This chapter explores little-c, or everyday creativity, by providing an overview of the creative process. First, Graham Wallas’s initial model, which features the concepts of incubation and insight, is discussed. Then J. P. Guilford’s creative problem-solving model and subsequent additions and revisions are highlighted. I talk about the importance of problem finding before proceeding to the well-known concepts of divergent and convergent thinking. I proceed to discuss Paul Torrance and the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, along with other divergent thinking measures. I finish up with a quick mention of associational thinking and the Remote Associates Test.

This chapter explores the relationships between attention, affect, and creativity, including a discussion of creativity in the context of mindfulness and mind-wandering. First, we discuss the effects of different forms of attention on different types of creativity, such as divergent and convergent thinking, and real-world creative achievements. We then follow with a discussion of the relationship between creativity, emotional functioning, and the power of positivity on fostering creative ideas. The chapter concludes with a review on how mindfulness meditation and mind-wandering, both separately and jointly, impact creative thinking. This includes a discussion of the effects of different types of mindfulness meditation on creativity, as well as the core facets thought to constitute mindfulness. Overall, this chapter provides an engaging overview of the various attentional and emotional states thought to be implicated in creativity, as well as an intriguing look at how mindfulness and mind-wandering work independently and in tandem to influence creative thinking.

This chapter covers five very different ways of assessing people by measuring their behaviour and choices. By far the most sensitive issue is the measurement of intelligence. Whilst the academic literature is very clear: intelligence can be easily and accurately measured and is highly predictive of many aspects of daily life (including work productivity), in the ‘practical world’ of Human Resources people are very cautious about using these tests because of established group differences. The chapter also looks at unobtrusive measures sometimes called snooping, which is concerned with how certain features of our life (office/bedroom layout) give a surprising insight into an individual’s personality and values. The chapter also considers situational judgement tests, which describe or show a typical workplace situation and candidates are required to select the best response. Fourth, the chapter looks at the definition and measurement of creativity, which remains something of a backwater in psychometric research, though selectors rate it very highly. Finally, the chapter looks at gamification, which involves the assessment of people by how they play various electronic games.

Convergent thinking is the third and final step of the DOC Process. The aim of the Converge step is to narrow the organized group of information down to a single choice, the “best” choice. In order to choose the “best” factor of the General Problem to address, or select the “best” solution to that problem, we need to first define “best.” That criteria must be clear, concious and public. We do not want to make intuitive, visceral decisions, but rather conscious, rational and reasonable ones. In order to accomplish that desired outcome, we need to choose a complete set of selection criteria.

Before applying the criteria, we need to create a level evaluation field for all concepts that will be judged by ensuring that all the organized concepts are described in enough detail, with respect to the criteria, to ensure they can compete equally against each other. This may mean returning to the Organize step once the convergent criteria are set. Generic criteria for Problem Identification and Solution Formulation are offered in this chapter. Selection tools ranging from t-charts to paired comparative analysis are also described.

An overview of the creativity-based DOC (Diverge Organize Converge) Process is described in this chapter. The DOC Process is an important sub-process necessary to reduce the design stages of The Innovation Pyramid to practice. It will be applied multiple times, in a variety of different ways, during the innovation design stages. The DOC Process can also be applied to a multitude of other non-innovative challenges. The DOC Process has three distinct components: divergent thinking, organizing and convergent thinking. It is the combination of all three that makes the method powerful. While most are familiar with divergent thinking, particularly brainstorming new solution ideas, the DOC Process is as useful for identifying root-cause problems as it is for ideating new solutions. The Diverge step expands from the original solution idea or problem situation. The second step of the process is the often ignored Organize step. Once the Organize step is completed, the process moves onto the Converge step. Converge narrows the organized concepts down to the “best.” Criteria for choosing “the best” problem or solution must be conscious and public. Unless agreed-upon criteria is defined for choosing “the best,” each of us will apply our own measures, ensuring a chaotic outcome.

This chapter focuses on mindfulness as a tool to build creativity in research. Researchers tend to be busy, rarely stopping to take the time to notice how they go about their research and why. This chapter argues that you can be more productive if you pay explicit attention to the behaviors, thoughts, and attitudes that comprise your research practice. By developing the ability to notice and accept what is happening, you can develop the ability to act more intentionally.

This chapter frames research as a continual process of experimentation and iteration. While it can be tempting to focus on finding the “right” answer in the face of challenges, moving forward in the face of a sticky research challenge often requires an iterative process of trial and error. We explore the role of divergent and convergent thinking – times when you deliberately generate numerous options or ideas, and times when you refine toward a single option – and present a variety of ways to use experimental learning to move your research forward incrementally.