This document discusses why creativity is often rejected despite being desired. It argues that most people are risk averse and prefer predictable choices with high probabilities of success over more creative options with greater uncertainty. Organizations also tend to avoid risk and celebrate innovation only in principle rather than practice. The document concludes that being creative requires understanding an organization's aversion to risk and framing new ideas as low-risk improvements rather than uncertain transformations.

2. Why
No-one Wants
Creativity
Paul Iddon
Managing Director
KernelSimpatico
19th July 2014

3. 3
People Desire, but Reject
Creative Ideas….
We are taught that
creativity will be celebrated
- if we have good ideas, we
will succeed.
RUBBISH!
Creativity is rarely
acknowledged: Most
people don’t actually like
it.

4. What does this mean?
“Even people who say they are
looking for creativity react negatively
to creative ideas”*
It is not Overt – A bias activates as a
response to reduce uncertainty - Risk
It also causes people to not even
recognise a creative idea….
*The bias against creativity – why people desire but reject creative ideas University of
Pennsylvania 2011

5. What does this mean?
“In terms of decision style, most
people fall short of the creative
ideal … unless they are held
accountable for their decision-
making strategies, they tend to find
the easy way out—either by not
engaging in very careful thinking or
by modeling the choices on the
preferences of those who will be
evaluating them.”

6. 6
People are risk averse – when it
comes to possible gains.
Given a choice people will
generally choose a 90%
chance of winning £1000
over a 10% chance of
winning £100,000..
Unless..
They are in a losing
situation where they will
take risk..

7. 7
People are risk averse
The same principle applies
in following the majority
prevailing view…
Even if it means
abandoning evident
truths…
And especially when the
majority view is backed
by an authority
figure……

8. 8
Organisations can also follow this
strategy….
They may celebrate
innovation, but few
managers are willing to
take the risk…
It means breaking
every ‘rule’ from
recruitment to policy
and investment….

9. 9
Organisations can also follow this
strategy…
Creativity means chaos,
opposition, non-conformity,
uncertainty and ‘waste’ –
Risk
“Creative people do
not ‘mesh well’ with
the proclivities of the
average person”

10. 10
In Conclusion
A Cornell study makes the case that social rejection
is not actually bad for the creative process—and can
facilitate it….BUT in any case:
Know your organisation, your line management -
know their pains – their situation
Make them look good – but not too risky
Creativity is a sliding scale – small victories –
small moves

11. Thank You
Presented by:
Paul Iddon
Managing Director
KernelSimpatico UK
31 Blackfriars Rd
Manchester M3 7AQ
T: +44 161 834 3935
M: +44 7977 283038