Creativity in Management
John Cleese • 1991
In Short
A comedian presents the conditions for creative thinking.
In Depth
Who's the author?
John Cleese is a comedian, actor, and screenwriter well-known for his work with the comedy troupe Monty Python and multiple projects for film and television. He has also become known for speaking on creativity.
What's the intention?
Cleese gives this presentation for Video Arts, a company he co-founded in the 70s that makes company training videos with a philosophy of humor as a key to learning. His topic is the conditions necessary for creativity.
Who's it for?
The audience that Cleese is presenting to seems to be a group of business managers. However, his words on creativity will be relevant for any creative person.
So what?
Cleese puts into simple terms some of the core principles that I have encountered in design thinking: iteration, reserving judgement, the value of juxtaposition. It’s a useful summary for designers coming from someone in a different field of work, made particularly effective with the infusion of Cleese’s humor.
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More
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On the Open and Closed Modes
Play • Humor
There are generally two modes of thinking, open and closed. Effective creativity depends on knowing when to switch between the two modes.
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On the Conditions for Creativity and the Open Mode
Play • Humor
The conditions for an open, creative mode of thinking include dedicated time and space, a tolerance for the discomfort of open-endedness, confidence, and humor.
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On Humor and Creativity as Juxtaposition
Seams • Play • Humor
Creativity is like humor in that both use the juxtaposition of two different ideas to create something new.