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How to Squish Creativity
Like a Bug
By: Richard M. Highsmith, M.S.
The Leader's Institute
Most Senior Managers will acknowledge the importance of
having the
support, loyalty and ideas of their subordinates. A
company of any
size cannot sustain growth on the back of one
person. Without a team
effort the entrepreneurial spark can be extinguished in the
rainstorm
of turmoil created by success.
Desirable employees want positions that satisfy an
interest or
because they are excited about where a company is
going. They want to
be a part of the accomplishment. The enthusiasm they
bring to the
table is vital to the creativity that sustains
growth. Merle Crowell
stated this eloquently; "It's the men behind who `make'
the man ahead."
So how does a manager on this walk through the corporate
jungle end
up squishing creativity like a bug? The fundamental
building blocks
to success are easily stifled. Here are some
suggestions on how you
can smother any chance of being a successful manager.
First - Fail to acknowledge the importance of other
people. Take
credit for all creative thinking and problem solving.
"Protect" your
subordinates from the scrutiny of top management by never
conceding
the part they played in your latest
accomplishment. Deceive yourself
in to believing that they take pride in serving you and that
your
light is enough to keep them tanned.
Second - Do not ask other people's
opinions. After all who knows
more about running your department than you? That's
right. How
could
someone toiling in the trenches with no Big Picture mentality
possibly
grasp situations and problems as well as
you? Believe that you alone
have the candlepower to illuminate the dark crevices that big
problems
create.
Third - Give your opinion first, forcefully and
often. It is
imperative for your subordinates to know where you
stand. Won't
they
be like sailors at sea without a compass if you don't give
them
direction? Naturally they will turn to you for
guidance. Why wait?
Give them the answers before they ask the
questions. Remember, no one
knows more about the operation than you.
If any of the behaviors in the last three paragraphs
seem a tad
similar to your own management style, then you may be guilty
of
squishing the bug. People need...not just want, but
need...approval.
This is a fundamental principle of human
behavior. To maximize our
potential, we all need recognition. George Houston
clearly summarized
what happens when a manager fails to encourage subordinates
when he
said, "Anything that interferes with individual progress
ultimately
will retard group progress."
The primary role of a Senior Manager should be the
development of
those who report to him. It is through their growth
that the company
will prosper. Now that we've identified how to
manage people
poorly,
let's look at how to get the most out of all your
employees.
First - Acknowledge the importance of
people. William James, the
Father of modern psychology said, "The deepest principle in
human
nature is the craving to be appreciated." Repeated
surveys have
shown
that employees leave companies most often not because of salary
but
because of lack of recognition. The effective
manager gives credit to
whom it's due. Try catching people performing
well. Praise
noteworthy behavior. Smile more. You
don't need to carry pom
poms
and become a cheerleader. But you must take
responsibility for the
morale of your department.
Second - Ask other people's opinions. I once
owned a medium
sized
manufacturing company that supplied the hospitality
industry. We were
having some serious issues in our shipping department that
nobody
seemed to be able to solve. I presented the problem
in an open
meeting and a nineteen year old kid who had been working for me
about
three weeks came up with a solution that was elegant in
it's
simplicity. We were in the forest, he saw the
tree! Tap the
creativity and differing perspectives of all your
employees. Take
every opportunity to ask and then listen. The
benefit is
incalculable.
Third - Foster creativity by allowing open discussion of
any and all
possible solutions. At the Leader's Institute we
call this
Green-Light thinking. It is the quantity not quality
of ideas that is
emphasized. There are no wrong answers in this
process. Your role is
to encourage the free wheeling generation of
ideas. If you defer
judgment, people will hitchhike a solution on another idea that
had
little merit. In this atmosphere the magic of creativity
flourishes.
When the process plays itself out (no more than 10 minutes),
then have
the group begin to winnow the possible solutions
down. Again it is
important for you to allow the group to make the
judgments. You might
prompt thought by asking questions. For example,
"What effect
could
this solution have on other departments?" or "How much
might
that
cost?" When the group has selected the most
effective solution
then
work on specific steps toward implementation.
In closing, I'd like to quote Dr. Marcus Bach, "Success,
or
failure,
very often arrives on wings that seem mysterious to us." It is
up
to
every manager to serve as the conduit rather than the short
circuit of
creativity.
for The Leader's Institute. He has twenty-five years
experience
training and coaching. He has built and sold two
successful
businesses. To learn more about becoming a High
Impact Leader visit
toll-free at 1-800-872-7830 X102.
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