It is important to recognize the role of creativity in the innovative process. Creativity is the generation of ideas that result in the improved efficiency or effectiveness of a system.(3) There are two important aspects of creativity: process and people.

The people are the resources that determine the solution. The process remains the same, The process is goal-oriented; it is designed to attain a solution to a problem. but the approach used by the people will vary.

For example, sometimes they will adapt a solution, and at other times they will formulate a highly innovative solution.(4) Table 2.1 percents a comparison of these two approaches.

Creativity is a process that can be developed and improved. Everyone is creative to some degree. However, as is the case with many abilities and talents (e.g., athletic, artistic), some individuals have a greater aptitude in an environment that encouraged them to develop their creativity. They have been taught to think and act creatively. For others the process is more difficult because they have not been positively reinforced, and,  if they are to be creative, they must learn how to implement the creative process.

There are four phases or steps in the creative process. Most experts agree on the general nature and relationship between these phases, although they refer to them by a variety of names.(5) Experts also agree that these phases do not always occur in the same order for every creative activity.

We shall examine this four-step process using the most typical order of development.

Phase 1: Background or Knowledge Accumulation Successful creations are generally preceded by investigation and information gathering. This usually involves extensive reading, conversations with others working in the field, attendance at professional meetings and workshops, and a general absorption of information relative to the problem or issue under study. Additional investigation in both related and unrelated fileds is sometimes involved. This exploration provides the individual with a variety of per spectives on the problem, and it is of particular importance to the entrepreneur, who needs a basic understanding of all aspects of the development of a new product, service, or business venture.

There are a number of ways to develop a creative mind. Some of the most helopful include:

Phase 2: The Incubation Process Creative individuals allow their subconscious to mull over the tremendous amounts of information they gather during the preparation phase. This incubation process often occurs while they are engaged in activities totally unrelated to the subject or problem. It happens even when they are sleeping. This accounts for the advice frequently given to a person who is frustrated by what appears to be an unsolvable problem: "Why don't you sleep on it?" Getting away from a problem and letting the subconscious mind work on it allows creativity to spring forth.

(Enmglewood Cliffs, NJ): Prentice-Hall, 1983).

Some of the most help ful steps include:

1. Engage in routine, "mindless" activities (cutting the grass, painting the house).
2. Exercise regularly.
3. Play (sports, borard games, puzzles).
4. Think about the subject or problem before falling asleep.
5. Meditate and/or practice self-hypnosis.
6. Sit back and relax on a regular basis.(7)

Phase 3: The Idea Experience This phase of the creative process is often the most exciting. It is at this time that the idea or solution the individuals is seeking is discovered. This phase is also the one that the average person incorrectly perceives to be the only component of creativity.

As with the incubation process, new and innovative ideas often emerge while the person is busy doing something unrelated to the enterprise, venture, or investigation (e.g., taking a shower, driving on an interstate highway, leafing through a newspaper). Sometimes the idea appears as a bolt out of the blue. In most cases, however, the answer comes to the individu al incrementally. Slowly but surely, the person begins to formulate the solution. Because it is often difficult to determine where the incubation process ends and the idea experience phase begins, many people are unaware of when they move from phase 2 to

Phase 3. In any event, there are ways of speeding up the idea experience:

1. Daydream regularly.
2. Practice your hobbies.
3. Work in a leisurely environment (e.g., bring your work to the park). (#ATH)
4. Put the problem on the back burner
5. Carry a notebook and record your ideas.
6. Take breaks while owrking.(8)

Phase 4: Evaluation and Implementation This is the most difficult step of a creative endeavor and requires a great deal of courage, selfdiscipline, and perseverance. Successful entrepreneurs are able to identify those ideas that are workable and that they have the skills to implement. More importantly, they do not give up when they run into temporary obstacles. Often they will fail several times before they successfully develop their best ideas.

In some cases entrepreneurs will take the idea in an entirely different direction or discover a new and more workable idea while struggling to implement the original idea. Another important part of this phase is the reworking of ideas to get them into final form. Because frequently an idea emerges from Phase 3 in rough form, it needs to be modified or tested in order to put it in final shape.

Some of the most useful suggestions for carrying out this phase are:

1. Increase your energy level with proper exercise, diet, and rest.
2. Educate yourself in the business planning process and all facets of business.
3. Share your ideas with knowledgeable people.
4. Take notice of your intuitive hunches and feelings.
5. Educate yourself in the selling process.
6. Learn about organizational policies and practices.
7. Seek advice from others (e.g., friends, experts).
8. View the problems that you encounter while implementing your ideas as challenges.(9)

Figure 2.1 illustrates the four phases of the creative-thinking process. If a major problem is encountered as one moves through the process, it is sometimes helpful to go back to a previous phase and try again. For example, if an individual is unable to formulate a solution (Phase 3), a return to Phase 1 often helps. By immersing oneself in the data, the un-conscious mind can begin anew in processing the data, establishing cause effect relationships, and formulationg potential solutions.

Many people tend to downplay the need for creativity in small enterprises because they believe only geniuses are creative. Actually, creativity is widespread in the population, although most people, of course, are not geniuses. Presented below are some of the characteristics of creative people:

1. Bright but not necessarily brilliant. Creativity is not directly related to extraordinarily high intelligence.

Margir hafa mišaš viš IQ 120 (Sjį P.Vernon: Creativity 1971 og Handbook of Creativity Research#)

Žessi nišurstaša er mjögóvęnt  (an anomaly? #)og verkar undarlega į marga. Rannsóknirnar sżna aš auki til fjöldi hįgreinds fólks er mjög slakt ķ sköpun nżrra hugmynda.

NASA réši upphaflega fyrst og fremst doktora (PhD) en hvarf svo frį žeirri stefnu žegar į daginn kom aš prófgrįšan - og einkunnirnar höfšu ekkert forsagnargildi um starfshęfni viškomandi ašila.  Žaš sama geršist hjį Toyota fyrir nokkrum įrum. Fyrirtękiš steinhętti aš rįša fyrst og fremst eftir menntun. (H: Ny Teknik)
#L:  Toyota and Morita

Fjöldi rannsókna hefur sżnt fram į lķtiš sem ekkert samhengi milli einkunna og starfsframa (oftast męlt ķ tekjum).
Hér er eittthvaš meirihįttar aš!  Getur veriš aš:
- Mat skólanna (ž.e. einkunnirnar) séu ekki ķ samręmi viš žörf atvinnuķfsins fyrir žekkingu og fęrni?
  (Sjį Employability vef UH:  ) #T
- Aš alvarlegar gloppur séu ķ fjölmörgu nįmi?
   (Sjį Employability vef UH:  )
#L: Gagnrżni į MBA nįm ķ USA (Business Week, o.fl.)

2. Good at generating a high degree of different ideas in a short period of time.

Hjį žeim sem hafa verulega sköpun fylgist aš mikiš magn hugmynda og mikil gęši!  (Sjį : Creativity 1970)

Žetta er einnig óvęnt nišurstaša sem viršist ganga gegn allri ešlilegri rökhugsun.  Yfirleitt tekur langan tķma aš žróa vandaša vöru.   Žeim mun  meira sem lagt er upp śr gęšunum žeim mun minni verša afköstin. 
Hvernig getur stašiš į žvķ aš varšandi sköpunargįfu žį er "stendur žetta lögmįl į haus"?  $$

Skżringartilgįtur (JE):
- Sumir einstaklingar sem hafa forsendur til aš verša skapandi fara ķ žann "ham" (e. Mode) aš venjast į sköpun og gera hana aš rķkum žętti ķ andlegu lķfi sķnu.  Įnęgjan af žvķ aš skapa (og tekjur sem oft fylgja) veldur žvķ aš um veršur aš ręša einskonar "addiktivt" ferli (e. positive feedback/reinforcement) žar sem viškomandi veršur nįnast hįšur žvķ aš skapa įnęgjunar vegna (lķkt og trimmarar verša hįšir endorfķni).  Žar meš er fyrir žvķ séš aš hann/hśn eyšir verulegum tķma ķ verkiš (e. Time on Task).  ToT er įvallt lykilžįttur ķ įrangri.

- Ašrir sem ekki įnetjast hljóta enga žjįlfun af žvķ tagi sem hér hefur veriš lżst.  Žeir lenda į hinn bóginn gjarnan ķ žveröfugu ferli žar sem yfirmenn eša skyldmenni taka öllum nżjum hugmyndum af neikvęšni.  Skorti viškomandi ašila sjįlfstraust žį brotna žeir fljótt nišur og hętta aš gera sjįlfa sig aš skotspóni ķ neikvęšu umhverfi.  Žetta er langstęrsti hópurinn!  Žeir sem žola mikiš mótlęti eru mjög fįir.  Žetta er ein meginįstęšan fyrir žvķ aš vilji fyrirtęki eša stofnun nį afburšaįrangri ķ aš skapa nżja hluti žį veršur aš gera menningarumhverfiš (e. The Corporate Culture)  hlišhollt sköpun
Į mešan žetta er ekki gert žį mun allur žorri starfsfólks foršast aš taka žį persónulegu įhęttu sem hér hefur veriš lżst.
Žetta er ein ašalįstęšan fyrir žvķ aš lögš er mikil įhersla į skapandi unhverfi ķ nįmskeišinu um Nżsköpun og hönnun ķ rafmagnsverkfręši.  JE  (Sjį : Creativity 1970)  #DęmiJE

8. Lead a rich, almost bizarre, fantasy life.  #3

Sumir einstaklingar sem eru mjög skapandi eru nįnast ķ stöšugum "prķvat-brainstorm" - į einskonar
stöšugu og žögulu eintali viš sjįlfa sig. (Dęmi: Darwin)

Hugur žeirra er sķvirkur viš aš spinna upp nżjar hugmyndir og  nżjar tengingar.    Žeir spyrja sjįlfa sig stöšugt um - - rök aš baki stašhęfingum og frumorsökum ("Af hverju spurningar" (e. Deductive Thinking, Deduction) ).

Einnig
- "Hvaš ef" spurninga. ( e. Inductive Thinking, Induction)  
         - Hvaš gerist ef ég geri žetta? 
        - Hvaša afleišingar hefši X?
- Spurning um žżšingu og gildi:  Hvaša žżšingu  hefur žessi stašreynd?

Hugum slķks fólks mį žvķ lķkja viš einhverskonar tilraunastofu žar sem fram fara įn aflįts tilraunir ķ smįum  og stórum(?) stķl. Tilraunirnar eru gjarnan ķ miklum męli framvirkar (e. Proactive) - ž.e  snśast um óoršna hluti, višbrögš viš ašstęšum sem gętu komiš upp (fyrirhyggja) o.fl. Tękin sem unniš er meš er eigin reynsla žekking, rök og ķmyndunarafl.  Fįar "tilraunastofur eru ódżrari ķ rekstri en heilabśiš! 

Ašrir eru einhvern veginn ķ allt öšrum "fasa". Hugrenningar žeirra viršast aš miklu snśast um "višbrögš viš ytri įreitum (e. Reactive Thinking).  Žęr hugrenningar sem į annaš borš eru ķ gangi falla ķ hefšbundna slóš. Žeir sem tejla mętti til hópsįlna eru til aš mynda stöšugt meš hugann viš hvernig žeir falli ķ kramiš hjį öšrum.

Segja mį aš žegar svona er įstatt žį séu slagbrandar fyrir tilraunastofu heilans ef hśn er til į annaš borš!
Žaš sem hér hefur veriš sagt undirstrikar žaš sem annars stašar kemur fram - aš venjist menn į fyrra, ž.e. skapandi hugsun - (betra "skapandi, framvirkri og gagnrynni ) verklagiš žį geta žeir hęglega oršiš mjög skapandi - en sé žaš sķšara rķkjandi žį er žvķ nżjabrumi sem felst ķ nżjum og framandi hugmyndum - sem einhvern tķman - t.d. ķ barnęsku - hafa komiš upp, jafnóšum slįtraš af ótta viš neikvęš višbrögš umhverfisins, t.d. undrum eša ašhlįtur - sem eru nokkurn veginn gefinn hlutur žegar um er aš ręša nżjar og framandi hugmyndir. (Žvķ tala menn um aš einhver stari eins og "naut į nżvirki").

Žetta er mjög lķklega įstęšan fyrir žvķ aš til stašar eru tiltölulega skörp skil į milli tveggja hópa žar sem annar hópurinn er mjög skapandi - og miklu meira en hinn og sį sķšari nįnast hugmyndasnaušur. 

Aš žvķ gefnu aš žessi röksemdaleišsla sé rétt (#Hér žarf aš fara ķ rannsóknir og leita vķsbebendinga eša stašfestinga)  žį felst einnig ķ žessu vonin um aš unnt sé aš flytja  žį sem eru ekki sérlega skapandi yfir ķ hóp žeirra sem eru žaš.   (Miklir hagsmunir ķ hśfi ķ žessu efni fyrir t.d. vinnuveitendur žeirra)

(NB: Tilvist mikils fjölda hugmyndarķkra og rįšagóšra einstaklinga (e. Resourceful Individuals)  er lykilžįttur ķ afkomu hvers fyrirtękis og žvķ ešlilegt aš žau taki į žessu mįli en lįti žaš ekki rįšast hvort skapandi framleišslugeta žess er mikil eša lķtil - eins og algengast er.

'Dęmin:  Skipuleg hugmyndakerfi fyrir starfsfólk => F. ętlast til žess aš komiš sé meš hugmyndir, žaš umbunar fyrir allar tilraunir og gjarnan vel fyrir žaš sem reynist įrangursrķkt, ķ gangi er stöšug hvatning til aš skrį hugmyndirnar og/eša koma žeim į framfęri

(Gott dęmi: Stöšugt nauš verkstjóra hjį Toyota ķ undirmönnum sķnum um žetta efni - margir eru mjög tregir og feimnir ķ fyrstu hafandi vanist žvķ aš nżjum hugmyndum er tekiš oft į neikvęšan hįtt.  Sķšar žegar hugmyndasköpun er oršin aš "hluta af fyrirtękismenningunni žį fer "vélin aš ganga į fullu", sķsköpun og sķfelldar endurbętur geta tekiš risastökk viš žessar ašstęšur - en NB: Žetta er oftast tķmafrekt - sérstaklega ef menn oft oršiš fyrir neikvęšum višbrögšum viš nżjum hugyndum.  Žetta žżšir einnig aš stjórnendur fyrirtękisins verša aš hafa śthald og stašfestu ķ aš innleiša žennan nżja "menningaržįtt" i starfsemina (e. Firm Committment, Top Management Committment, Long Term Commitment).  

Taki menn  verkefni sem getur veriš margra mįnaša eša jafnvel margra įra verk meš žvķ hugarfari aš reyna ķ örskamma stund žį og hętta ef tilraunin virkar ekki strax žį er hętta į óförum. Į hinn bógin veršur einnig aš vera ljóst aš "žaš sé ljós viš enda hinnar löngu leišar" įrangur og žaš helst verulegur skili sér aš lokum.  Vilji menn vera vissir um žetta  og aš mjög hęg byrjjun sé ekki vķsbending um įrangursleysi žį žarf ekki annaš en aš skoša reynslu žeirra sem hafa gengiš ķ gegnum slķk ferli - vitandi žaš aš breyting į fyrirtękis menningu er amk nokkurra įra verk (Žaš tók t.d. allmörg įr įšur en Toyota kerfiš fór aš skila verulegum įrangri. 

Žegar svo stendur į žį hljóta stjórnendur fyrirtękja aš spyrja sig af og til hvort eigi aš vera aš eyša miklu pśšri ķ eitthvaš sem litlu eša engu  skilar - um žetta er oft stöšug óvissa !  Žaš žarf hörš bein og mikla stašfestu til aš vera sį sem fyrstur gerir slķkar tilraunir.

Eftirkomendurnir, sem geta byggt į reynslu hinna žurfa į hinn bóginn alls ekki aš upplifa sömu óvissu.  Samt er žaš  svo aš margir lķta į žaš sem tvķeggjaša og varasama  ltilraunastarfsemi aš reyna ša lķkja eftir margsönnušum įrangri annarra!  Stundum er žetta rétt. Oft geta menn alls ekki sagt um žaš meš fullri vissu fyrirfram aš žaš sem reynst hefur vel į einu menningarsvęši dugi į žvķ nęsta - aš t.d. japanskir stjórnunarhęttir dugi į Vesturlöndum - um žetta hefur veriš mikiš hugleitt (sjį t.d. Pascale, XX#).    Išulega er žó komin svo mikil reynsla į hlutina aš segja mį aš ķ slķku felist óžarft hik sem eyšir tķma og dregur śr įrangri.   Oft mį hreinlega "keyra į hlutina" vegna žes ljóst er aš ašferširnar virka, žekking er nęg.  Žetta er žaš sem gert er innan verkfręšinnar ķ stórum stķl! 

Verkfręšingar sem hafa sterkan grunn ķ tryggum raunvķsindum og žekktun og traustum verkfręšilegum ašferšum geta hiklaust t.d.  hannaš og byggt hlut (sbr. t.d. lengstu hengibrś heims ķ Japan)  sem er langtum stęrri en allir ašrir sambęrilegir hlutir.  Ekki žarf aš taka smįskref viš žessar ašstęšur.   Og žaš žarf oft aš taka risastökk meš "vķsa og trygga lendingu" sem vissu.  Enginn prófar aš fara hįlfa leiš til tunglsins!  Žaš veršur aš "klįra pakkann" žótt han feli ķ sér ef til vill margfalda "uppskölun (e. Scaling Up) į öllu žvķ sem gert hefurm veriš viš sambęrilegar ašstlšur įšur. Um annaš er oft einfaldlega ekki aš ręša. Framžróunin veršur žannig stundum aš gerast ķ žožęgilega stórum og įhęttusömum risaskrefum.

Skorti eitthvaš ķ žekkinguna (sbr. dęmiš um Tacoma brśnna sem hrundi fyrir tilstilli milds strekkings sem mataši orku inn į sveifluna meš eigintķšni brśarinnar) (#LEIT: Engineering Mistakes) žį dugar lķtt aš "vera viss ķ sinni sök").  Viš žessar ašstęšur veršur mašur aš vera fullkomlega viss - enginn ókunnur įhrifažįttur leyfist žegar mikiš er ķ hśfi (sjį # Systems Thinking, Systematic Design) o.fl.

9. Flexible as opposed to rigid or dogmatic.  ( #4)
    # Sį sem er "kreddudastur" trśir žvķ aš žaš sem hann hefur lęrt sé "hinn endanlegi sannleikur.  Sé žessi hugmynd komin inn žį er hann bśinn aš setja sig ķ žęr stellingar aš ekki žurfi ferkar aš hrófla viš žeim!
Hann hefur ķ stuttu mįli lokaš į allt ašstreymi nżrra hugmynda!  Žetta er algengt fyrirbęri enn žann dag ķ dag žótt tękni - og hugmyndasagan hafi margstašfest hvķlķk firra slķk afstaša er.  Žekking er aldrei endanleg, fullkomin eša tęmandi. (#Dęmiš um ummęli USPTO forstjórnas 1899 (?) og ešlisfręšingsins XX..)

(sjį dęmi śr #L: History of Ideas, #L: Paradigm Shift, #L: History of Technology, #Žekkingarfręši (heimspeki) #L Epistemiology)

Menn héldu lengi aš Newtonskenningarnar vęru "endanlegar".  Žeim var "slįtraš" nįnast "ķ einni svipan" af Einstein. Žetta var stašfest meš einni afgerandi tilraun (#The South A. Sun Eclipse Expedition).

##