3.8.A/B Future Readiness

Question 1

3.8.A Knowledge Statement

I. Fostering Innovation and Creativity

TD professionals have a responsibility to enable their organizations to reach goals on time, within budget, and with the highest quality possible. They should also help the organization develop creativity and innovation to accomplish things it has never achieved before.

Answer 1

3. 8.A Knowledge of techniques to promote, support, and/or generate innovation and creativity, for example design thinking, brainstorming, and ideation.
4. 8.3

Question 2

What is the difference between innovation and creativity?

Answer 2

Creativity is the act of producing original ideas. Innovation is the act of translating a new method, product, or idea into a service or good that creates value. In organizations, innovation satisfies customer expectations or meets their needs. It is possible to be creative without innovating, simply by not doing anything with a new idea. It is also possible to be innovative without being creative, by taking someone else’s idea and implementing it. In most organizations, the two are linked (Surbhi 2018).

3.8.3.1 The Difference Between Innovation and Creativity

Question 3

Creativity and innovation are important to organizations because they help with:

(5 possible answers)

Answer 3

Creativity and innovation are important to organizations because they help with:

inventing new businesses or lines of business

providing the means to do more with less by increasing productivity and reducing cost

fueling problem solving and process improvement

creating new products and services to meet new customer needs and preferences

attracting employees who want to work in innovative environments.

3.8.3.2 The Value of Innovation and Creativity

Question 4

What are some ways that Talent Development Professionals can help promote creativity and innovation?

Answer 4

• Promoting and supporting an innovative culture.
• Helping leaders champion creativity and innovation.
• Making creativity and innovation part of the culture.
• Organizing for creativity and innovation.
• Benchmarking.
• Creating a common language.
  3. 8.3.3 Promoting and Supporting Creativity and Innovation

Question 5

Creativity techniques can be divided into two primary categories: divergence and convergence.

Define each.

Answer 5

Divergence means generating a maximum number of ideas from which to choose.

Convergence means starting with many ideas and then analyzing, filtering, and combining them to get more new and better ideas.

3.8.3.4 Techniques to Generate Creativity

Question 6

What are some examples of Divergence creativity techniques?

Answer 6

• Brainstorming
• Lateral thinking or perspective shifting
• Analogy thinking
• Benchmarking
  3. 8.3.4.1 Divergence

Question 7

What is Lateral thinking or perspective shifting and which type of creativity technique is this (divergence or convergence)?

Answer 7

Lateral thinking or perspective shifting is the practice of considering the problem or opportunity from an unusual point of view; for example, “How would a five-year-old view this?”

Divergence

3.8.3.4.1 Divergence

Question 8

What is Analogy thinking and which type of creativity technique is this (divergence or convergence)?

Answer 8

Analogy thinking takes concepts from other industries or organizations and applies their best practices in a new context.

Divergence

3.8.3.4.1 Divergence

Question 9

What are some examples of Convergence creativity techniques?

Answer 9

Convergence means starting with many ideas and then analyzing, filtering, and combining them to get more new and better ideas. Convergence techniques are crucial in converting creativity into innovation because they help narrow ideas into something that can produce innovation.

Question 10

What are some examples of Convergence creativity techniques?

Answer 10

• mind mapping
• the six thinking hats
• idea shopping
  3. 8.3.4.2 Convergence

Question 11

What is mind mapping and which type of creativity technique is this (divergence or convergence)?

Answer 11

Mind mapping starts by placing the objective into the center of a diagram and then organizing thoughts and ideas into branching subcategories, connections, and trends.

3.8.3.4.2 Convergence

Question 12

What is The Six Thinking Hats approach and which type of creativity technique is this (divergence or convergence)?

Answer 12

The Six Thinking Hats approach designed by Edward de Bono (1999) is used to generate and analyze ideas from multiple perspectives to get convergence.

3.8.3.4.2 Convergence

Question 13

What is idea shopping and which type of creativity technique is this (divergence or convergence)?

Answer 13

Idea shopping uses voting to sort ideas by a group. Each individual gets currency and can spend whatever amount they choose to “buy” the ideas they like best.

3.8.3.4.2 Convergence

Question 14

What is Design Thinking?

Answer 14

Design thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation or problem solving that integrates the needs of people with the needs of the organization. It fosters creativity and innovation.

3.8.3.5 Design Thinking

Question 15

Design Thinking following 5 phases. What are they?

Answer 15

1. ) Empathize
2. ) Define
3. ) Ideate
4. ) Prototype
5. ) Test
6. 8.3.5 Design Thinking

Question 16

What is the Lean Approach to creativity?

Answer 16

Lean is a management approach that uses creativity techniques to focus on eliminating waste while improving quality. The ultimate goal is to cut costs by making the organization more efficient and responsive to the marketplace. The Lean approach began in manufacturing, initiating the Six Sigma movement, and it’s now applied to all aspects of business.

3.8.3.6 Lean Approach

Question 17

What are the five stpes to the Lean Approach?

Answer 17

1. ) Define the value
2. ) Maps the value stream
3. ) Create the flow
4. ) Establish pull
5. ) Pursuit of perfection
6. 8.3.6 Lean Approach

Question 18

3.8.B Knowledge Statement

I. Influences on the Workplace of the Future

In times of continuous disruption, innovation and agility are keys to success for any organization. TD professionals should be in constant touch with the internal and external business environment to anticipate, adapt, and thrive in this disruption.

Answer 18

3. 8.B Knowledge of internal and external factors that influence talent development, for example, organizational/business strategies, availability of labor, developments in other industries, societal trends, and technological advances.
4. 8.1

Question 19

True or False?

The factors that influence talent development are changing constantly both within organizations and in the broader environment.

Answer 19

True

3.8.1.1 Factors Influencing Talent Development

Question 20

TD professionals should monitor external factors that influence organizational strategies and goals by routinely conducting what type of analysis?

A) PEST analyses

B) gap analyses

C) business insight analyses

D) SWOT analyses

Answer 20

A) PEST analyses

This is a tool used for environmental scanning that examines the political, economic, social, and technological events and trends that can affect an organization. A first-time PEST analysis needs to be thorough; updates require less effort (PEST Analysis Tool 2019).

3.8.1.1 Factors Influencing Talent Development

Question 21

What is a PEST analysis?

Answer 21

PEST analysis is a tool used for environmental scanning to identify, evaluate, and track factors that can influence an organization: political, economic, social, and technical opportunities and threats.

3.8.1.1 Factors Influencing Talent Development

Question 22

What are three factors influencing Talent Development that TD Professionals should monitor?

Answer 22

• External factors that influence organizational strategies and goals.
• Internal factors and organizational decisions.
• Talent-specific factors that directly influence talent development.
  3. 8.1.1 Factors Influencing Talent Development

Question 23

When monitoring internal factors and organizational decisions, what are some specific factors a TD Professional should keep a pulse on?

Answer 23

Internal factors and organizational decisions.

These include organizational strategies and goals, organizational structure, products and services produced, the systems and processes that produce results, the organization’s growth rate, mergers and acquisitions, changes in leadership, changes in organizational structure, financial and budgetary issues, natural and man-made disasters, and labor relations. TD professionals should predict how these might influence talent development.

3.8.1.1 Factors Influencing Talent Development

Question 24

When monitoring Talent-specific factors that directly influence talent development, what are some specific factors a TD Professional should keep a pulse on?

Answer 24

Talent-specific factors that directly influence talent development. TD professionals should monitor these factors carefully by remaining in touch with their professional organizations, staying current with reading, and forming groups to explore the future. Factors influencing talent development include employees accepting ownership of their development, the expectation that managers should develop their employees, technology that has enabled new distribution channels, emphasis on how talent development can partner with the C-suite, and the need for content that is ready when learners need it and where they need it (Biech 2018).

3.8.1.1 Factors Influencing Talent Development

Question 25

What are 3 current forces driving change in the workplace?

Answer 25

• Reimagining Performance Management [expectations for performance management; for example, many organizations are opting for real-time, ongoing feedback]
• Democratization and Transparency in the Workplace [democratization (things accessible to all) and transparency (honest and openness)]
• Workplace Digitization ( the advanced use of technologies to connect people and spaces to organizational processes)
  3. 8.1.2 Forces Driving Change

Question 26

TD professionals should be prepared to help their organizations move into the future by considering some of their changes and current dilemmas. What are some of those dilemmas organizations might encounter?

Answer 26

• Leadership gaps.
• Leadership skills.
• Connected world.
• Learning where the work is.
• Agile teams.
• Ecosystems.
• Employees work from everywhere.
• Reputation is critical.
• Analytics for increased efficiency.
  3. 8.1.3 Anticipate the Workplace of the Future

Question 27

True or False?

TD professionals should not help their organizations become more agile and innovative.

Answer 27

False

TD professionals should help their organizations become more agile and innovative.

Question 28

What are some current trends that will likely reshape the workforce and the work?

Answer 28

• Freelance is a way of life.
• Demographics are changing.
• Finding and retaining talent is critical.
• Job flexibility motivates future employees.
• Robots will have real jobs.
• Innovation will be the norm
  3. 8.1.4 The Workforce of the Future

Question 29

TD professionals should use a combination of approaches to deliberately focus on the future. What are some ways a TD professional can do that?

Answer 29

• Asking questions about the future.
• Observing generational differences.
• Heeding experts’ forecasts.
• Watching for indirect effects.
• Challenging the data.
• Encourage discussions and track ideas.