Directing: Creativity and Innovation

DIRECTING

Introduction

Directing is said to be a process in which the managers instruct, guide and oversee the performance of the workers to achieve predetermined goals. Directing is said to be the heart of management process. Planning, organizing, staffing has got no importance if direction function does not take place.

In simple words, it can be described as providing guidance to workers is doing work. In field of management, direction is said to be all those activities which are designed to encourage the subordinates to work effectively and efficiently.

Pre-Requisite Discussion

The student should be familiar with the path to be followed and the hurdles, Merits and demerits in the ongoing path and evaluation points have to be analyzed.

Definition

"Activating deals with the steps a manager takes to get sub-ordinates and others to carry out plans" - Newman and Warren. It is the final action of a manager in getting others to act after all preparations have been completed.

Creativity and Innovation

Often  used  interchangeably,  they  should  to  be  considered  separate  and  distinct.

Creativity can be described as problem identification and idea generation and innovation is considered as idea selection, development and commercialization.

Steps involved in creativity

1 Preparation

This is the first stage at which the base for creativity and innovation is defined; the mind is prepared for subsequent use in creative thinking. During preparation the individual is encouraged to appreciate the fact that every opportunity provides situations that can educate and experiences from which to learn.

2 Investigation

This  stage  of  enhancing  entrepreneurial  creativity  and  innovation  involves  the business owner taking time to study the problem at hand and what its various components are.

3 Transformation

The information thus accumulated and acquired should then be subjected to convergent and divergent thinking which will serve to highlight the inherent similarities and differences. Convergent thinking will help identify aspects that are similar and connected while divergent thinking will highlight the differences. This twin manner of thinking is of particular importance in realizing creativity and innovation for the following reasons:

4 Verification

This is where the entrepreneur attempts to ascertain whether the creativity of thought and the action of innovation are truly effective as anticipated. It may involve activities like simulation, piloting, prototype building, test marketing, and various experiments. While the tendency to ignore this stage and plunge headlong with the breakthrough may be tempting, the transformation stage should ensure that the new idea is put to the test.