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pioneering Business Psychology

Organisations grow! Organizations excel!
But, how many organizations can boast credible creativity as a rule?

Creativity & Quality � are they synonymous?

Is being creative detrimental to delivering quality? Most organizations seem to think like that. Today we have processes, processes and just too many of them. Do processes originate creativity? If we do an honest research we know these processes create pliant professionals and may not necessarily spur creativity.

Creativity is the key for organizational excellence. The faster we imbibe creativity the faster the organization excels. Processes are to give certain amount of discipline / measurement; it�s the ability to be creative that will differentiate also ran companies to superior companies.

How do we ensure creativity?

Its all in the minds of the team at the top. It has to be made clear that creativity and quality go hand in hand. Creativity within the frame work of processes will ensure a significant measurable step towards excellence.

Based on a macro observations of how organizations work the usual rewards are bestowed on successful events / people behind successful events. How often do we see processes that focus on Assertive Creative Efforts (ACE) and not on accomplished results? If we take an objective look into the rewards process is broadly on:

Timely completion
New Account Initiation
Meeting / Exceeding targets
Zero OR Minimal Errors and the likes.

There are occasions where an innovative / creative process is recognized once the results are seen.


Is your team being encouraged to make mistakes?

The point is how and where people are encouraged to make mistakes. Research has found out that the biggest fear of man-kind is �fear of failure�. It�s a fact that all of us have ideas and the hard truth is just a handful of this big team, which dares to put that creative thought into action.

Lets initiate process that encourages creativity through:

1. focus on efforts and not just results
2. picking up one innovative thought that did NOT yield the right result every quarter
3. telling all employees that being creative matters � irrespective of the result
4. identify, recognize and reward those who dared to be creative and take action � without fearing the result.
5. Making it clear its perfectly fine to commit mistakes but its cardinal sin to repeat a mistake.
6. End of the day � recognizing that the People with scars are stars

This is a sure shot way to ensure out of the box thinking; bringing out a new set of leaders with vision. This process will slowly but surely bring in �passion� � the most important requirement that brings out excellence.

A passionate team that focuses on Assertive Creative Efforts delivers highest quality as they deliver excellence. Being Creative and providing room for creativity is the real ace for each organization.

Diana 24-09-2008

I agree with the points discussed here...

I believe if we can provide a platform where employees can share and mold their creativity into ideas and actions without the "fear factor" of being criticised... it would help a lot to the growth of the organisation as well...

the positive & practical ideas should be encouraged...and appreciate the person who had proposed it....

on the other hand...if something can not be materialised... criticisim should be avoided...coz it would stop others from sharing....

Solutions: Put a suggestion box in the office... let everyone feel free to put their new ideas...with the freedom of being recognised or not...

tnx for posting...

have a bright day

Diana

Venkatesan 24-09-2008

Excellent points and well presented to all. I should thank for the author for explaining the such a great point in simple understandable way.

Keep posting and go all heights.

Thanks & Regards

L Venkatesan
Network Evangalist
Coimbatore, India
91-994-201-9000

Swetha 24-09-2008

Excellent points and well presented to all.

Pradyumna 24-09-2008

hi this is pradyumna.
the article is fantastic, fascinating, motivating.
Although I`m not so intelligent person to comment on this article. But still I want add one point............ "The success depends upon the organization on effective leadership giving fare chances to everyone"...............

sfgadfga 24-09-2008

WE as HRs believe tht if employees makes a mistake we see as attitude concerns, but actually no one encourages mistakes...
This is good attempt to show the reality of the creativity comes from freedom not from ordering or fearing the employees fr out come ....
Truely nice one.............

Govinda 24-09-2008

Good points. Creativity is mostly curbed in office environments by short sighted superiors who focus on immediate results. Good ideas are killed when it fails the first time - we need to come out of it and correct the mistakes and keep the creativity alive.

Pramod 25-09-2008

Excellent simplistic thought, this indeed is very true, however, the corporate world is finance centric and thus ending with cost consiousness -> avoid re-work in the very first attempt > thus killing creativity setting it back in line with fear of failure....just a logical deduction.. Rgds Pramod

Rekha 25-09-2008

nice one..........

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