Why teaching teams to think creatively may be the most important talent investment of the decade.
In an era defined by uncertainty and AI-driven change, complex problem solving is a core capability for teams. Creativity is one of the most effective ways to strengthen that capability.” Gerard Puccio and Pam Szalay, authors of Cultivate Creative Thinking for the Future of Work, believe creative thinking isn’t just for artists or innovators. It’s a trainable skill that strengthens problem-solving, builds resilience, and fuels engagement in individuals and teams across every level of an organization.
Why creative thinking matters now
“People sense the pace of change and feel the pressure to adapt,” says Szalay. “Most organizations have trained their people in practical, procedural skills—how to manage customers, lead teams, or deliver services—but not in thinking skills.” As a facilitator for eCornell, Szalay meets learners from front-line employees to executives who express an urgent need to improve their ability to solve novel problems. “They’ll say, ‘My boss is waiting for me to solve this,’” she adds. “You can feel their stress.”
Puccio, who chairs the State University of New York’s Center for Applied Imagination, agrees. “Creativity is often seen as the fuel for innovation,” he explains, “but it’s also an enabler of resilience. During the pandemic, employees who demonstrated stronger creative capacity coped better with stress. Learning creative thinking speeds up our own mental evolution—it helps individuals and organizations adapt to change.”
Defining creativity—and demystifying it
For Puccio, creativity is “the ability to produce new, valuable outcomes.” In their guide, they also include a description of creativity developed by mathematician Ruth Noler, where creativity equals the interaction of knowledge, imagination, evaluation, and attitude. “Presenting it as a formula makes analytical thinkers, like engineers, realize they too are creative,” she says.
The pair emphasizes that creativity isn’t mysterious—it’s measurable, evidence-based, and teachable. “There’s a huge misconception that you’re either born creative or you’re not,” Szalay says. “But creativity is absolutely trainable.” Puccio adds, “Organizations need leaders who are trained to think creatively. I’d go so far as to say creative thinking should be mandatory for leadership development.”
“I’d go so far as to say creative thinking should be mandatory for leadership development.”
What the science shows
More than 70 studies confirm that creativity training works. “When researchers compare trained and untrained groups,” Puccio explains, “the trained groups consistently outperform the others in problem-solving and idea generation.” One surprising finding: the greatest improvement comes in problem clarification—how people define and frame problems before solving them. “That’s huge,” he says, “because how you define the problem shapes everything that follows.”
The most effective programs, Puccio notes, share three design features: 1) They’re grounded in cognitive models of the creative process; 2) they provide immediate opportunities to apply new tools, and 3) they ask teams to practice on real-world challenges.
A framework for better thinking
At the heart of Puccio and Szalay’s work is FourSight, a cognitive model describing the four thinking stages that underpin creative problem solving: Clarify, Ideate, Develop, and Implement. FourSight becomes a common language that helps teams think better together.
“When people approach problems, they naturally prefer one or two stages,” Puccio explains. “But if a team skips or overlaps stages, meetings become chaotic. Someone’s clarifying while another person is ideating; another is developing, and someone else is running off to implement. Without a shared process, you get conflict and poor results.”
Framing meetings around the right stage can be transformative. “If you say, ‘Today we’re clarifying’ or ‘For the next five minutes, we’re ideating,’ you instantly align people’s thinking,” says Puccio. “It’s a simple shift that improves collaboration and outcomes.”
The creative partnership between humans and AI
The authors also explore how creativity and artificial intelligence intersect. “If you don’t have a deliberate creative process when using AI, you’ll get sloppy results,” Puccio cautions. “AI is a thinking assistant, not a source of solutions. A cognitive framework helps you guide it.”
Szalay agrees. “AI doesn’t replace human thinking—it amplifies it. You have to steer AI through every stage of the process,” she says. “As we note in the guide, ‘The human mind is most open to creative insight after fully engaging with a problem.’ Don’t outsource your thinking. Stay in the driver’s seat.”
Building a creative culture
How long does it take to learn creative thinking? “Not as long as you think,” Puccio jokes. “Understanding even the basic distinction between divergent and convergent thinking can have an immediate effect.” While advanced training deepens the skill, he notes, “a single course can move the needle on creative performance and mindset.”
And every organization needs it. “It’s like asking whether you need to eat a healthy diet,” Puccio says. “Yes—if you want to be healthy. The same goes for organizational health.” Creativity, he notes, is linked to optimism, well-being, and resilience. “When employees learn creative thinking skills, you’re not just improving innovation—you’re enhancing mental health and engagement.”
Szalay adds that creative thinking scales from the individual to the enterprise. “Organizations succeed when every person, in every role, has the skills to navigate change,” she says. “When teams can apply creative thinking at every level, the organization can thrive.”
This article was adapted from an interview with the authors of Cultivate Creative Thinking for the Future of Work, part of the Association of Talent Development’s “TD at Work” series.
Gerard J. Puccio, PhD, Gerard J. Puccio is a distinguished professor and authority in creativity studies. As chair of the Center for Applied Imagination at Buffalo State University, Puccio has shaped the field through research, teaching, and more than 70 publications. A speaker, trainer, and consultant, he has worked with top organizations, including the BBC, Crayola, the Smithsonian Institution, and the US Marine Corps.
Pam Szalay, Pamela A. Szalay is an L&D consultant, specializing in developing creative leaders, teams, and individuals. Szalay is also a program facilitator for eCornell, delivering professional development in leadership, creativity, and emotional intelligence. She leverages research-driven insights to foster environments where innovation and well-being thrive.
