Common Creativity Tools and Techniques • 151
Some ways to use checklist on a project include listing:
• Dierent scenarios for performing what-if analysis in a scheduling tool
• Performance reports
• Potential solutions to a process problem
• Potential threats
• Roles and responsibilities of contractors
• Stakeholders
Observation
Observation is an excellent technique for coming up withnewideas.
Itcanopen people’s perspective on new ways to do business.Observations,
of course, should be varied to expose the observer to new phe-
nomena. It entails someone visiting and watching an individual or
organization execute its activities to learn about or enhance creative
ideas.
Keep the following in mind when using observation:
1. Apply the guidelines for good observation. ese include keep-
ing one’s physical and emotional distance, suspending biases and
prejudices as best as possible, and applying eective listening
skills.
2. Collect facts and data about the observation, such as the who, what,
when, where, why, and how. Facts and data help evaluate any creative
ideas arising out of the observation.
3. Document thoughts about observations. Take some time to reect
on the observations. Such thinking will encourage coming up with
insights that could not possibly arise had time not been available for
reection. Consider reection as soon as possible aer an observa-
tion to avoid memory loss.
Some ways to use observation on a project include:
• Observing team meetings to identify opportunities for improvement
• Visiting other organizations having projects of a similar nature to
see how they deal with replanning
• Visiting other projects of a similar nature to see how to establish a
war room
152 • Creative, Ecient, and Eective Project Management
• Watching another project team performing similar activities to learn
process and procedural improvements
Interviewing
Interviewing is an excellent technique to uncover creative ideas. It involves,
through question and answer, obtaining data, information, or ideas
to address a problem or issue. rough interviews, questions can serve
as a means to challenge the thinking of interviewees. is interchange
between the interviewer and interviewee can result in a dynamic exchange
of thoughts that can generate creative thinking.
Keep the following in mind when using interviewing techniques:
1. Use a combination of closed and open-ended questions. Closed
questions are very specic, requiring a precise answer. Open-ended
questions are broad, leaving room for considerable exibility in
thinking. ese type of questions encourage “blue skying,” that is,
exploring thoughts that can lead to creative ideas.
2. Take notes. Ideas can fade as quickly as they arise. By writing inter-
view notes, any creative ideas can become more crystallized in the
minds of interviewees and interviewers alike.
3. Find a good location to conduct the interview. It should be free
from distractions. Just as importantly, it should allow for a degree
of privacy for the interviewee to express ideas needing to be kept
condential.
Some ways to use interviewing on a project include:
• Asking individual stakeholders about their expectations for the
project
• Asking individuals in private sessions how to improve schedule and
cost performance
• Asking key stakeholders on the customer side to suggest ways to
improve satisfaction
• Asking individual team members how to improve the morale and
esprit de corps
• Asking other project managers how they dealt with a showstopper
that is looming on the horizon
Common Creativity Tools and Techniques • 153
Field Trip
A eld trip is a great technique to generate creative ideas or at least acquire
them from other places. It involves traveling to dierent places to observe
and collect facts and data that can be used to broaden one’s perspective
and come up with creative ideas. A eld trip exposes people in ways that
broaden their perspectives. Such exposure challenges their biases and
assumptions, causing them to think dierently, which in turn encourages
coming up with creative, innovative ideas. Field trips may include a trip to
another company or going on a retreat.
Keep in mind the following when encouraging eld trips:
1. Determine up front the purpose of the trip. e eld trip should fur-
ther the goals and objectives of a project.
2. Keep the entourage relatively small. Too big a group on a eld trip
will lessen the likelihood of people engaging in fullling the goals
and objectives of a project.
3. Provide a written or oral report about the outcome of the eld trip.
Members of the entourage should share their insights, observations,
and information so that others not attending can use that experience
to generate even more new ideas.
Some ways to use a eld trip on a project include:
• Attending conferences and seminars with the intent to learn how
other organizations manage projects of a similar nature
• Taking select team members to another organization to learn dier-
ent ways to execute a project of a similar nature
• Taking the team members to the customer’s location to learn about
how it does its business
Idea Bulletin Board
e idea bulletin board is a technique to capture ideas as they arise over a
certain time period. e idea board can be placed above a water cooler, in
a conference room, in a cafeteria, or at any other location where people can
readily access it. As people come up with ideas, they simply record, on a small
card or paper, a creative idea that comes to mind to improve performance,
product, or service. People can then choose whether to sign their names or
add information (e.g., suggestions for implementation) to the card or paper.
154 • Creative, Ecient, and Eective Project Management
e idea bulletin board oers several benets. One benet is that it
recognizes people are just not creative at the same time and all the time.
Many ideas arise in an ad hoc manner, and the board is a convenient place
to record them before becoming lost or stolen. e other advantage is that
it shows that an organization encourages creativity and takes it seriously.
Keep the following in mind when using an idea bulletin board:
1. Visit the board periodically to collect the ideas. Boards, containing
ideas for months on end without being reviewed, indicates a lack of
seriousness about the importance of creativity.
2. If reviewing the board, management should provide feedback on any
idea aer conducting an initial evaluation. is evaluation should
include an approval or disapproval decision and any accompanying
explanations about the conclusions.
3. If an idea has been accepted, an implementation plan should be
developed. is action will demonstrate the degree of importance
attributed to an idea. Naturally, assigning resources demonstrates
commitment to making any idea a reality.
29
Some ways to use an idea bulletin board on a project include:
• Capturing issues related to morale and esprit de corps
• Capturing potential threats
• Collecting ideas on improving processes described in management
plans
• Collecting ideas on overcoming a potential showstopper
CONCLUSION
Obviously, the approaches and techniques described above are not exhaus-
tive. ey are a just a sample of hundreds that project managers can use
on their projects. It is important to stress that the right approach and
technique depends on the circumstances in terms of eort, time, place,
and culture. Some of the approaches and techniques require consider-
able time and eort to apply, whereas in some circumstances, little time
and other resources are available to apply. It is important, therefore, to
consider all the trade-os before selecting and applying an approach or
technique.
Common Creativity Tools and Techniques • 155
Getting Started Checklist
Question Yes No
1. For your project, which of the creativity approaches and techniques have
you decided to employ, and how would you use the ones selected
(e.g.,build a work breakdown structure)?
Anity Diagramming
Use:
Brainwriting
Use:
Brainstorming
Use:
Checklists
Use:
Compare and Contrast
Use:
Crawford Slip Technique
Use:
Delphi Technique
Use:
Devil’s Advocate
Use:
Field Trip
Use:
Fishbone Diagram
Use:
Force Field Analysis
Use:
Hypothetical Scenario
Use:
Idea Bulletin Board
Use:
Imagineering
Use:
Interviewing
Use:
Lateral inking
Use:
Matrices
Use:
Mind Mapping
Use:
Modeling
(Continued)
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