Welcome to the C-Suite, Creativity!
Creativity is the breeding ground that allows people and organizations to grow. That’s why the Creative Hive community is launching its largest study to date on this topic.
Duncan Wardle, former Head of Innovation & Creativity at Walt Disney, is right when he says: «Creativity is more than the ability to paint a picture or play a song. It’s the ability to find innovative solutions to your problems.» This quote appears on the first pages of our study «Welcome to the C-Suite, Creativity!», for which Duncan wrote an exclusive foreword. We at Creative Hive are currently finalizing the document—but we’d like to give you a sneak peek at the topic right now.
How, what, why?
Creativity is probably the most powerful tool we humans have for solving challenges. It is what connects us and enables us to think in new ways. Creativity is the breeding ground that allows both people and organizations to grow. For our community and us, that’s reason enough to take a closer look at the topic and explore it in detail. We spoke with board members, CEOs, entrepreneurs, founders, and, of course, creative professionals and researchers. In addition, we surveyed more than 1,000 true doers and thought leaders from the DACH region. The picture that emerges is clear.
«In the near future, many publicly traded companies will have a chief creativity officer on their board.»
Creativity is the most valuable asset in organizations. After all, it is inherent in us. It sparks true «miracles» and enables individuals and teams to overcome virtually any challenge. Furthermore, it has the collective power to accelerate organizations and generate new ideas.
Our study clearly shows how crucial the ability to break rules in a value-adding way and to foster interdisciplinary collaboration is to a company’s success. In this context, the integration of individual abilities with the skills of teams makes all the difference. It serves as the breeding ground and must be cultivated through an organization’s framework conditions. The study reveals a broad range of key factors. The findings are recommendations for implementation. And for those who are still not entirely sure, you can assess your own organization using the «KPI» (Creativity Performance Indicator). To get you thinking, you’ll find a few ideas in the info box on the right—a sort of preview of the study before it’s published, so to speak.
A Key Component for the Future
It is not only the World Economic Forum that defines creativity as a key competency for the future. Our study also concludes that creative skills will become increasingly important for organizational development. And they must be represented and exemplified—but above all, enabled—even at the highest levels of leadership.
Creativity and Business: Six Theses
1. Your people are your greatest creative asset
Individuals should be encouraged and challenged to think innovatively, experiment, develop ideas, and take risks.
2. Ideas should be encouraged, «enabled,» and brought to light.
Companies should develop ongoing initiatives—supported to the fullest extent possible—to optimize and reinvent themselves. Developing an open culture of communication is essential to this.
3. Chaos is great. But creativity also needs structure.
Furthermore, it seems necessary to establish an environment and design processes and structures that enable efficient and rapid decision-making. A high degree of flexibility and agility in decision-making could accelerate the implementation of new concepts and models. Chaos is great. But creativity also needs structure.
4. «Freedom to the people»
In the decision-making process, personal responsibility and freedom to make decisions should be key factors. The appropriate level of autonomy and accountability should be learned early on, both as individuals and as an organization.
5. Knowledge is power. The collective knowledge of many people is even more powerful.
Ongoing opportunities for inspiration, educational programs, and the establishment of a consistent culture of learning and knowledge foster creativity within the organization.
6. Creativity Needs a Compass
Establishing a sense of purpose for the organization and communicating its goals helps foster creativity. Clear communication of a vision is also essential. This can help individuals understand that their work and ideas have a positive impact. Their personal contribution can boost their motivation to participate in shaping the organization and, in turn, enhance their creativity.
In the coming weeks, the new Creative Hive Study: «Welcome to the C-Suite, Creativity!» Published. Contributors include the organization human unlimited, Publicis Groupe DACH, the agency MetaDesign, Innofact AG, and the Kienbaum@ISM Institute. The study examines the specific role creativity plays in organizations—and offers tips for innovation in this area. Further information will be available after the study is published—of course—in our magazine, among other places.
This article is a contribution from Creative Hive, the m&k partner platform.
