical industry, he starts with important traditions and assets. He will be concerned with integration, systemization, and acceleration. 

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