This part of the AGB2009 series (see the presentation)
AGB2009: a creative workplace
BACKGROUND
Creativity was part of my family background: theatre, art galleries, and so on.
More than once I listened to discussions about creativity- including criticism of the label “creative” and “creative director” self-attributed by people within the advertisement industry.
Over the last few decades, creativity, or its development, became an industry in itself.
What is notable is the two extremes of the debate: creativity as an innate characteristic versus creativity as an acquired skill.
In most business environments, creativity still suffers from this original sin of definition.
At best, most “creativity development” initiatives clash with the usual command-and-control, hierarchical structure.
At worst, those same initiatives are confined to “brainstorming” activities, or specific projects/activities.
If you want- a fig leaf trying to build “creativity moments and natural reserves” within the framework of a business-as-usual culture.
For a general introduction, please refer to the book from Edward De Bono listed in the bibliography.
ABSTRACT
I have a systemic (or “holistic”, if you prefer) approach to change: no initiative lives in a vacuum, and is constrained by time and environment.
The starting point has therefore often to be the end: in our case, why do you want to introduce creativity in the workplace.
A creative workplace is not a playground- it is an environment where the status quo, the existing rules and organizational structures are focused on supporting the main purpose of your organization.
The hierarchical organization evolved mainly through crises: tweaking to cope with a changing reality, until tweaking was generating an overload, requiring therefore a massive restructuring.
Also administrative processes will be constantly reviewed, to ensure that only what matters is institutionalized- not what you historically did, but what you need to do now and in the future.
How do you ensure that creativity is available where and when needed? Is an endemic creativity feasible, and how do you avoid that it becomes pandemic, i.e. creativity for the creative sake (like many “paperless” initiatives in the 1990s)?
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Probably, creativity is one of few areas where you anybody can write something about..
I selected just two books, both quite short..
The focus? Something usually forgotten: the relationship between management style and creativity.
- Edward De Bono, “Six Thinking Hats”, 1986, Viking
- not necessarily focused just on creativity, but certainly useful to balance the different personalities and motivations in brainstorming and meetings
- Ori Brafman and Rod A. Beckstrom, “The Starfish And The Spider”, 2007, Portfolio
- more than the solutions provided, it is the analysis of the social dynamics within an organization, and between an organization and its leaders
Tags: AGB2009, bono, brainstorming, creative, creativity, de, innovation, motivational, systemic, workplace