| In a high-speed global marketplace that reverberates | | | | workplace every day, especially during meetings, i.e., |
| daily with quick-shifting customer expectations and | | | | someone volunteers an idea, then is quickly dismissed |
| demands from the marketplace to immediately | | | | by the manager, moderator or someone else at the |
| respond, companies may no longer rest on their | | | | table. Naturally, the effect will be that all such |
| laurels or keep doing things the way they've | | | | volunteering soon stops.Managers must resist a |
| traditionally been done. The smartest, most | | | | temptation to blurt out, "No, no, that would never |
| successful companies, for example, take pains to | | | | work!" The essence of brainstorming, after all, is to |
| pursue not only present customer desires but | | | | let ALL ideas fly, no matter how wild, impractical or |
| anticipated, as-yet unexpressed, customers needs | | | | outrageous. First spend a few minutes scribbling |
| and desires in the future. Such projections require | | | | everyone's ideas down on a topic before analyzing |
| both research and imagination.Take Toyota, for | | | | them for practicality. Even putting up totally wacky |
| example, perennially ranked among the top five | | | | ideas on a white board or flip chart, where all can see |
| sellers of cars and trucks in the US. Its management | | | | them, could end up inspiring, by the end of the |
| tinkers constantly with fresh ideas for customizing its | | | | meeting, the most workable solution.Make failure OK. |
| vehicles to meet customer desires, each year | | | | Many companies pay lip service to the idea that it's |
| introducing more models, lighter weight materials, | | | | OK to fail, make mistakes, get things wrong. But |
| faster cruising speeds, even a first-of-its-kind hybrid | | | | then, whenever something really does go wrong, |
| engine utilizing electric as well as gas fuel sources. | | | | KA-BOOM! There's yelling, recriminations, weeping and |
| Toyota managers search round-the-clock for ways | | | | wailing.Instead, truly creative managers invite open |
| to do things better and different."The companies | | | | discussion of mistakes and failures on the theory |
| who are innovative ask totally different questions | | | | there's always a lesson to be learned from them. |
| from those who are not," says Jack Ricchiuto, a | | | | Risk-taking, after all, by definition, means sometimes |
| creativity consultant based in Cleveland and author of | | | | you win and sometimes you lose. Failure is |
| Collaborative Creativity: Unleashing the Power of | | | | understood as one possible outcome in the overall |
| Shared Thinking (Oakhill Press). "A traditional set of | | | | game. Don't try playing without it!When creative |
| management questions begins with 'How can we | | | | managers truly understand this, they exhibit their |
| listen to our market better?' and 'How can we meet | | | | support of it in extraordinary ways. One of Henry |
| customers' requirements?' But creative companies like | | | | Ford's the First's VPs once made a colossal inventory |
| Toyota ask 'How can we SURPRISE our market?' | | | | error, for example, that cost the pioneering car |
| Answering that one requires a high level of | | | | company over one million dollars, a lot of bread back |
| commitment to management creativity."For such | | | | in 1920. Assuming he would be fired anyway, the VP |
| reasons, creative companies and managers continually | | | | wrote up his resignation and handed it over to his |
| re-evaluate, re-tool and revise what they're doing, | | | | boss.Mr. Ford looked at the piece of paper, then tore |
| forever gazing beyond the horizon, eager to glimpse | | | | it up on the spot. "Do you think I would fire you |
| what's to come. Their transition from the traditional | | | | after what just happened?" he asked. "My boy, I've |
| to the creative rarely proceeds easily, however, | | | | just invested one million dollars in your education. Now |
| especially with so many managers conditioned since | | | | get back to work!"Mix in color and music. The first |
| grade one to tow the line and think of themselves as | | | | things to go when budgets get tight in our schools |
| LACKING creativity.Research in this area reveals, for | | | | are "non-essentials" like art and music. Yet much brain |
| example, that differences in creative behavior | | | | research in the last twenty years has determined |
| between adults and children represents a very wide | | | | that creativity amplifies if coupled with such |
| gap indeed. One study found that only 2% of adults | | | | traditionally "peripheral" educational activities. Along |
| of any age level can be accurately classified as "highly | | | | with drawing, painting, singing and dancing, brain |
| creative" while over 90% of children five years old or | | | | scientists also tout the practical value of taking |
| younger can be classified this way. The huge | | | | breaks, relaxing, meditating, playing games (recess!) |
| drop-off begins at ages 6 and 7 (only 10% in these | | | | and daydreaming.Thus, creative companies find ways |
| age groups were found to be considered "highly | | | | to add music to the office or factory air, maintain |
| creative") and at age 8, adult levels begin. Only 2% | | | | colorful decors, sponsor company (fun) events and |
| of children aged 8 and above test out as highly | | | | reimburse for programs or seminars that allow |
| creative and this figure does not rise again for any | | | | employees to (as Stephen Covey says) "sharpen the |
| age group thereafter.The researchers directing this | | | | saw."Travel down roads rarely taken. If a company |
| study concluded that repeated instructions | | | | intends to truly transform itself into one that |
| throughout our school years on how to do things | | | | routinely practices high creativity, it must take risks |
| "right," after years of hearing such admonitions as | | | | as a culture by choosing unknown directions, |
| "no," "bad," "wrong," and "incorrect" take their toll. | | | | attempting grand experiments, leaping off cliffs!Has |
| Negative signals sear little minds with the impression | | | | an ages-old marketing approach been failing to |
| that there's only one way to do things. Disagree with | | | | produce results lately? Try something dramatic, |
| that and you're officially "deficient."With society | | | | different, looney. A salesman I once knew named |
| officially downgrading the idea of creativity so | | | | Jed, for example, had a terrible time getting a |
| strongly, it becomes problematic for businesses to | | | | prospect to look at his marketing materials. Every |
| get their managers and other employees thinking | | | | time he made his follow-up call, the prospect insisted |
| truly freely and "out of the box." Also, genuine | | | | he just wasn't interested in Jed's service, so why |
| creativity, by definition, subverts the status quo by | | | | should he look at Jed's stuff?One day, out of |
| facing down long-held assumptions and uncorking new | | | | frustration, Jed did the total opposite of what he'd |
| ways of approaching things. Thus, employee and | | | | learned back in sales training class by packing all his |
| manager alike may resist attempts to uproot | | | | marketing materials in a big cardboard box and writing |
| established company traditions or fiddle with untried, | | | | over it warnings like, "Do NOT open this!" and "Do |
| risky procedures. Their responses to creativity | | | | NOT look inside!" and "Whatever you do, keep this |
| initiatives may in fact take shape vigorously, | | | | sealed!" Then he mailed the box to his prospect, with |
| adamantly and fearfully."I always ask my clients what | | | | no return address.You can guess what happened: |
| they're experimenting with," says Ricchiuto. "The | | | | The prospect couldn't help looking inside, thus |
| scariest response I hear is, 'We don't like to | | | | immediately encountering Jed's lively marketing |
| experiment-it's messy and we don't like to fail.' Of | | | | materials and before long he has read them all, called |
| course that's just kidding yourself. Innovative | | | | Jed up and gave him his business. By taking a rarely |
| companies understand that you've got to put up with | | | | traveled road-- actually, a NEVER-traveled road, in |
| 'messiness' and failure in order to succeed."Ricchiuto | | | | this case! -- Jed's pursuit of his prospect finally |
| continues, "The truth is if you want to learn to do it | | | | succeeded.The ability to be highly creative resides |
| better, you've got to try a lot of things, many of | | | | within us all. Despite pressures and suggestions to the |
| which won't work. Most artists will tell you the | | | | contrary, it arrives into the world the day we do and, |
| biggest item in their studios is their dumpster. A | | | | even if rarely used for many years, it never dissolves |
| leading design firm uses the motto, 'Fail often to | | | | or goes away. Happily, it can be reactivated |
| succeed sooner.' That's how successful companies | | | | surprisingly quick, and managers who understand this |
| and individuals truly employing their natural creativity | | | | can activate their employees' creative abilities to |
| think."It's a wise move, then, for a company to | | | | extraordinary competitive advantage. Yes, it may |
| consider injecting innovative thinking and action into | | | | take time, it may take patience, it may take newly |
| its corporate atmosphere. However, taking into | | | | acquired skills. But indeed it can be done. Smart |
| account that creativity, by definition, knows no | | | | companies, then, the winners, the leaders, make a |
| bounds, there's no absolute or guaranteed formula | | | | firm commitment to doing so, then bravely and |
| for making the switch. However, creativity experts | | | | effectively forge ahead.Ken Lizotte CMC is Chief |
| do agree on a number of vital tenets that must be | | | | Imaginative Officer (CIO) of emerson consulting |
| observed. Here are four:Let "ideas" flow. Our schools | | | | group inc. (Concord, MA), which transforms |
| and workplaces have fostered for centuries | | | | consultants, law firms, executives and companies into |
| intellect-dependent relationships. "Right" answers are | | | | "thoughtleaders." This article is an excerpt from his |
| those in the minds of a teacher or boss, the thinking | | | | newest book "Beyond Reason: Questioning |
| goes, "wrong" answers are in the heads of everyone | | | | Assumptions of Everyday Life".Visit ==> for more |
| else. Variations of course play themselves out in the | | | | info. |