What is a Creator & a Co-creator

What characterises  the 21 Cent. Employee?

He/she is a Creator, which means:

– A person, who has an overall creative and strategic approach focused on creating possibilities and meaning (based on my Ph.D. research (2011)

-Additionally, a creator has various skills and does creative activities for example visual sense making, using creative and visual processes to create knowledge and understanding.

-A person, who practices Value Management – understanding values in various context systems and how to create values and focus in personal and working life.

He/she is a Co-Creator, which means:

-A person, who has an overall creative and strategic mindset focused on creating possibilities and meaning together with other people

-Additionally, a creator has various skills and does creative activities for example visual sense making, using creative and visual processes to create knowledge and understanding – together with other persons.

-A person, who practices  Value Management – understanding values in various context systems and how to create values in personal and working life – also together with other people.

 

WHAT CHARACTERIZES A CREATOR/ CO-CREATOR?

What is the difference between a design thinker and a creator/co-creator?

First of all, I what to highlight that design is both an overall approach & additionally a practice (including various skills, methods etc).  By this I would like to accentuate that you cannot change your industrial approach and set of values only by using post-it notes, you have also to be aware of your dominant values, your approach and change this additionally.

Skærmbillede 2016-09-03 kl. 12.14.44

A Design Thinker

There is no single definition of design, design thinking, a design approach etc. Some definitions focus on problem solving, others on culture and others again have a strong business focus.

I will bring two descriptions:

“Design is the ability to imagine that-which-does-not-yet-exist, to make it appear in concrete form as a new, purposeful addition to the real world. Design is the first tradition among the many traditions of inquiry and action developed over time, including art, religion, science and technology. We design our cosmologies, our homes, our businesses and our lives, as well as our material artifacts. As such, design touches nearly every aspect of our experienced world.” (Nelson & Stolterman: The Design Way, 2012)

”Design thinking is a deeply human process that taps into abilities we all have but get overlooked by more conventional problem-solving practices. It relies on our ability to be intuitive, to recognize patterns, to construct ideas that are emotionally meaningful as well as functional, and to express ourselves  through means beyond words or symbols. Nobody wants to run an organization on feeling, intuition, and inspiration, but an over-reliance on the rational and the analytical can be just as risky. Design thinking provides an integrated third way.” (ideo.com)

A Creator/Co-creator

“’A Creator /co-creator differs from design thinking because, it takes a point in departure in newer knowledge about cognition, that your values, mental and models steer our thinking and acting and therefore they have a deep impact on your future experiences  – your expectations influence, do your experiences (Seligman, Langer, Greene). In design research  there is  a parallel to Verganti´s (2009) idea about ’meaning innovation’. Yet, Verganti is focused on products or services, here your focus is on human beings.

The above focus is central in my definition of the six characteristics.

Before presenting them, I would like to make a simple introduction to the special values and understandings, that are relevant in the overall question about employee engagement and the 21st creator & co-creator. It is a simplified presentation in the sense that all the values are intertwined.

These are followed by example of research and newer knowledge, for example Ellen Langer´s mindblowing research that proofs you can design your own ’placebo’ pill that ’cures’ your health, your age & your life”

(From Sørensen, 2016, p. 92-93)