Creativity and innovation

"Creatives" are a treasure to almost every organization, especially in this time of chaotic change brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic Tsunami that is raging throughout the world. The full impact of this pandemic will ripple through all sectors of the economy and will likely transform many workplaces. Particularly as artificial intelligence replaces some jobs, creativity will be a central attribute most sought in employees.

How organizations across a variety of sectors respond depends on their stability, resource base, and leadership. Particularly in higher education, many are predicting paradigmatic change that will result from shifting markets, changing finances, and diverse stakeholders. 

How does paradigmatic change occur and what kind of people are required in order for sustainable change to emerge? Responding on the behalf of those who champion unrecognized or unpopular solutions, Robert Sternberg, publishing in Inside Higher Education, raises the question that creatives often raise, "Was your idea too creative?"

I've played the "creative" role throughout my career, sometimes achieving a desirable outcome and other times succeeding temporarily or failing all together. As a younger educator I didn't even understand that my views were often entirely different from those around me. I thought that I was just the one who voiced the perspective that was likely obvious to at least some, if not a number, of those around me. Unfortunately, I didn't realize I was asking others around me to take a leap, moving into an uncomfortable or even disloyal place, which automatically set up resistance that I then needed to manage.

Sternberg's opinion piece is eye-opening and is broadly applicable in higher education and other sectors. The key issues he helps us understand are: 1) what level of change are you advocating? 2) why are you often rejected? and 3) how do you minimize the potential of rejection?

These are very important questions for the individual "creative" but they are also questions that organizations might ask of themselves in slightly modified form: 1) what level of change is required for organizational survival and thriving? 2) why does our organization reject important opportunities? and 3) how can the organization minimize the negative impact on "creatives" and the consequences for the broader organization?