By Scott Whittaker

1. MANAGING THE CREATIVE ORGANIZATION
By ScottWhittaker

2. In our modern,global,
knowledge-driven economy,
creativity and the ability to
innovate are increasingly critical
factors for organizational
success.

3. Businesses are working toharnessthe power of
creativityto:
• Develop new products or services,
• Differentiate existing products or services,
• Attract more customers,
• Enter new markets and
• Reduce costs.

4. Organizational creativity is notsimply being
creative for the sake ofcreating, butrather has
the aim of solving some sort ofproblem, whether
it is a customer’s or that ofthe business itself.

5. Organizationsexist tocreate value for their stakeholders,
withthe emphasisonthe word, create. Valuecreation
and, hence, innovation,can occur at any phaseof the
productionprocess, from resource acquisition,value
transformationor outputand is not necessarily
developing the “next big thing”.

6. Embracing creative business strategiesdoesn’t mean that
managers have to now be artists, but it does require thinking,
and managing,differently.

7. Whilewe tend tothinkof “A-Ha” moments– thatis major
breakthroughs of some sort – whenwe thinkof creative
endeavors, innovative progress is usually much more
incremental;small,but significantchanges, rather than
revolutionary. Despite this, changestilldoesn’t occur overnight
and frequentfailure isa constant part of thelandscape.

8. Making mistakes is NOT failure, as long as
the organization learns from it.

9. The traditionalmanagementapproachof discouraging
failureis antitheticaltofosteringa business that
innovates;rather “good faith”failureshouldbe
rewarded. What outcomes are being reinforced by your
current performance evaluationsystem?

10. In our increasingly connected world, thefactors most likely to
affect your business willcome from a sector thatprobably has
nothingto do withyour business. Conversely, innovative ideas
are most likely to come thesame way. Rethinkyour business
partnerships and reconsider those narrowly writtenjob
requirements.
Synergyand diversity are two keyingredientsfor the Creative
Business.

11. Innovationdoesn’t require management,rather it requires
facilitation.The role of managementintheCreative Business is
to develop and support the type of work environmentwhich
removes impedimentsto creativity; providing direction and
resources whileenhancingcommunicationand resolving
problems.

12. This is not to say that“anythinggoes”. Far from it.There still
needs to be goals and deadlines. Challenging,but realistic goals
are motivators. A somewhatimperfect product delivered on
timeis still better thana perfect one which is never delivered.

13. The secret to organizational innovation is no secret. Everyone hasthe
capacityto create.
Our ability to imagine something which doesn’t exist and make it a reality
is what haslead to our success as a species. It’s part of the human spirit.
The hard part is unlearningthe old behaviors which keep this spirit locked
up.

14. If you always do whatyou have always done, you willonly get
whatyou have always gotten.
There is always a better mousetrap. The questionis will youor
someone else create it?

15. ScottWhittaker
is the lead dreamer, thinker, doer, leader
and teacher at IDEA Services, a consulting
firm dedicated to optimizing individual
and organizational capabilities.
Feel free to reach me at:
ascottwhittaker@hotmail.com