So in the previous two posts we have explored the definition of creativity and the importance of collaboration in the productivity of a company. This brings me to my final ‘C’ in this series of blog posts.
I would argue the final and arguably most crucial of the three C’s is a company’s attitude towards new ideas and more significantly failure.
As I’ve said previously, ideas can come from anywhere and if egos can be cast aside, anyone, no matter what their position can feel their contributions are taken seriously and valued. Equally as important is a mutual understanding that critique is a necessary part of this process too and that this is not personal. It needs to be ‘OK’ to challenge new ideas.
In order for a company to thrive failure should not be feared but rather embraced. It has to be ‘OK’ for an idea not to work out, not only to push the company forward but in order for people to feel fearless when contributing. Failure is a necessary stepping stone in this journey. There is, after all, so much more to learn from our mistakes than our successes and companies (just like us) progress, grow and become stronger from sometimes getting it wrong.
Another driver of this enhanced culture is an organisation’s willingness to invest a proportion of time into so called ‘side projects’. This can be a huge asset. By this, I mean projects that aren’t a part of the ‘every day’. I recently attended an excellent talk by @daniellenewnham who spoke about the importance of creating a culture of curiosity. Giving people within an organisation the opportunity to explore or work on special projects outside of their day-to-day roles. These projects enable people to acquire new skills, have the potential to take a company in a previously unforeseen direction or perhaps become even bigger than the company itself. A famous example of this is Twitter. Twitter is indeed the product of a side project.
These projects should never be over-dominated or directed. Management should sit back and listen and have the capability to spot the opportunity of a great idea – a crucial role that good leadership plays in this process.
So, there are the 3 C’s. There is no doubt that businesses which understand how to harness creativity do better and creativity thrives through collaboration in the right culture.
Companies that get this right remain ahead of the game and theirs teams feel a part of the journey and are more motivated as a result. Companies no matter how large or small have the ability to embrace this. In fact it can be argued the smaller the business the easier it becomes to make this cultural shift.