Creativity as a Practice in Projects

Introduction

Creativity is widely used in many areas of the organization to solve some of the most demanding challenges. Creativity is what typically fosters the non-standard, imaginative and original solutions to the problem. Creative solutions at and organization can be everything from, new products, new processes or even new strategies. This article will describe how creativity can be used as a practice in the projects of an organization. Projects are often pressed on time and resources, both seen as limitations to creativity. However there exists a very effective and efficient approach to creativity that fits into the environment of a project. The project manager will assume the role of the facilitator of the creative process, and provide the necessary methodological approaches and boundaries. First this article will settle on some of the known, controverting facts about creativity. E.g. it is proven that limitations, in the format of specific goals is enhancing creativity, rather than diminishing creativity. Secondly the advantages and disadvantages of creativity in the project work will be elaborated. The third part will describe the role of the project manager as a facilitator of the creative process. This part is linked to some methods available for the project manager. An example will in the fourth part be presented of how creativity as a practice has been applied in one project. The fifth and final part will come with some specific implementation advices on creative practices in projects.