Executive summary

More and more, imagination and creativity are becoming critical for business success, and this will only increase as time goes by. Every business is striving to deliver that competitive edge, that extra level of performance, that distinguishing feature, or that trademark quality. But it is only those businesses which encourage creativity, and which can take advantage of it better than their competitors , that will survive. New technology is not the answer; increased and sustainable productivity return on investment will result from nurturing imagination and creativity.

More than seventy-five years ago, Carl Jung wrote:

The dynamic principle of fantasy is play, which also belongs to the child, and as such appears to be inconsistent with the principle of serious work. But without this playing with fantasy, no creative work has ever yet come to birth. The debt we owe to the play of imagination is incalculable. ^{[ 1]}

The process of nurturing imagination involves the adoption of a philosophy that incorporates aspects of play ”the people in our organisations must have the opportunity to extend and exercise themselves , to explore and learn. The challenge for us is in providing direction to this exploration.

This chapter focuses on ways to introduce and foster creativity at all levels in an organisation and identifies behaviours that can improve access to the creative wealth that lies within the organisation. It also suggests mechanisms for utilising and building upon these capabilities for the mutual benefit of staff and organisation.

But what are the characteristics and attitudes required of imaginative people and organisations? Can spurs and barriers to the creative process be identified and corrected? Are there formal tools and techniques that can be used to encourage imagination?

These issues are discussed and examples provided of how different organisations approach the challenge of nurturing creativity. The chapter also includes a set of indicators by which an organisation can assess whether it is one that truly values imagination.

^{[ 1]} C Jung, Psychological Types ,Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 1921 (translation by H Goldwyn Baynes, 1923).