Supporting imagination in the context of work

This chapter explores imagination in the context of work. When we work, we meet challenges and problems that we are obliged to solve. Most often we utilize well-defined work processes for the problem-solving, but now and then we run into new problems that need something else. This “something else” includes imagination as we have to identify and describe the problem, imagine a path for problem solving, obstacles on this path and finally the possibilities for implementing the solution in the organization. Consequently, imagination involves not only one person, but also the colleagues that collaborated on the task as well as colleagues who are influenced by the problem and its solution. Imagination becomes crucial to problem solving, and the final solution is a new way of doing – it is an innovation. When imagination is required at work, the workplace represents the context of the imagination.
This chapter looks into a specific working practice for problem solving called Proactive Review which was developed and implemented in a global IT company over a period of seven years. This working practice requires imagination from individuals, the teams in which the individuals belong, and the management at all hierarchical levels in the organisation.
The research question is: How may a workplace support imagination for problem solving?