CH 3.
3: EXTENSION OF SKILLS AND PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
CREATIVITY AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS:
CREATIVITY:
An entrepreneur is always on the lookout for a business opportunity - the thinking process takes
place constantly.
“Deliberate Creativity”
“This is a formal process of creative thinking which can help someone set up a new enterprise”.
Some of the models or approaches to deliberate thinking which might be used by a start-up are:
Blue Skies Thinking Lateral Thinking Six Thinking Hats
Blue Skies Thinking:
This is kind of brainstorming in which the thinking process allows no limits in what is suggested and
no preconceptions about what the answer might be. It allows managers, subordinates and even
workers to throw in as many ideas as possible. Only when the flow of ideas has stopped does the
process go on to consider which ideas might have commercial potential.
Lateral Thinking:
Sometimes called “thinking outside the box”. It was originally created by De Bono. Lateral thinking
is about reasoning that is not immediately obvious and about ideas that may not be obtainable by
using only traditional step-by-step logic. It tries to come up with new and unexpected ideas.
Six Thinking Hats:
Another approach to creative thinking from De Bono - this is a “thinking tool for group discussion
and individual thinking”. The approach identifies six styles of thinking which can be used to come
up with ideas and focus the group on good ideas. The six hats are:
1. White hat thinking = neutrality
2. Red hat thinking = feeling
3. Black hat thinking = negative judgement
4. Yellow hat thinking = positive judgement
5. Green hat thinking = creative thinking
6. Blue hat thinking = process control
1. White Hat Thinking - neutrality. Focuses on data, facts and information known or needed.
Considering what information is available, what are the facts? Quantitative data on a
market - eg sale, existing products - would be considered with this hat on.
2. Red Hat Thinking - feeling. Focuses on feelings, hunches ‘gut’ instinct and intuition. Many
entrepreneurs rely on their instinctive or gut feelings or emotions with their business ideas.
3. Black Hat Thinking - negative judgement. Focuses on difficulties and potential problems.
Why something may not work? This hat encourages the entrepreneur to think about the
things that might go wrong with an idea. Logic is applied to identifying flaws or barriers.
4. Yellow Hat Thinking - positive judgement. Focuses on values and benefits. Why
something may work. This is the opposite of the black hat - what are all the positives or
upsides from the idea. What is the best that might happen? Logic is applied to identifying
the benefits.
5. Green Hat Thinking - creative thinking. Focuses on creativity, possibilities, alternate
solutions and new ideas. This hat encourages lateral thinking. It leads to investigation and
seeing where a thought goes.
6. Blue Hat Thinking - process control. Focuses on managing the thinking process, next steps
and action plans. This hat encourages the entrepreneur to consider and evaluate the ideas
coming from the other five hats. ‘Thinking about thinking’
COMMUNICATION SKILLS:
Being able to communicate effectively is the most important of all life skills.
“Communication is the act of transferring information from one place/person to another” -
whether this be:
Vocally/verbally - using voice
Written - using printed or digital media such as books, magazines, websites or emails
Visually - using logos, maps, charts, graphs, posters
Non-verbally - using body language, gestures and the tone and pitch of voice
How well this information can be transmitted and received is a measure of how good our
communication skills are.
Interpersonal Communication Skills:
“Interpersonal skills are the skills we use when engaged in face-to-face communication with one or
more people”
What we say is an important way of getting our message across through verbal communication and
effective speaking - ie using our voice. However, we actually communicate more information using
non-verbal signals, gestures, facial expressions, body language and even our appearance.
Listening is a vital interpersonal communication skill. When we communicate we spend 45% of our
time listening. Most people take listening for granted but it is not the same as hearing and should be
thought of as a skill.
Good interpersonal communication skills enable us to work more effectively in groups and teams -
which may be either formal - like at work or informally - like in social situations. It is often
desirable to build strong relationships with others, which can in turn lead to better communication
and understanding or help with understanding how to develop interpersonal relationships.
Interpersonal communication skills are essential to developing other key life skills. Being able to
communicate well with others is often essential to solving problems that inevitably occur both in our
private and professional lives. Both problem solving and decision making are areas which can benefit
from good communication skills.
Telephone Skills - thinking through in advance what you want to say. Keeping business calls to point
Motivating & Supporting - giving praise, encouragement, thanks for help or working well in a team
Presenting - employing a logical order and structure; using visual aids effectively; building rapport
with your audience; being clear and concise and encouraging questions
Giving and Accepting Criticism - saying sorry in an assertive not passive way; allowing disagree-
ments to be brought into the open
Body Language - using it yourself and being sensitive to its use by others - eye contact, gestures,
head nodding, smiling and open posture
Persuading & Negotiating - getting an agreement acceptable to both sides; ‘win-win’; backing up
points with logic; showing tact to those you disagree with
Listening - accurately hearing what people are saying and expressing interest; showing empathy
