Characteristics of a creative environment

Characteristics of a creative environment

It is important to examine some of the features of the ideal creative organisation, because a sustainable platform for the incorporation of imagination requires both creative individuals and a suitable environment.

We cannot manage creativity: creativity relies on spontaneity, the generation of ideas and the drawing of unrelated lateral connections ”these are all informal and non-linear processes. We can, however, manage the encouragement of creativity and provide an environment that promotes this as one of the organisation s core values.

Imagination cannot simply be ˜installed in an organisation. The vision of being an organisation that values imagination and creativity must come from the highest levels and be articulated clearly and constantly to those who are asked to be creative. This vision then needs to be supported throughout the rest of the organisation, and reflected in the attitudes, opportunities and responses of the organisation. The organisation must desire and strive to make imagination and creativity part of the way it works.

Organisational culture is a key factor in determining if imagination will be encouraged or even allowed. Edgar Schien defines organisational culture as ˜the total of the collective or shared learning of the group as it develops its capacity to survive in its external environment and to manage its own internal affairs . ^{[ 3]}

The four key components of a culture that encourages and supports imagination and creativity are freedom, encouragement, recognition and desire to achieve.

1. Freedom

The ability or opportunity to exercise some freedom in our work environment is critical to the creative process. One can imagine an ˜idea sanctuary where there is complete freedom to explore in whichever direction one would like, just like an explorer in search of a new land, not knowing what to expect. These individualistic, uncontrolled, freethinking, blue-sky environments were traditionally associated with universities and some of our research organisations. Much has changed in these institutions over the past decade requiring much stronger alignment between research and outcomes .

For most of us, however, the option for creativity grows not so much from freedom in what we do, but how we do our work. If we are allowed freedom in the workplace, generally it is a recognition of our abilities , that we have some understanding of the overall goals of the organisation, and that we are trusted to work to those larger objectives.

Interestingly, although freedom is a core component for generating an imagination-enabling environment, freedom without bounds or direction often results in a loss of sense of purpose and a subsequent loss in creative drive. In an organisational context, a truly creative environment supplies an appropriate degree of structure and sets clear goals to provide bounds to this freedom and direction for the individual s enthusiasm .

The link between freedom, trust and strategy allows people the opportunity and the environment to contribute valuable improvements or radical ideas. Thus it is extremely important that policies support both the rights and the responsibilities that arise from freedom. The goal is to set challenges that allow freedom in the choice of solution within these policies. Freedom then becomes a mutual relationship of trust and respect, with responsibilities to use this freedom appropriately.

2. Encouragement

Having created an environment that allows for freedom of thought and action, management must provide encouragement for the development and exploration of ideas. A status quo mentality , or an inability to accept new ideas without providing destructive criticism, will not promote an imaginative culture. There must be an acceptance that ideas need to be explored and that not all of them will be successful.

The generation of ideas demands some process of evaluation and this will require access to appropriate resources such as information, people, funding, time and facilities. There is no point in promoting your organisation as innovative or encouraging staff to be imaginative if there are no mechanisms to assess the ideas that will be generated. Assessment of ideas can take place in a number of ways ”depending on the type of ideas being generated. It can be done by an individual, a committee, or through public presentations, and in competitive or non- competitive forums. What matters is the open encouragement of ideas and acceptance of the idea as having an intrinsic merit worthy of evaluation.

It is important that the process of encouraging the generation of ideas be handled appropriately. That is to say, the fact that we create an environment that encourages the development of ideas should be balanced against the fact that not all of the ideas will be acted upon. Management has a responsibility to reject good ideas when they lack strategic fit or the organisation lacks the resources to pursue them. Therefore this process of evaluation and clearly annunciating the reasons why an idea is or is not approved is critical to maintain trust and to reinforce the strategy of the organisation.

Increasing the amount of information available to staff about the business s activities can enhance idea encouragement. The potential is even larger in an organisation such as CSIRO, which possesses a breadth and depth in many discipline and application areas for great idea generation at the boundaries. By sharing information and involvement of staff in cross-team activities new approaches to existing problems may be identified and in some cases whole new areas of research or applications created. Too often, organisations collect and store information that is potentially valuable to many others outside their direct sphere of influence.

Through the use of the information-sharing tools that are now available, we should aim to enhance employees ability to access information and thus improve their ability to positively affect the organisation on a much larger scale.

3. Recognition

Recognition for the development of ideas and creativity is essential. Rewards or salary structures in which employees progress in orderly increments over a long period of time are likely to generate loyalty rather than achievement. The challenge for imagination-supportive organisations is to provide a range of measures and rewards that are not purely financial. For example, rewards might include peer recognition, different work opportunities, a better working environment and access to equipment.

As stated earlier, imaginative staff may not be strongly motivated by financial rewards. For some, the reward does not come from any external source but is generated by the admiration that their creativity or ideas inspire in others. For others, the reward involves constructive feedback and the opportunity to develop and share ideas. It is important, therefore, to develop recognition systems that are appropriate for the individual and the organisation, and that will encourage the further development of ideas.

When it comes to the development of innovation, the recognition and reward issue is a complex one. For example, whom do we reward? For some ˜ideas people , the work required to turn a creative impulse into a product is not as attractive as the process of generating the idea. It may fall to others to develop the idea into a tangible product or service, and someone else to make it a viable business opportunity. So who should get the greater recognition ”the idea generator or those who follow through? Is it purely the generation of ideas that is considered valuable or should the ideas have the potential to influence the business in some way? Are all ideas rewarded equally irrespective of their impact on the organisation? These are serious questions that need to be carefully considered as the answers have a major impact on shaping the nature of the organisation.

In some cases it may be worth considering what the ˜best reward actually is. Too often we reward good people by taking them away from the things that give them pleasure and support their creativity. We reward their efforts by asking them to do more important or responsible things. We thereby deny the organisation their real talent (unless they can continue to contribute directly to the creative process in a much larger way or are entrusted with fostering creativity in others).

4. Desire to achieve a creative culture

Finally, the organisation itself must desire to make imagination and creativity part of the way it works.

This may appear to be a simple statement but it goes to the crux of the issue. The whole organisation, that is, from the Chief Executive through to every member of staff, should have an understanding and a belief that creativity, imagination and innovation are intrinsic to their roles. Organisations rise and fall on the strength of their people. For example, CSIRO is only recognised as a creative, innovative organisation because of the efforts of its people. The more scope there is for people to express their imagination as individuals, the more opportunity there is for our people to be creative in combination, the more innovative the outcomes are as an organisation.

So at all levels, the organisation must express the desire for creativity to be a hallmark of the way it operates. Every process should support the potential for ideas to be hatched, discussed, explored and resolved. As managers, we have the responsibility for reinforcing these organisational attitudes that at times can be difficult when faced with financial imperatives or competition between long and short- term goals. However, it is in those times of maximum stress that the organisation must maintain its support for these core values. Organisations that react creatively in these situations are those that have achieved the integration of imagination into their culture. In these environments, creativity is not constrained to developing new products and services within the business, but also applies to the way the organisation is planned, operated and developed.

It is now clich d to say, ˜change is the only constant . However, a clear indication of how critical imagination and creativity are to an organisation is how it conducts that change process and expresses its values. CSIRO has not been immune to change. Currently, we are undergoing possibly the most significant changes in the organisation s 78-year history as we move from a research institute to a research enterprise. Fundamental to this change process has been the reiteration our purpose:

By igniting the creative spirit of our people we deliver great science and innovative solutions for industry and the environment.

This statement explicitly recognises the critical role of creativity in enabling CSIRO to achieve its goals. The following supporting statement captures the ideas of freedom, encouragement and recognition, while crystallising the direction of change.

It is not enough to have a great idea, we must have impact, solve problems and make a difference.

In this changing environment we are exploring new ways of enhancing the delivery of our research results. The core values have remained the same but the mode of execution and delivery is changing. Managing this change is a truly creative exercise and has required some innovative approaches to engaging with new mechanisms for the delivery of the results, while at the same time supporting the creative engine of the organisation.

Wanted: Imaginative employer

Creative person seeks to work for organisation that understands imagination and how to utilise it.

Organisation should be focused on outcomes as opposed to processes. Organisation needs to be understanding of individuals and not expect perfection . The employer must be able to provide an environment that is accepting of an individual s initial confusion without attack or embarrassment. Managers and peers must be able to reframe negatives into positives and provide an opportunity for staff to really influence decisions, particularly those decisions that have direct impact on their work or environment.

Most importantly, the organisation must deliver constancy of purpose and direction especially with regard to ethics in all its internal and external dealings. The organisation must recognise and reward appropriately, consistent with its stated purpose, and treat all people properly. Managers should define the responsibilities that individuals and teams should assume, setting direction without being autocratic about the path .

The organisation will ensure that there aren t any non-examinable rules and that rules can be developed based upon interaction, agreement and need. Management will allow teams to discard old ideas and allow for the possibility that a different set of rules may develop. Management will accept the challenge that different groups may choose different ways of working across an organisation.

Managers will not underestimate what their employees can do and must be willing to offer opportunities for growth.

 

^{[ 3]} E H Schien, Organisational Culture and Leadership ,Jossey-Bass Inc, San Francisco, 1992.

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