Creativity and Innovation
Generating viable, new approaches and solutions.
Level 1. Acknowledges that new approaches can be used
BEHAVIORS
- Expresses a willingness to do things differently.
- Questions current practices and processes in a constructive manner.
- Suggests improvements to current approaches.
QUESTIONS
- Tell us about a time when you questioned a practice or procedure in your job or work area.
Probing Questions
* What was the practice or procedure?
* What changes did you propose?
* How did you get others to consider and approve your proposed changes?
* Did you get a chance to try the new approach?
* What was the outcome?
- Please describe a time when you were asked to do something differently, or use a unique approach to help achieve an objective of some sort.
Probing Questions
* Describe the situation.
* What were you asked to do differently? Why?
* How did you adjust to doing this differently?
* How did you feel about making these changes?
* What was the outcome?
Level 2. Modifies current approaches
BEHAVIORS
- Modifies the current approach to better meet needs.
- Thinks about problems from a new perspective.
- Expands on the thinking or solutions proposed by others.
- Demonstrates curiosity, digging for information below the surface.
QUESTIONS
- Please describe a situation where you came up with an improved approach to getting work done or addressing an issue?
Probing Questions
* Describe the situation.
* What made you consider modifying/ implementing a new way of doing things?
* Describe the new approach you came up with.
* How was it an improvement over the existing approach?
- What is the most innovative idea or solution that you have ever come up with?
Probing Questions
* What was the issue you were addressing?
* How was the idea/solution different from any other you considered?
* How did others react to your idea?
* How was it implemented?
* What improvement did the idea offer?
* What was the outcome?
- Tell us about a time when a new idea or approach was introduced to your area and you expanded on it or adjusted it, making it even more effective or even more widely applied.
Probing Questions
* Describe the new approach.
* What were the pros and cons of this new approach?
* In what way did you expand on or adjust the new approach?
* What was the outcome?
Level 3. Identifies new approaches
BEHAVIORS
- Creates new ideas, solutions or approaches to ongoing challenges.
- Uses unconventional areas as sources of inspiration and insight into new options and solutions.
- Solves complex problems through developing new explanations or applications.
QUESTIONS
- It is often surprising how effective it can be to look at something in a new or unconventional way. Tell us about a time when looking at a problem from a unique or unconventional angle helped you to come up with a solution.
Probing Questions
* What was the problem?
* What was unique about the way you approached the problem?
* What solution did you come up with?
* How did the solution work?
- Describe the most complex problem that you were faced with and how you generated a new approach or explanation or solution.
Probing Questions
* What was the problem?
* What was complex about it?
* What new approach or explanation did you come up with?
* What was new about it?
* How did this benefit your work (or the work of others)?
- What is the most creative solution or option you have developed in response to a problem?
Probing Questions
* What was the situation?
* What solution or option did you develop?
* How did you apply it to the problem?
* Was it successful? How?
Level 4. Nurtures creativity
BEHAVIORS
- Provides expert insight into problems to assist others in researching and creating new approaches.
- Sponsors experimentation to maximize the potential for innovation.
- Supports others in generating new and innovative approaches (e.g., by providing funding, building on new ideas, recognizing innovation).
- Encourages challenges to conventional approaches.
QUESTIONS
- Describe a time when you provided your insight or expertise to others so that they could come up with creative or new approaches to their work.
Probing Questions
Describe the situation.
What insight or expertise did you provide?
How was your insight or expertise helpful?
What was the outcome?
- Describe what you have done in your current job, or in another situation, to nurture and promote creativity in others. Please be specific.
Probing Questions
Describe the situation, including your role and that of others at the time.
What concretely did you do to promote creativity?
How successful were your efforts? What makes you say that?
Level 5. Develops high-impact approaches
BEHAVIORS
- Creates new concepts, models, innovations or theories that have wide-ranging impacts on a field, policy area or program, nationally and possibly internationally.
- Identifies unique approaches to deal with situations for which no known precedent exists.
- Design new processes and systems to foster new ideas and methods.
QUESTIONS
- Describe a situation where you took a lead role in creating groundbreaking concepts, models, theories or innovations.
Probing Questions
* What was the situation?
* What was groundbreaking about the concept/model/theory/innovation?
* How did you lead its development?
* What was its impact on the department or area?
* What kind of impact did your approach have?
- Could you tell us about a time you used a unique approach to deal with a situation for which no known precedent exists?
Probing Questions
* Describe the situation.
* How was your approach unique?
* What are the benefits of this approach?
* How did you develop this unique approach?
* What kind of impact did your approach have?