Creativity, Innovation & Change In The World Of Sports
Innovate or Evaporate in Sports
This topic covers what innovation is, the logical reasons why innovation is so important for sports organizations and teams competitive edge and growth. Also, the primary blocks to innovation, the 18 characteristics for guided innovation, organized into six categories are given with the key sources of innovation with specific examples from each.
CREATIVE CATEGORY 1: ACQUISITION AND CREATIVE STORAGE OF KNOWLEDGE APPLIED TO SPORTS
The three characteristics of this category are: curiosity, creative memory and expanded background of fundamental knowledge.
Combined, these three characteristics increase the likelihood for creative thought and action. By using these characteristics, a wellspring of information is sought and obtained then enters the brain and becomes stored and retrievable from many more cross-reference memory files. In addition to teaching what this category means exercises are given to bolster curiosity and expand knowledge.
CREATIVITY CATEGORY 2: PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY FOCUS, ANALYSIS AND RESILIENCY APPLIED TO SPORTS
The three characteristics of this category are: Analysis and synthesis, discernment and selectivity and persistency and concentration. Combined, these three characteristics develop the tenacious investigator in you; the Quincy’s, Sherlock Holmes’ of the world that doggedly dig for facts and truth. Category 2 is more a left brain vs. a right brain set of functions. In addition to teaching what this category means one or two challenging exercises will be given to sharpen your investigative tool kit and will to use it.
CREATIVITY CATEGORY 3: MOTIVATION AND SELF-CONFIDENCE APPLIED TO SPORTS
The three characteristics of this category are: sensitivity to problems/issues, tolerance of isolation and self-confidence and tolerance to risk. When developed, these three characteristics form the foundation of courage needed to move beyond psychological and emotional comfort zones. By developing strength in Category 3 you learn how to free yourself up from fear of failure which in sports, is often the biggest barrier to creative thinking and acting. Category 3 is more mind set than pure skill set. In addition to teaching what this category means, tools and techniques for raising the self-confidence bar in order to attack barriers for improvement will be given.
CREATIVITY CATEGORY 4: TRUST OF THE UNCONSCIOUS, OF FEELINGS AND UNCERTAINTY APPLIED TO SPORTS
The three characteristics of this category are: Openness to feelings and the unconscious, incubation and tolerance of ambiguity. Combined these three characteristics unleashes your intuitive power which leads to feeling more comfortable at not needing to know the answer at every step in the creative, change, improvement process…a critical aspect for leaders, coaches and players alike. Category 4 has much to do with sharpening instinct, trusting your hunches and gut feel when clear evidence to do so remains illusive and hidden. In addition to teaching what this category means, tools, techniques and a practical exercise for tapping your unconscious will be given.
CREATIVITY CATEGORY 5: IDEA GENERATION APPLIED TO SPORTS
The three characteristics of this category are: idea flexibility, fluency of ideas and anticipation of productive periods. These three characteristics comprise the ability to both churn out many ideas including the use of current strategies, technologies, teaching tools and personality dynamics in new ways. Category 5 is where brainstorming and like methods live and flourish. It also includes learning to know your own rhythms when idea generation is greatest. In addition to teaching what this category means, two or three idea generating exercises will be used.
CREATIVITY CATEGORY 6: IMAGINATION, PLAYFULNESS AND ORIGINALITY APPLIED TO SPORTS
The three characteristics of this category are: imagination, toying with ideas and original thinking. These three characteristics bring forth the energy producing child in you which are the core of creativity and innovation. Essentially, creativity is play at the higher level. Category 6 is all about developing and giving free reign to the right brain activities of imagination, reconfiguration of raw “materials”, word-play and the like. In addition to teaching what this category means teaching what this category means, time will allow for toying with ideas through original thinking.
I found this article very interesting and and quite true as well. Personally I feel like I can relate to creative categories 3 and 6 very well. Category 3 is "motivation and self- confidence." I feel that these two aspects applied in sports is what really separates "the men from the boys" in baseball. This category is where a players' "mental-game" is key. In baseball, if a player is successful in getting a hit just 30% of the time, then he will become a millionaire in the big leagues. That is, with the best hitters in the world, you are going to fail TWICE as much as you succeed, so one has to keep failure out of his mind. When I step into the batters' box I know that no matter what the pitcher comes with I am going to get a hit; not "man i hope I don't strike out." Sawyer would most definitely agree because Sawyer also believes that motivation is vital for creativity to take place. I feel that category 6, particularly "imagination" is vital is the game of baseball as well. Whether a player is hitting, fielding, or pitching, he has to visualize himself succeeding. Before each game, I see myself spraying balls all over the field going 5-for-5. This is the type of mindset that not only baseball players, but all athletes need to acquire.
