Goran Ekvall identified nine dimensions that identify a climate that helps or hinders innovation:
Idea Time; do we have time to think things through before having to act?
Idea Support; do we have a few resources to give new ideas a try?
Challenge; how challenged, emotionally involved and committed am I to do the work?
Risk-Taking; is it OK to fail when trying new things?
Debates; to what degree do people engage in lively debates about the issues?
Freedom; how free am I to decide how to do my job?
Trust & Openness; do people feel safe in speaking their minds and openly offering different points of view?
Playfulness and Humour; how relaxed is our workplace - is it OK to have fun?
Absence of Conflicts; to what degree do people engage in interpersonal conflict or "warfare?"
Rate your own work environment and check if it is a climate that is supportive of innovation
http://www.thinking.net/Creativity/creativity.html
Jocelyn K. Glei outlines the top five qualities of productive creatives
http://the99percent.com/tips/6736/The-Top-5-Qualities-of-Productive-Creatives-(And-How-to-Identify-Them)
If we’re looking for the kind of creativity that translates ideas into action and makes an institutional difference, what we should look for?
1. Communication skills
This is asking the right questions and explaining complex concepts simply. Productive creativity hinges on the willingness to share ideas, debate the issues clearly, and summarise "what’s next".
2. Pro-activeness
Who within the institution displays initiative and a willingness to act and move things forward? Here impatience to get on and do may be a useful indicator of the energy that drives productive creativity.
3. Problem-solving
This is the skill of productive creativity that asks unusual questions and reframes long-standing problems as opportunities to do something better.
4. Curiosity
Productive creativity won’t emerge from the individual who knows it all or who only focuses on their immediate work area. Look instead for the person who takes an interest in the wider activities of the institution.
5. Risk taking
Who within the institution has the confidence to take risks, accepting mistakes and failure may be the consequence. Those who haven’t experienced failure have either been very lucky, or may have preferred to stay within their comfort zone.