Don’t let your work environment stifle your company’s Creativity!

Don’t let your work environment stifle your company’s Creativity!

by Bill Brautigam

I keep hearing two words being bantered about like they are the Holy Grail of management. Those words are downsizing, for efficiency and team as in "we are no longer individuals" but members of something bigger than we are. All creativity begins with the individual, people like you and me. Creativity must be encouraged, nurtured, praised and rewarded if it is to survive within your new lean, mean and efficient company. The business of business is business, and this has never changed. Management just keeps putting new labels on its actions to make more money for the company and ultimately for themselves. Do not get me wrong, this is good, but at what price to creativity?

How many times have you heard a boss say to his employees, "We have this problem we have to solve, so get back to me before the close of business with at least two solutions—something creative— to the problem?" The first thought that goes through my mind is that I have to reinvent the wheel by the close of business. This is immediately followed by rebellious feelings that what I am being asked to do is fix someone else’s problem at my expense. Creativity on command and under deadline pressure is difficult. But this isn’t the only way that businesses inhibit creativity and stifle innovation.

Many of the roadblocks to employee creativity result from the demands of today’s downsized organizations. Everybody is trying to do too much, with too little time and resources as well as trying to be the star, so that he or she won’t get let go during the next round of layoffs.

Sometimes, however, it is the boss’s fault. He or she may have the best of intentions as well as a strong desire to foster employee creativity but have little or no follow-through when given creative ideas. There is always the boss who encourages employees to submit new ideas—and then sits on them, never getting back to the individual who put him/herself on the line by submitting something. Months later, that kind of boss wonders why no one sends in suggestions anymore. Do you? The next creativity killer is the old verbal slap in the face: "What kind of idiot idea was that? It would never work." Worse yet is when the slap is publicly made. This is indicative of the boss, in this case, being anxious and insecure, but knowing that doesn’t help the employee. Last, but not least, are the bosses who think that because they asked for or were given ideas, all the credit should be theirs. They take that wonderful idea they were so freely given and run up the stairs to senior management and present it as if it were their own. If the idea is greeted with kudos they may even be humble and contrite enough to mutter, "I don’t deserve all the credit for this…if it weren’t for the wonderful people on my team..." If the idea is shot down, they are quicker to explain that the team really wanted it presented and they simply didn’t want to discourage them.

The inter-corporate bureaucracy is the final killer of spontaneity and creativity. Its sheer mass and formality can result in a lack of responsiveness that defies description or logic. The creative person must often wonder why that great new idea has to have a dozen or more sign-offs before it can be tried. All too often, each signing-off comes up with a small change that should be made. Most are cosmetic changes and don’t make a difference, but the suggestion proves that the signer has read the document. The process does more than slow things down, it kills the enthusiasm of the people who come up with ideas.

So how do you inspire creativity? How do you create an environment in which people think about the company and what it does to improve? It is as simple as changing your attitude about what are acceptable and desirable work habits and traits. Create an environment that accepts failure. Without failures there can be no successes. People need to be encouraged to be creative and try new ideas. Doubling your failure rate is a sure way to inspire creativity. Business success does not rely on infallible judgement. We have to be able to learn from our mistakes. Fearing criticism and retribution for making a mistake will cause individuals to act like mindless robots always taking the tried and true way out. Any time someone cares enough to make a suggestion, they deserve a prompt response. You do not have to fawn over the employee for making a creative suggestion. If you do not agree with, or even like the idea, couch your response positively and show appreciation for the caring effort involved. Maybe saying something like: "There was something in that. Why don’t you take it in a somewhat different direction?" is a good example of an acknowledging, non-agreeing response that encourages the employee’s creativity.

The final change to be made concerns recognition. Praise and, on occasion, more substantial rewards (especially when publicly offered) make thinking about the company and how it can be improved part of the corporate mind set. Do not live in fear, look for change, encourage creativity and accept well-intended failures as a new way of working. Most importantly, treat others the way you want to be treated. Make creativity a priority this year and you’ll be amazed at the improvements in the way your business functions.