a.  Initiative and versatility include bringing to life a new idea(s) out of existing information. It is also being able to lead others toward effective solutions despite changing situations. It is what you personally add to the process and how you go about it. Initiative and versatility, however, do not necessarily mean change, but a deeper understanding of why we are doing that which we do.

b.  Preparation increases our appreciation of a new idea(s). Preparation includes commitment to the task of collecting data by reading, listening, discussing, and reflecting on all data, whether or not the data fits the problem at hand, recognizing that if it does not fit this problem, it will probably fit another problem. Three techniques to prepare us for new ideas are setting the stage, determination, and saturation.

c.  Generation is the actual production of a new idea(s). This may not appear to be as much work as preparation, but it can require great effort in terms of patience. Generation involves letting your mind explore new directions, putting your subconscious mind to work, listening for the flash of illumination, the "ah ha" that suggests a possible solution, and visualizing solutions.

d.  Validation is when you test or validate the new idea(s) to see if it is any good. Every idea needs validation. This requires thinking that is more convergent in nature. Convergent thinking encourages knowledge, decision, and valuation. Test the idea. Conduct experiments.

Validation has to do with "proving, confirming, and substantiating" ideas. There is sound wisdom in having validation come at the end of the creative process. To interject judgment and critical analysis during preparation and generation would stop the flow of ideas. Idea stoppers say "It can't be done," "It won't work," "It is impossible." Idea stoppers stop ideas in their tracks.

As you check and evaluate, you'll find the stockpile of ideas a gold mine of possibilities. The idea you laughed at, on analysis, may contain a hint for a completely new approach to an important problem. An idea that seems farfetched on the first hearing may open the way to the development of a new plan.

You'll find raw ideas that you can shape and polish into useful tasks or wild ideas that you can tame and harness to specific tasks. You will discard some ideas, but others, however, will be priceless.

a.  Perceptual bias says that what we see or understand may be different from actual reality. Our perceptual bias can prevent us from accurately seeing or understanding the problem or the information that will help solve it. For example, look at the following picture of an arch. Is the arch taller than it is wide, the same, or wider than it is tall?

b.  Mental bias, like perceptual bias, influences our view of reality. For example, which would you rather have hit you, a pound of lead or a pound of feathers. I suspect that on reading this question your own bias automatically took control. What went through your mind? What picture did you see? We see feathers as fluffy and light while lead is dense and heavy. Both, however, weigh the same, one pound. What we see is a perceived difference in weight between feathers and lead. This perception includes the idea of force. We perceive that the force we use to lift an object equals the amount of damage the object can cause on impact. A pound of lead is smaller and harder to grasp than a pound of feathers. Therefore, we conclude that because it requires greater force to lift a pound of lead, it will cause more damage on impact.

We perceive that an object requiring greater effort to lift is heavier than the scales indicate. The reverse is also true. We perceive that an object that is easy to lift is lighter than the scales indicate. For example, place a small bowl filled with 8 ounces of water and a cup filled with 8 ounces of water on a table. Have someone pick up the cup with one hand, and the bowl with the other hand, and tell you which is heavier. Invariably the subject will report that the cup is lighter than the bowl. The only difference is that the cup has a handle while the bowl does not.

Our mental bias is to continue investing in any project in which we have already invested a large sum of resources. We want to believe that by continuing the investment we will complete the project. Suppose that you have invested $40 in tickets so you and your spouse may attend the Infantry Ball at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City, MO. On the evening of the Infantry Ball there is a terrible snowstorm that makes the 45-minute drive from Fort Leavenworth to Kansas City hazardous. However, the leaders have not called the ball off. How likely are you to make the drive? If you had not yet purchased your tickets to the ball but plan to buy them at the door, how likely are you to make the drive? Consider a third alternative where your first sergeant has purchased your tickets and you are to pick them up at the door when you and your spouse arrive. Will you make the drive through the storm to attend the Infantry Ball?

Perceptual and mental biases may prevent us from accurately understanding the problem or the data that will help solve it. On the other hand, an understanding of our biases can help us to understand why we need to accept or reject a given bias. For example, we may have a bias of establishing numerous boundaries around an issue. There are times when we need few boundaries and at other times more boundaries. However, unless we understand our biases we may accept a bias when it may be best to reject it. Some biases to consider include:

c.  Cultural biases include taboos, traditions, and proverbs that we use to explain why we can or cannot do something. It also includes our predisposition to pursue data supporting our viewpoint while downplaying contradictory evidence. Our cultural bias is part of who we are and helps us to make sense of our world. However, unexamined cultural biases may provide inappropriate or wrong answers. It is important that we become aware of how our culture influences our thinking.

Recognizing our biases and how they inhibit creativity takes us a long way down the road toward increasing the effectiveness of our creative thinking. Some techniques you can use to examine your biases include: