Business Management

How to Destroy Creativity and Innovation

Do you work in fear? Employees cannot do their best work when they are worried about their future, are discouraged from thinking for themselves, aren’t respected for their recommendations, don’t feel in control of their destinies, or are treated like children. People can’t do their best work when they feel that every decision will be scrutinized and second-guessed, and every mistake will be ridiculed. This lack of confidence causes employees to waste more time trying to impress people internally than they spend getting their job done; to play Monday-morning quarterback and second-guess each other rather than making innovative suggestions. Confidence and security increase employee efficiency and effectiveness. Fear and insecurity have the opposite effect: They cause employees to take on    Read more…

Everyone talks about sticking to their knitting, but many companies don’t know what their knitting is. According to a Fortune magazine article, “Focus means figuring out, and building on, what the company does best. It means identifying the evolving needs of your customers, then developing the key skills—often called core competencies—critical to serving them. It means setting a clear, realistic mission and then working tirelessly to make sure everyone—from the chairman to the middle manager to the hourly employee understands it.” In order to be successful, an organization must focus its efforts on those factors that are critical to its success. If you randomly select 50 people in your organization and ask them basic questions about the direction and priorities    Read more…

Customers must not be viewed as isolated transactions but rather as the potential lifelong relationship that they represent. Every customer deserves to be treated as your organization’s only customer. Companies cannot afford to spend the time and effort that it takes to develop new business only to lose customers shortly thereafter. In fact, companies should be so outraged when they lose an existing customer that they immediately search for ways to improve themselves so that it never happens again. Think about the effort of bringing in new customers; the way they are courted; how you accommodate their every whim. Then, when they become customers, the honeymoon ends. Think about your major customers. When they call, everything else is dropped; when they make suggestions,    Read more…

For today’s employee, being part of something special and making a difference in the world, is much more important than the rewards sought by yesterday’s “me” generation. The new breed of employee wants to work for an organization that they can feel proud of––one that contributes back to society; an organization that has values and viewpoints compatible with their own; an organization that is oriented toward the long haul, working toward the prevention of ills, not just curing the symptoms; an organization that cares about morals and ethics and doing what is in the best interests of its customers; an organization that doesn’t dominate their lives and allows them ample time to spend with their families; and one that cares    Read more…

Many people find routines irritating because they stifle creativity and create inflexibility, but they can also be time-saving devices that minimize mistakes. For example, doctors use diagnostic routines for their patients, and airline pilots go through checklists prior to takeoff. Edward de Bono explains in Six Action Shoes that “in some ways routines provide freedom. If we had to think about every action we take, then life would be very slow and very complicated. Following a routine actually frees us to attend to matters that really need our attention. . . . Instead of having to analyze each new experience, we simply recognize the situation by using a perceptual pattern.” In other words, routines save us time by allowing us    Read more…

One of the most destructive forces in a company is caused by fear. Just as pollution damages the environment, fear is toxic to companies. Fear destroys creativity, shatters loyalty, and discourages people who want to “do what’s right.” While some managers use fear to stop an activity, this tactic never inspires anyone to perform at their best. When people believe they lack control, they become fearful –– even if imagined. Fears arise over things that are concrete and immediate, such as loss of a job, as well as over things that are more ephemeral and long term, such as embarrassment or damage to one’s career. When people play it safe rather than sailing uncharted waters, they limit opportunities and often    Read more…

1. Creativity Killer ➤ Keeping people in the dark “It’s just not right. I can’t tell you why, but I just don’t like it.” “I know exactly what I want, but can’t explain it. When I see it, though, I’ll tell you.” 2. Creativity Killer ➤ Dictatorships “Here’s my idea and how to execute it!” “Here’s my idea, what’s yours?” 3. Creativity Killer ➤ Unrealistic time frames “It’s only one page. It shouldn’t take more than an hour to complete.” “I know there’s no reason to have it tomorrow, but I want it then anyway.” 4. Creativity Killer ➤ Procrastination “We really do want suggestions. It’s not our fault if we’re too busy to act on them.” “I think we’ve got it now. I only have minor corrections    Read more…

“The best way to address tomorrow’s problems is to see how they’ve been handled in the past.” People like to define future events based on history. The problem with that approach is that the future contains too many events for which there are no precedents. “The best way to stay on top of your industry is to study the competition.” Too many companies are consumed by their competition. It is just as critical, however, to concentrate outside your field or industry and apply those principles to what you do. If you spend all your time following in your competitors’ footsteps, you may catch up, but are unlikely to move ahead. “Visions and dreams are soft issues; we should focus on    Read more…

The major reasons, in addition to inertia, for resisting change are: Procrastination: We all have a tendency to postpone the difficult or uncomfortable. Unless you create a sense of urgency, there’s always time to think about change tomorrow. Lack of motivation: Unless the personal benefits are clear, most people will decide that change isn’t worth the effort. Fear of failure: If change requires learning a new skill, change may be avoided simply because we are not emotionally ready to deal with a potential setback. Fear of the unknown: What we don’t know frightens us. The very thought of leaving our comfort zone and facing uncertainty creates enough anxiety and paralysis to avoid change. People are more comfortable with the known    Read more…