David Priilaid

Last month’s State President’s Jobs Summit highlighted the need to encourage entrepreneurship in South Africa. But, argues David Priilaid in CREATIVITY

EXPLAINED ( Peter Flack, R299), the barriers to productivity are not all practical. An associate professor in management studies at the University of Cape Town, he explains why.

1. In touch

Students often arrive as mechanistic strategy executors clinging to their spreadsheets and wanting to check their understanding of discounted cash flow. Instead, we put them back in touch with their creativity through activities such as singing, mindfulness, creative writing and baking.

2. Gap

There’s often a gap between what businesses say they want to achieve and how they go about it. That’s because they’re very good at executing projects and plans, but notoriously bad at coming up with good ideas.

3. Artistry

To compete successfully, businesses need to look at the bigger picture and absorb the value of creativity.

4. Balance

The art of timing a business idea is finding that point of balance between the leading edge and the bleeding edge – showing the market what should excite it and what it wants just before it realises it.

5. Morphing

For sustainability, all businesses, big and small, must evolve creatively. It’s impossible to predict which businesses will survive, but as long as you’re proactive about creativity, you have a chance.

book reviewer, Patricia McCracken, is a features and investigative journalist. Farmer’s Weekly’s