Most of us are raised to appreciate the accomplishments of inventors and thinkers—creative people whose ideas have transformed our world. We encourage creativity in our children (at least until they reach high school), and we celebrate people like those described in the 1997 Apple commercial as “the crazy ones”.
Being able to look at things creatively is supposed to be an asset. We believe that our creativity will be recognised, and that if we are ‘ideas people’, we will succeed. A quick look at recruitment ads proves my point. Here’s an example:
“Customer Services Agent with the ability to be creative, innovative and a problem solver with collaboration and inclusiveness.”
I say it’s bullshit. What manager in their right mind wants a customer service agent who thinks creatively? Imagine the chaos that would cause!
The truth is, most people don’t actually like creativity. Studies have confirmed that many people, especially in management roles, are intolerant of creative thinking despite their lip service to the contrary.
Barry Staw, who specialises in creativity at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, argues that most people are risk-averse. “As much as we celebrate independence in Western cultures, there is an awful lot of pressure to conform,” he says. “People want to avoid stirring things up, even if it means forsaking the truth or rejecting a good idea.”
One of the reasons for this aversion to creativity is that it is inherently uncertain, and this is something most people try to avoid. Over my 30-plus years working in the ad industry, I found that even people who say they are looking for creativity react negatively to unconventional ideas. “It’s too risky,” they say, and opt for the safe route. Unexceptional ideas are far more likely to be accepted than creative ones.
In a book on organisational creativity, Staw wrote a chapter entitled “Why No One Really Wants Creativity.” In it, he argues that organisations find it difficult to see the logic of innovation. Being a creative organisation might sound good, but it’s not the path they want to take.
But I firmly believe that when organisations are well prepared for the uncertainty that comes hand in hand with creativity and innovation, they are likely to reap the rewards. Rewards which include greater competitive advantage, more satisfied customers, improved staff productivity and retention, and ultimately an improved bottom line.