CREATIVE TARGET LIST


CLASS
A
PHASE
Internal mapping
APPLICATION FIELDS
Various
ASSUMPTIONS
The people who receive the sheet are expected to answer
PROS
People inside a company are forced to “look around” and investigate their own way of working, highlighting which topics must be tackled using creativity; creative Target list works as a memorandum for creativity needs and highlights the necessity to adopt a creative way of thinking as internal business culture. Providing a definite objective to focus on, this technique allows to concentrate the creative efforts on those critical areas that really need to be innovated.
CONS
Creative Target List could become a collection of mere “general problems” whose solution does not require the generation of new ideas, but simply additional information; creative Target list could become a collection of trivial things.
DESCRIPTION
Creative Target List can help both to discover internal problems that are not so evident and to find out new focuses. This list summarizes those areas where the attention should be focused and the topics requiring a creative approach. It is not necessary to describe in detail the whole problem: it is sufficient to focus on the part requiring an idea generation activity. The compilation of this list can be done in the following four different ways:
  1. To a group of employees is requested to meet together and give suggestions in order to complete a list of at least twenty creative hits;
  2. To those working in a specific sector is requested to prepare their individual creative Target lists and to deliver them to the person in charge for that sector, who will be responsible for the compilation of the aggregate list;
  3. The task of preparing the list is assigned to a working group, that has to collect the creative Targets from the employees belonging to a specific sector. Then the list will circulate among the interviewed employees to collect their comments;
  4. An individual prepares a Creative Target List, which then will be sent to other employees to collect suggestions, changes and integrations.
Therefore, it would be possible to prepare a Creative Target List for an individual, for a team, for a division or even for the whole company. Each kind of list can be identified using a code number or a name.
In the list four different types of items should be addressed:
  • Problems: very well-focused matters, but not strongly technical problems. Two criteria can be used to choose the problems:
    1. The problem’s solution would generate a very significant and (preferably) measurable improvement;
    2. The creative effort could be the main element allowing to solve the problem.
  • Targets of improvement: in this case not only the area but also the type of improvement must be well-focused. The selection criteria for the targets are very similar to those used for the selection of the problems: in this case, however, the results measurability is paramount.
  • Projects: these can be either officially assigned or generated by a specific creative session. The project could also aim to develop further creative projects.
  • Fantasies/Opportunities: in this case the area is generally focused. Fantasy is used simply to choose an area and invite the participants to develop new ideas related to it. As regards the opportunities the aim is to exploit their potential by inducing the participants to propose new ideas on them.
De Bono (1998) provides the following examples for each category:

Problems
The parking area is too small.
The absenteeism rate is increasing.
There are queues at the company canteen.
The competitor has inferior operational costs.
Lack of communication between R&D department and the Marketing area.

Targets of improvement
Reduce meeting duration.
Speed up the resolution of customers’ complaints.
Improve the messages annotation.
Speed up the mould cleaning.

Projects
Organize monthly excursions for the elderly persons of the community.
Predispose a creative training system.
Design an improved sample-suitcase.
Have in mind the names of the whole staff.

Fantasies/Opportunities
Use high-elasticity fibres.
Engage a junior gardener.

REFERENCES
  • De Bono E., Serious Creativity Using the Power Lateral Thinking to Create New Ideas, The McQuaig Group, 1992
  • Lawson B., Samson D., Developing Innovation Capability in Organisations: a Dynamic Capabilities Approach, International Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 5, n. 3, 2001, pp. 377-401.