A Myriad of Ways to Being Creative

Innovation and creativity are often viewed as interchangeable. However, creativity comes in many different forms, and organizations shouldn't overlook the importance of creative diversity in their teams. Dr. Michael Kirton's research on problem-solving styles shows that people tend to confuse level and style of creativity. With his psychometric instrument, the KAI, he has found that people's creative styles range from highly adaptive to highly innovative, with most somewhere in the middle. Understanding these style differences is critical when solving complex problems in teams. The author provides three case studies to illustrate how acknowledging individual and team creativity can lead to better problem-solving and outcomes.