Why Are You Afraid of Creativity?

Hey ... Creative people invent, imagine, problem-solve.  We see things and express ideas in fresh, new ways. 

So why do so many organizations hate creativity.  That's not really accurate.  Almost every organization likes to say they encourage and reward creativity.  But in practice, the talk is often not consistent with practice.  Why?  I have two ideas.

First, creativity is hard to manage.  What motivates us? The idea of financial gains and/or fear of financial loss?  Many (if not most) businesses operate on this model and it works for getting many types of task done.  However, if the task requires problem-solving, analysis, or innovation - CREATIVITY - this model actually hinders the process.  Daniel Pink, in his new book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, goes into great detail on how to motivate creative types.

Think about allowances.  "If you take out the trash, clean your room, and mow the yard, you will get a $5 a week allowance."  If your goal is to get the services of a house cleaner / gardner on the cheap, then tying your child's allowance to tasks is a good strategy.  However, if your goal is to teach your child about the responsiblities of being a part of a family, then tying financial reward to participation in maintaining the household makes no sense.  If you remove the money, would you expect your son or daughter to still take out the trash?  You would expect your gardener to continue mowing the lawn without pay?

Second, failure is an aspect of creativity.  To be creative, you cannot be afraid to fail.