Page 233 - Solid Waste Analysis and Minimization a Systems Approach

THE ROLE OF CREATIVITY, INVENTION, AND INNOVATION IN SOLID WASTE MINIMIZATION 211

someone to be creative. An individual can be very intelligent as rated by an IQ test,
but lacks a creative mind. Knowledge on the other hand is having the skills in the area
to understand the critical issues and constraints of a situation. For example, an
accountant may have difficulty analyzing the composition of a raw material for poten-
tial changes, but an engineer would have the training and skill sets to understand such
a problem and the possible ramifications.
The next trait is personality. This refers to the way that an individual interacts with
his or her work environment. In 1995 Sternberg and Lubart identified six personality
traits of creative individuals. These traits are

1 Perseverance to face obstacles
2 Willingness to take sensible risks
3 Willingness to grow
4 A tolerance for ambiguity
5 Openness to experience
6 Belief in self and courage of one’s convictions

When interviewing potential employees, several questions should be geared around
these traits to identify candidates with creative potential. These same questions can be
used when selecting the waste minimization team.
Finally, motivation refers to the driving force that leads someone to action. Simply
stated, a creative individual must be motivated to create and apply new ideas to reduce
solid waste. The challenge of the waste minimization project may be enough to keep
the team motivated, but other common motivators that lead to creative thinking include

■ Need for contributing to the greater good
■ Need for power (including resume building for promotions)
■ Need for association with others
■ Need for achievement

The waste minimization team structure and communication should apply several or
all of these concepts to keep the team motivated and creative. Books can also serve as
an excellent motivation tool. There are many great books that provide techniques and
processes to enhance motivation in an organization. The waste minimization team
leader may consider purchasing a common book related to innovation that all the team
members can read and discuss. The team could then apply the concepts and ideas pro-
vided in the book. Some suggestions are

1 Innovation: The Five Disciplines for Creating What Customers Want by Curtis R.
Carlson and William W. Wilmot (Crown Publishing Group, 2006).
2 The New Age of Innovation: Driving Cocreated Value through Global Networks
by C. K. Prahalad and M. S. Krishnan (McGraw-Hill, 2008).
3 Innovation to the Core: A Blueprint for Transforming the Way Your Company
Innovates by Peter Skarzynski and Rowan Gibson (Harvard Business School
Press, 2008).