Education – a leading light in driving social and economic change, or a job for us all? (Part 2/2)

So how do we help drive social and economic change in an environment plagued by rules bureaucracy and policy making which does things to and not with people?  That was one of my reflections when I attended the SERC’s conference on Driving Social and Economic Change. Following on from my first blog, more answers came from the second key speaker, Dorte Nielsen, founder of Creative Thinker and the Center for Creative Thinking in Copenhagen.  I think I’ve been living in a bubble. Dorte drew me in and I think I’m hooked.  Firstly, “Creativity isn’t just for creatives”. That means I can.  I will.  There are no boundaries and it can be learnt. The problem is, creative thinking isn’t currently being taught.  There is huge untapped potential out there because most of us don’t know we can think innovatively, which obviously means we don’t know how.  But innovative thinking is essential, which Dorte illustrated beautifully with the Chinese Proverb:

“When the winds of change blow some build walls others build windmills”

Dorte highlighted a number of big, no, enormous brands from the recent past such as Kodak and Blockbuster.  They kept going in the same direction, but change happens so fast, is the life span of a big brand now only 5 years?  To me, this highlights the need for diverse competent teams that not only have the ability to horizon scan but to innovate and imagine endless possibilities.   Read more

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