MBA - MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION (MC)

CREATIVITY IN ORAL COMMUNICATION

INTRODUCTION

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world, the unreasonable man adapts the world to himself, therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man."

 -George Bernard Shaw

                               Creativity is an act, idea or product that changes an existing domain or that transforms an existing domain into a new idea. In the literature concerned with creativity and creative thinking, the majority of definitions include the criteria of novelty and utility. The definitions insist on "newness", "novelty", "originality".

"new combinations of ideas and things " (Edel)

a new association of existing elements " (Barley) newness or novelty" (Rothenberg & Hausman)

"the forming of associative elements into new combinations" (Mednick)

a response that is novel or at least statistically infrequent" (Mackinnon)

"The production of an idea, concept, creation, or discovery that is new or original to its creator" (Gregory)

 Creativity in Oral Communication

Communication skills include the mix of verbal, interpersonal and physical strategies needed to interact confidently and effectively with a range of audiences. A creative communicator draws on a number of different means, for example, graphical, visual, statistical, audio-visual and technological) to get the point across.

Creativity is social as well as a mental process that encompasses finding out improved ideas or views or a superior approach in which the creative mind can comprehend existing ideas and notions. The emergence of conscious or unconscious viewpoints enhances creativity. Another perception about creativeness (on the basis of its etymology) is that creativeness is the process of doing something new.

It is a sub-set of intelligence that depicts the set of fundamental elements and relational functions that have a high connection with reliability viz., sub-set of conditional intelligence. To be particular, reliability is crucial for intelligence. If the function of the brain which is responsible for developing rational associations commits errors, it would not be termed as intelligence; reasonably it might be called 'intuition'. If mistakes become regular, then this is termed as a lack of intelligence.

According to Dr Betty Edwards, 

"Creativity is the ability to find new solutions to a problem or new modes of expression; thus it brings into existence something new to the individual and to the culture".

According to Linda Naiman,

"Creativity is the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. Creativity involves two processes - thinking, then producing."

The Creative Process

 The creative process starts with the germination of an idea and then nurturing the idea. The next step is to give it a concrete and practical form. Next comes the period of incubation where the mind receives ample time to adapt the scope of the idea and continues to work upon it at a subconscious level. Finally, it undergoes the process of verification where the idea is evaluated. 

Sources of Creativity

The sources of creativity in communication are given below-

1) Belief in Existence: 

Belief in existence is the primary source of creativity. An individual's internal thinking or assumption is basically the result of the outer world happenings. Thus, existence is perhaps considered the most fundamental belief. Each and every word used by the individual during communication is a package of belief.

2) Absence of Judgment: 

The absence of judgment helps in effective communication because it solves the doubts or questions raised and removes fear. Since communication is supported by actual facts, therefore, it helps in understanding the intentions and thoughts of another person in a better way.

3) Precise Observation: 

A detailed study of the subject beforehand is considered as a good source of bringing creativity in the process of communication.

4) Penetrating Questions: 

Asking the right questions as well as answering them properly can lead to making the communication more effective. Therefore, the communication process can be improved when the right questions are asked.

5) Silent and Still: 

A speaker has to think about his/ her pitch of voice, tone, and volume, during an effective oral presentation. A speaker should change his/her vocal pitch as per the situation. These changes can avoid dullness and can be used to put emphasis on certain parts of the speech. It is essential that the rate of speech is changed or modulated at certain times or includes some pauses so that it can be easily understood by the listener. The success of the presentation is also dependent on the volume of the voice. At last, it is important that some unnecessary sounds or words are avoided to make the communication process better.

6) Self-Knowledge: 

Self-knowledge is basically considered as possessing deep knowledge of the subject of communication. A self-aware person is one who knows what he is trying to communicate. Such a person is also aware of his/her thoughts and this is known as basic self-knowledge.

7) Objective Consciousness: 

Objective consciousness is basically the ability of an individual 1o keep the discussion on track, i.e., focussing on relevant issues only, and moving towards the conclusion without any disruptions. In creative oral communication, people are objective conscious, ie., they remain aware of the objective of the discussion and focus on its outcome only.

8) Conducive Environment: 

Self-expression is encouraged where the environment is encouraging and conducive. Everybody wants that his/her letters are answered, complaints are resolved (if not then consoled) and views and opinions are heard. Therefore, if proper two-way communication is maintained, it leads to creative communication. A conducive environment can act as a good source of creativity.

9) Knowledge and Hard Work:

Knowledge and hard work are the two essential sources through which an individual can maintain long-lasting communication. One should also know of ways by which correct information can be acquired quickly.

How to Make Oral Communication Creative

Some certain points that should be considered while making oral communication creative:

1) Analyse the Audience: A speaker who analyses the audience is primarily, is considered a good speaker. A speech in which the speaker reaches out to the whole audience is assumed as a good speech. 

2) Search Relevant Material: It is also important that the material or the thoughts or views of the speaker are relevant and appropriate to the context of the communication.

3) Appeal Part: The 1dea or the message should be attractive, creative, and genuine, and it must appeal to the audience.

4) Review the Speech: Assessment of the speech is also important. Moreover, the speaker should make an assessment before delivering a speech.

5)Use Visual Support: Visuals should also be included in the speech to support the ideas. It helps in grasping the attention of the audience.

6) Visual Modes: Visual modes like pictures, graphs, maps, charts, 3-D models, blueprints, etc. to make oral communication effective.

7) Vocal Element: Changes or alterations in vocal elements are totally dependent on the type of situation. The vocal pitch can be low or high and the tone can be soft or harsh. Voice quality can also be controlled by the speaker.

8) Verbal Element: There should be a sense in the content that the speaker is trying to deliver in his/her message. The speaker should also use the appropriate meanings of the words and substitutes.

Graham Wallas, in his book 'The Art of Thought', mentions the five stages of Creativity, that goes:

Preparation stage: As you begin the creative journey, the first stage involves prep work and idea generation. This is when you gather materials and conduct research that could spark an interesting idea. Brainstorm and let your mind wander, or write in a journal to foster divergent thinking; this will help you consider all possible approaches to building out your idea. In this first part of the process, your brain is using its memory bank to draw on knowledge and past experiences to generate original ideas.

Incubation stage: When you have finished actively thinking about your idea, the second stage is where you let it go. Part of creative thinking is taking a step away from your idea before you sit down to flesh it out. You might work on another project or take a break from the creative process altogether—regardless, you are not consciously trying to work on your idea. Walking away from your idea might seem counterproductive, but it’s an important stage of the process. During this time, your story or song or problem is incubating in the back of your mind.

Illumination stage: Sometimes called the insight stage, illumination is when the “aha” moment happens. The light bulb clicks on as spontaneous new connections are formed and all of that material you’ve gathered comes together to present the solution to your problem. In this third stage, the answer to your creative quest strikes you. For example, you overcome writer’s block by figuring out the ending to your story. It can take you by surprise but after the incubation stage, an idea has emerged.

Evaluation stage: During this stage, you consider the validity of your idea and weigh it against alternatives. This is also a time of reflection when you look back at your initial concept or problem to see if your solution aligns with your initial vision. Business professionals might do market research to test the viability of the idea. During this phase, you might go back to the drawing board or you might forge on, confident in what you’ve come up with.

Elaboration stage: This is the final stage of the creative process. It’s when the hard work happens. Your creative product might be a physical object, an advertising campaign, a song, a novel, an architectural design—any item or object that you set out to create, propelled by that initial idea that popped into your head. Now, you finalize your design, bring your idea to life, and share it with the world.

This process is the start. After this, innovation and invention happen when ideas take a much stronger form. This is where it all begins.

References-

Ray, R. (1997). Communication Today: Understanding Creative Skill. Himalaya Publishing House.

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-improve-creativity#the-5-stages-of-the-creative-process