These Companies Aren't Listening to Richard Florida
With all the ballyhoo over innovation as the management mandate du jour -- one need look no further than the agenda at the World Economic Forum in Davos for proof -- it's tempting to think that the message might finally be getting through. The hunt for creative talent is crucial, the development of new products critical. And you, dear manager, should know your company holds the qualities of innovation and creativity in the highest respect.
But new data released from human-resources consulting firm Development Dimensions International show that's hardly the case. About a year ago, Pittsburgh-based DDI surveyed more than 900 human-resources managers and 4,500 leaders in other corporate departments across 42 countries and 36 industries. It asked leaders the following question: "In your organization, which of the following leader qualities get the most respect?"
Non-HR managers were asked to choose just one answer, with choices ranging from "ability to bring in the numbers" to "integrity or ethics." The percentage of North American leaders who checked "creativity or innovation" as the most respected quality -- just 4% -- tied with "technical expertise" for second-to-last place. (Only "ability to work across other cultures and countries" scored lower. See chart below, "Respected Leadership Qualities ranked by non-HR business leaders in China and North America.")
Read more here.
posted by Don Iannone, D.Div., Ph.D. at
Thursday, February 23, 2006
2 Comments:
Very interesting. After reading the article, I almost wonder whether the "bring in the numbers" choice INCLUDES some assumption about innovation or at least creativity. In other words, do businesses value creativity IN THE CONTEXT OF BUSINESS EXECUTION? We all know people who are (or think of themselves as) creative, but are also either lazy or otherwise incapable of getting anything done. I don't think that such people are particularly valuable to most companies - even in R&D a creative person needs to be able execute her/his creations. You might even make the argument that a person CANNOT "bring in the numbers" unless s/he IS creative.
By
Anonymous, at 8:14 AM
Thanks for your comment, Karen.
Definitions of creativity vary, as you know, and it remains a subjective (inner reality) occurrence, even though we can point to external manifestations of creativity, such as works of art, music, poetry, new scientific ideas, new business strategies, etc.
People are by their very nature--creative; most are in their own way. Applying that creative nature to particular work activities is another thing.
Many HR executives are schooled in the old ways, and therefore have little understanding of creativity. Many are accustomed to simply looking for people to fit some ill-defined job description, which tend to be outdated even before the ink dries on them.
Creativity is a quality with value in its own right. Business has the right to capture it where it can, but I think we should see creativity as "in service to none, only itself."
By
Don Iannone, D.Div., Ph.D., at 8:44 AM
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