corporate creativity

In my many years of working with corporations, certain patterns have emerged with regard to creativity. Here are some:

1. GENERAL INTENTION
As I have noted before, the business sector of society has shown more interest in thinking than any other sector. In most other sectors it is enough to defend your point of view and to show that you are right. In the business world you can show that you are right (verbally) and still go bankrupt. There is a reality test. So there can be a general interest in creativity. It is seen to be something that is important. At the same time this general interest never actually gels into action.

2. OTHER PRIORITIES
Here there is a recognition that creativity is important and a genuine desire to do something about it. But creativity does not have about it an air of 'urgent need'. There are immediate needs like re-structuring, cutting costs, fighting off an acquisition bid, dealing with a crisis, etc. In every case creativity as a 'general' matter loses out to specific urgent matters which do have to be done right now. This is understandable.

3. WHAT DO WE DO?
Here there is a real desire to do something, but only a vague understanding about what can be done. Creativity seems vague and a matter of natural talent, so it is not at all clear what can be done. Of course, many concrete things can indeed be done:

1. Appointing a 'process champion' or 'nominated champion' to be responsible for introducing creativity across the organisation.
2. Training through the APTT network of certified trainers or having internal trainers certified as trainers.
3. Training facilitators who can then be asked to join groups or teams which need an injection of creativity.
4. Using the CD-ROM which has been designed to teach creativity and also has idea-processing software.
5. Establishing a Concept R&D group (see my book Surpetition, HarperCollins).
6. Establishing a network of creative champions (as Du Pont did).

4. INTERESTED BUT RELUCTANT
I am sometimes asked by radio interviewers what someone can do who wants to become creative but does not want to read a book, does not want to attend a course, etc. I reply that if someone is hungry but does not want to buy food and does not want to go to a restaurant - then that person might remain hungry. If something is important it is worth doing something about it.

5. LIP SERVICE
Many organisations have convinced themselves that they are truly creative. There may have been some justification for this view. There may have been some creative ideas in the past. Often such organisations have read their own advertising, in which the advertising agency has praised the organisation as being 'very creative'. This is not a difficult claim to make. Such organisations talk a lot about the importance of creativity but do very little.

6. DISBELIEF
There are still many people who really believe that creativity is a matter of chance or natural talent. They believe that there is nothing that can be done about it. Ideas just occur from time to time; some people tend to have ideas. Such organisations have been turned off by brainstorming. They may even have been turned off by those people who make a great fuss about creativity, but produce little.

Since every valued creative idea is always logical in hindsight, the disbelievers point out that more logic is needed - not creativity. It is extremely difficult to convince such people otherwise. If they bothered to come to a seminar, then they might see the underlying logic of creativity and the mathematical need for creativity. But they are unlikely to attend a seminar.

7. TOO MANY IDEAS
There are organisations which feel that they are not short of ideas. They already have more than they can handle. So what is the point of further creativity? The answer is that having too many ideas does not mean that these are all valuable ideas. Usually the many ideas are not that good. The purpose of further creativity is to generate better ideas. There is also the misconception that new ideas are only to do with new products or services. New ideas are also to do with methods and processes. When organisations claim they already have too many new ideas, they obviously need some new idea on how to handle these ideas.

8. TALENTED CREATIVE PEOPLE
There are those who believe that there are some people whose talent is to be creative, and that they are the only possible source of creativity. This view is understandable. So long as we do nothing about creativity, then it can only come from those people who are naturally motivated to be creative. They spend more time on being creative and so build up the needed skill.

The advantage of this belief in talented people is that such people are treasured, listened to and allowed to pursue new ideas. All this is positive. But the current state of affairs tells us only 'what is' and nothing about 'what can be'. If we do nothing about creativity then we have to rely on talented people. But if we treat creativity as a skill that can be developed, then everyone can acquire that skill. As with any skill, some people will be better than others.

It is far more useful if everyone in an organisation is trained to be creative than having to rely on a few 'talented' people. John O'Sullivan as chief executive of ALPS in Ireland encouraged his work force to attend voluntary 'thinking lessons'. Four of them went on to design a new computer keyboard. The unused brain power in any organisation is always the biggest wasted asset.

9. SIT BACK AND POACH
Many organisations have come to the conclusion that the future and the market are too uncertain. It is impossible to get things right. Big mistakes and considerable waste of time and money may result from following the wrong supposition. So the strategy is to be fit, competent and cash-rich. You then allow others to innovate. You allow others to fail. But where there is success you jump in. You jump in with a 'me-too' product. Or, you buy up the successful company. This is not a bad strategy. Microsoft has used it effectively.

On the other hand, Microsoft is an excellent example of a company that was one of the first in the field and remained ahead. Nokia from Finland was a pioneer in mobile phones and has remained a leader. First in the field with an innovation can be very successful if the follow-up energy is there. Phillips originated both the VCR and the CD but failed to capitalise on this lead.

10. CHIEF EXECUTIVE
In my experience the most successful way for a corporation to embrace serious creativity is for the chief executive to champion the process. This was the case with Gunnar Wessman in Sweden. In each company he ran, he sought to introduce creativity. In the case of Pharmacia there was a huge increase in profitability and stock market valuation. So much so that Pharmacia became a major player in the pharmaceutical field and eventually merged with Upjohn.

Creativity is either a risk or an expectation in any organisation. If creativity is not a clear expectation, then it is a risk. Leadership has to set the culture and energise the process. It is very difficult to drive creativity up an organisation from a lower level. A particular department or division can use creativity in their own sphere, but this is unlikely to spread more widely. The next best thing to direct involvement of the chief executive is for a senior person to take on the role of 'Process Champion'.

This was the case with David Tanner, who made such an excellent job of introducing creativity into Du Pont. In a way this is even better, because such a person would have more dedicated time available than the chief executive. Unfortunately it is not easy to find someone with energy, people skills and an understanding of creativity.

11. SOMEONE ELSE'S BUSINESS
Many organisations believe that creativity is strictly the business of the R&D department, the marketing department and possibly Strategic Planning. Creativity is seen to be a specific need in those areas. This means that other people need not bother, just as they need not bother about legal matters, because the legal department handles these. So any mention of creativity is passed along to the relevant department.

Often these departments consider that they are already very creative. They also do not like to think that other people might be regarded as creative. The usual result is that nothing gets done. Creativity is everyone's business. Everyone should be involved in improving the job they are doing. Creativity is part of thinking. Creativity is part of behaviour - not some exotic skill. There may indeed be a special need for creativity in some areas, but this does not mean that it should be restricted to those areas.

12. KNOW IT ALL
I have never met a truly creative person who believes that he or she knows it all - and I have met many creative people. Those people who believe they are so creative that they have nothing to learn are usually people who have all the outward appearances of creativity but little real talent.