Power of Artistic Thinking

In an economy where most goods and services are commoditised and there the battleground in the marketplace is about differentiation in the hearts and minds of the consumer, US corporations are demanding a new breed of executive: one with an understanding and knowledge of skills in excess of technical or even business systems thinking.

It calls for concepts in systems, design, affective response and human factors: the domain of creative thinking, a field developed during the past seven decades. The Harvard Business Review's Breakthough Ideas for 2004 February issue presents the Creativity Index, an indicator of a country's ability to achieve growth through the use of technology, talent and tolerance. The index did not place Australia even among the top 15...

Research carried out by IBM with 456 chief executive officers revealed that during the next five years revenue raising rather than cost cutting will be the main goal of business. Asked how they intended to accomplish this, two-thirds said through innovation.

During the past 12 months, creativity and innovation within Australian business has become a hot topic. As a result, Australian corporations are rushing to employ people with the word "innovation" in their titles. What is important here is that innovation is recognised as a new necessity for business. Yet few leaders have the background to recognise or support it as an operational goal.