Corporate Creativity: Too Few Actually Walk the Talk
by Jean V. Dickson
Within the world of business, innovation and creativity have a lot in common with values. They both get a lot of positive talk. But no one walks the walk.
Companies say they want good managers who put people first. But do their actions put feet on their words? Not in my experience! And not according to executive coach, Barb McEwen.
"In the last few years most companies have recognized the importance of documenting their values. Some have gone to great lengths in detailing what would be ideal behavior but it is still the rare company who has leaders who actually walk the talk."
In the same way companies go to great lengths documenting how they want innovation. "We need innovation if we're to grow!" But their actions prove otherwise. The rewards systems reward anything but innovation. And instead of championing creativity, managers turn their backs on creative employees and their ideas.
How often have you seen these scenarios?
THE STEALER
All of a sudden you get a great idea on how to improve the process. Then you
see your boss looking at you and you know that your idea will never fly. That
is, it will fly high - but not with YOUR wings.
By stealing your ideas and then passing them off as his own, he robs every ounce of initiative from his workers. They ask themselves, "If it's only going to glorify that jerk, why bother?"
THE ENGLISH TEACHER
"My father would crush, albeit temporarily, the creativity out of me. I
don't think it was mean spirited, rather a lack of understanding. I would write
these plays, and I would show them to him. Then instead of telling me what he
thought of my idea, he would pick out the typos."
Unfortunately, this happens in business all the time. It doesn't just happen at home or at school. Instead of looking at the big picture, managers look for the smallest errors or reasons why the idea won't work.
THE CLOUD BURST
"The first words out of her mouth usually were, 'That can't be done.' But
sometimes it might be: ‘No; I don't like it!’ ‘But we've always
done it that way! ‘Don't mess with something that works.’"
I remember this boss. Perhaps you do too! It really didn't matter what she said because her always black cloud left me drenched and depressed - and wondering why I even tried.
THE SADIST
"She lurked, watching every move. Whenever she thought I wasn't working,
she would snap her whip, shouting loudly, "Get back to work. We pay you
to work, not sit around." She never realized that I wasn't just sitting
around, I was thinking. What did the company lose? New ideas and a motivated
staff."
THE DIVIDED OF MIND
"Sometimes he liked something, other times he didn't. He just couldn't
make up his mind. No matter what I did, he always snarled, 'Didn't I tell you
I didn't like that?'"
Unfortunately, there are too many of these people within the executive offices, management halls, and accounting departments. They may think they're being smart managers, but they are killing the company's hope for the future by strangling all creative input.
My suggestion for creativity is the same as what Barb McEwen suggests for values. Start showing by your actions that you mean what you say. When you tolerate these individuals and their behaviours, you're revealing that your words are a lie. So, give your words feet by kicking some of these people in the butt and out the door. Your company's future depends on it.
Jean V. Dickson offers you these articles to reprint or repost - FREE - provided that her name and contact information (as below) are included.
Jean V. Dickson is a Canadian-based entrepreneur who puts creativity's ZING into training and corporate communications. For more information on creativity and innovation, visit www.jvdcreativity.com and www.experientialexercises.com. To jazz up your corporate PowerPoint presentations, visit The PowerPoint Joint at www.PowerPointjoint.com.
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