In the current Fast Company (available on newstands – not yet online) there’s an article that spells out the 6 Myths of Creativity. See how many of these traps YOUR station falls into:
Creativity Comes from Creative Types. Wrong. Anybody can be creative – indeed, everybody should be. But our environments don’t motivate new ideas.
Money is a Creativity Motivator. Wrong. If people believe that their every move will affect their compensation then they become more risk averse – not more prone to dream up new and profitable ideas. People are creative when they care about their work and they’re stretching their skills.
Time Pressure Fuels Creativity. Wrong. People under pressure can’t engage with the problem and ponder it. Time pressure kills creativity.
Fear Forces Breakthroughs. Wrong. Creativity is positively associated with joy and love – and negatively associated with anger, fear, and anxiety. People excited about their work are the most creative.
Competition beats Collaboration. Wrong. When people compete for recognition they stop sharing information and stop debating ideas. Sharing and collaboration fuels creativity, competition stifles it.
A Streamlined Organization is a Creative Organization. Downsizing kills creativity. And anticipation of downsizing kills it even faster and harder.
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