Creativity in the Workplace Winter 2013

Tyler Massie

Midterm Business Simulator

1. To be frank, I have never before enjoyed or derived value from playing Monopoly. This value system was challenged by my experience with the Business Simulator. The first time that we used this simulator, I had only started developing learning systems for a couple of the Principles of Creativity. I was very timid in my actions, and I wasn’t very familiar with the rules. I also did not fully comprehend all of the variables that are at play within the Monopoly environment. In terms of risk and return, I gained only moderated growth to my assets, if any growth was achieved at all. However, I realized no great success with this approach, and did not recognize more than adequate personal development. To prepare for this specific challenge, I researched Monopoly strategies, which I captured in Evernote and in a Mind Map. I then linked these strategies in the map to one that I had generated which linked the Creative Principles. I planned to take substantial risk throughout the challenge. I knew that luck played a specific factor in the simulator. I knew that I should buy all orange properties. And I knew that it is wise to create a housing shortage. I was prepared, enthused, and poised to achieve success. I rolled a 6 in our group, which meant that I could lead the game. On my first roll, I received a chance card that allowed me to pass go (gaining access to the red die a full turn ahead of the competitors). Nice luck. Next I landed on the first orange property and had rolled a monopoly man as well. I was able to buy two orange properties. Great luck. Half way through the game, I was cash heavy. I had more properties than any competitor. I had a monopoly on one full side of the board in orange and red properties, and was chock full of houses. Chance and strategy had worked greatly in my favor to this point. 30 minutes later when the simulator ended, I had come in second last place. What went wrong? I had become comfortable mid-way through the game, I wasn’t giving thought to my actions. I wasn’t concerned with closely monitoring my Principles and Strategies. I became complacent and arrogant in my assured success, and as such did not pay close enough attention to my competitors. I made trades of property that gave me only marginal returns, but greatly enhanced my competitors’ strategies and approaches, even though I had no real desire or strategic gain from making these trades.

By the time I had realized the error of my ways it was already too late. I began leveraging every strategic advantage I had previously gained just to survive in the game, including mortgaging all of my properties, to the point of total failure by the end. My own ego prevented me from leveraging great opportunity, luck, and skill, into success. This experience has reinforced in me the knowledge that there are many positive influencers to Creativity that can be utilized to great success. There are also many negative ones, but they can be recognized, managed, and overcome. This simulator taught and reinforced Principles of Creativity. The knowledge gained will surely contribute to my success, and would benefit any workplace that instituted these concepts.

And finally, to my great surprise, I derived substantial value from a game of Monopoly.

 

2. Principles of Creativity ordered from most to least utilized:

 

3. I. Challenges require risk taking When faced with obstacles, you must push yourself outside of your comfort zone, to solve and overcome, and with great risk comes great reward. During the first simulator, I did not employ this principle. However this time, I used it to completely inform my strategy which directly contributed to my success and failure during the simulator and in the end. I overleveraged myself and did not manage my risk once I felt comfortable and confident. My competitors leveraged themselves much better by managing their risk. Therefore, this principle needs to be managed and kept in constant thought. There are always new obstacles to overcome so you must never be complacent. Business owners and especially Entrepreneurs would be wise to understand the strengths and weaknesses of risk taking when overcoming challenges. I will need to learn more about the varying degrees of risk required for different kinds of challenges, and how to better manage risk. II. Capture and manage all ideas I utilized this principle with a mind map as my tool. Idea generation and capture was primarily during preparation phase for the simulator. I brought my iPad to use as a small, unobtrusive idea retrieval device. I monitored my strategies and principles during the first half of the simulator, until I became complacent and comfortable. I did not generate new ideas, nor manage and reference my existing ones. Therefore, when I was focused on this principle I was successful, and vice versa. The issue is that I was not even conscious of idea generation, likely because I didn’t set up a tool in advance to capture and manage new ideas during the simulator. I did not see my competitors utilize this principle either in preparation, or during the game. A workplace would be wise to implement organizational infrastructure and culture that allows you to both capture AND manage all ideas. My greatest challenge comes from idea retrieval, so I need to explore further my own assumptions that are blocking this. Is my own nature of procrastination affecting my approach to idea retrieval?

III. Mindmapping enhances creativity I find this principle fascinating. I was first introduced to it in an early Entrepreneurship course a few years ago. But I’ve never explored its creation or implementation. I love it as a tool for strategy and organization. I made one for both principles and strategies in the simulator, and employed it to success, until I just stopped using it. I didn’t see any competitors use a mind map. Perhaps they didn’t have a proper retrieval device, as I did with my iPad. I would like to use the mind map concept for planning to overcome any difficult obstacle or challenge. I need to learn more about the specific aspects and functions of the map, as well as the best way to organize and manage the ideas and connections so that it is not too cluttered. This tool should be required for any business strategy implementation or project management. IV. Innovations make valuable differences It is common knowledge that Einstein has stated that the definition of insanity is repeating the same actions and expecting different results. Innovations challenge insanity. I used my iPad as an innovative device to capture and manage my ideas and create and reference my mind map. I am still scared of my own inability to recognize and create innovation. I assume I am not innovative. As a result, I can’t recognize innovations that can be employed within the simulator. This assumption is a giant block on my understanding and application of this principle. I see the value for myself, businesses, and people in general. I just don’t believe that I can create innovation. Therefore, I am my own worst enemy. What innovative behaviours or actions did I not recognize during the simulator? V. Constraints enhance creativity The constraint of time directly impacted this challenge. I had to take more risk. I should have been more innovative in my strategies. I became stressed and did not think through my actions because of my concern for time. I became less creative as I was more constrained. That is a hardwired process in my brain. Constraints must be managed, just like ideas and risk. When managed, great success can be achieved. Businesses can utilize this principle by recognizing challenges create constraints, which enhances creativity. Therefore, there is a direct benefit of experiencing challenge. What tools help you to better manage creativity? VI. Leverage strengths and opportunities I had all the tools prepared to employ this principle. My risk strategy, my iPad tool with my map. I had luck on my side and was able to capitalize on opportunity. Yet I still lost the game. This was from complacency and mostly arrogance. I got too comfortable. My competitors better leveraged strengths and opportunities because they did so with better thought and respect. Workplaces need to use this principle to create sustained competitive advantage. I need to learn how to not become complacent when after I have successfully used this principle, and to recognize that there will always be new challenges to overcome.

VII. Broaden yourself I broadened myself in my approach to achieving value from this simulator, which I accomplished. I employed different tools and strategies, and was open-minded throughout. I researched various strategies, which I utilized until I was too comfortable mid way through the game. After this point, I had resorted to my old habits and strategies. People and businesses must always be open to new ideas. I underestimated my competitors because they seemed much more open-minded throughout the whole experience. What caused me to stop employing this principle? VIII. Change surroundings Partially by chance and partially by choice I sat in the same exact spot that I have been sitting in for the month so far. But the people in my surroundings changed as a result of the randomized formation of teams. I learned a lot from them and about them. For example, Greg definitely had the winning strategy because through trades he built one monopoly of hotels and traded to gain all railroads (a strategy he knew from research and preparation). I had become complacent and traded him two of my railroads, which directly contributed to my failure. Perhaps next time when I recognize I need to change my surroundings I should have everyone shift a seat over. This might snap me out of my complacency and better recognize challenges in my environment. Workplaces could achieve this by rotating offices or having off-site meetings. But at what point do you start losing benefit and need to maintain consistency? IX. Communities best nurture creativity This class has definitely created a community and we have all become more creative. This has contributed to the recognition of value derived from the simulator (and monopoly game itself!). The randomization of, and competition amongst, opponents detracted from the feeling of community but creativity was still achieved. It may have been best nurtured if we had to compete with our specific group members but I’m not sure. Maybe a close-knit community can inhibit innovative thinking? But for workplaces, a proper organizational culture will directly impact positive financial performance of the firm. X. Challenges are valuable opportunities Always. How you approach challenges is the issue. How much risk should be employed? When should you not take certain opportunities? When is a challenge not worth overcoming? The whole simulator was a challenge, and yet it created the value, knowledge, and growth opportunities. The overall value was net positive and in fact substantial. However, the challenges within the simulator were varied, difficult, and resulted in many failures.

XI. Assumptions block creativity I assumed I wouldn’t derive value from Monopoly. I was wrong and as such not open to the creative benefits of the game and simulator. Halfway through, I assumed I would win because of how I had leveraged the above ten principles. I lost the game because I assumed. I completely disregarded the value of this principle and that created the genesis point from which I began disregarding each and every other principle.

XII. CREATIVITY WILL IMPROVE YOUR WORKPLACE

The twelve principles of creativity so far have all been about the true and real benefits of creativity

If each principle is learned, used, challenged and managed, creativity

WILL IMPROVE ANYTHING

Grading Scheme and Criteria Please review this criteria below that I will be using to grade your midterm and final exams.

Description Grade

Excellent - Able to successfully apply most of the principles from the course to create value and to satisfactorily explain the value, meaning and significance of these principles to yourself personally. As well demonstrate a strong understanding of how these principles could be of value to others with different perspectives and opposing points of view. And finally a strong understanding of how much you still don’t understand about these principles, how your own assumptions and actions prevent you from more successfully applying these principles.

A

Good - Able to successfully apply most of the principles from the course to create value and to satisfactorily explain the value, meaning and significance of these principles to yourself personally.

B

Satisfactory – Able to satisfactorily explain the value, meaning and significance of most of the principles from the course.

C

Minimal Pass – Able to satisfactorily explain the value of at least half of the principles from the course.

D

Failure – No understanding of the principles of the course demonstrated (Italics shows my additions)

F