Thu 01 / 10 / 15
Is your workplace Creatocidal?
Ahead of their Bite-sized Learning session on The Creative Organisation on 11 November, Creativity Works have written a blog for us on creative workspaces.
Is your workplace the kiss of death to your creativity? Does it impose impossible targets? Is it filled with constant distractions? Are you unclear about what you are supposed to be doing or micro-managed down to the contents of your lunch-box? In his book The Creative Thinking Plan, Guy Lucas refers to this type of work environment as Creatocidal. By which he means any organisational cultures, systems or management that fail to unleash people’s potential, value, stimulate or support them.
Organisations don’t set out to make Creatocidal workplaces. It happens like most things, gradually and invisibly. Over time systems change, competition steps up, margins are reduced, staff and budgets get cut while the pressure to be more productive increases.
Common Creative Barriers:
- Constant distraction: interruptions, constantly changing/increasing tasks/phones/email.
- Trust/lack of co-operation – poor communication/tribalism, micro-management
- Need for quick results – settling for quick fixes
- Time - settling for quick fixes
- High levels of stress (over tasked, lack of skills/lack of control
- Culture of Fear – deters initiative/experimentation
- Anonymity – people do not know each other’s skills/lack of value
- Value – Good working conditions/minimum requirements
Ironically, while many of us recognise these environments, in order to remain competitive, organisations need to increase the creativity of their workforce.
Changing a Creatocidal workplace into a creative one is not necessarily resource or skill intensive but a question of attitude and approach. Imagine a workplace where motivated staff contribute experience, ideas and take ownership for developing them. Cutting edge companies like 3M, who dedicate 15% of employee time to ideas generation, already do. They recognise that this approach leads to higher levels of motivation, involvement and productivity.
What can you do?
Enable genuine participation - Setting agendas provides opportunities for meaningful participation. Open Space Technology (OST) takes this to another dimension, but using a mediated version can get people on board and ensure a genuine buy-in. Too often we rush to finding creative solutions to problems without knowing the experiences/expertise in the room. Asking: ‘What do we already know about…?’ can throw up surprising answers.
Ethos – Wanting to impress or give the right answer limits creative thinking. Establish an ethos of trust and ‘accepting enquiry’. Stay open minded. Some of the OST outcomes provide a good framework for this.
Inspire creatively -Use thought provoking examples to set the tone; stories, film, music, pictures. RSA Animate is brilliant for this. Work across disciplines, (mix up finance/learners with educational managers).
Open it up – Use generative thinking activities to provoke different ways to address old problems. Edward de Bono’s Creative Thinking Plan has great activities for groups.
Fun – Build in a feel good factor.
Break down Barriers – enable people to get to know each other, work across teams/silos.
Reflection & Application - New ideas require critical appraisal. Provide opportunities to reflect on ideas before moving to action. Also reflect on the process and learning. Encourage self-organised action plans.
Book your place on the Creative Organisation Bite-sized Learning session here.
The Creative Thinking Plan, Claxton G & Lucas B, (2004), BBC Books
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If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk