CoolBurst: Case Study
Though unintentional, the mindset of CoolBurst’s CEO Luisa Reboredo is at the center of the company’s stifled creativity. In reading the article it is apparent that Luisa truly cares about the company’s success but does not recognize the signs of anxiety that is obvious in her thought process. As a disclaimer, anyone experiencing Luisa’s situation should immediately contact a professional trained in mental health. While overstressing obsessively about the problem Luisa could not enjoy the art festival which could have sparked many creative solutions to the problem. Failing to exercise self-care in response to her current mental health condition Luisa’s is not only putting her own health at risk she is also working hard at being counterproductive.
1. CoolBursts company culture acts as a detriment to creativity. Being creative requires a relaxed atmosphere where people feel at ease to express many ridiculous ideas. A key strength that was mentioned was the “employees treated each other with a politeness that seemed like a throwback to the 1950’s” (p. 38, Wetlaufer, 1997). The current work environment demonstrates a high level of respect between employees and for hierarchy. The company’s practices of discouraging the expression of ideas is a root cause of the lack of creativity. Management also expressed confusion about the concept of creativity. Creative expression does not require absenteeism, employees do not need to leave work early or arrive late in order to express creative thoughts. The overall punctuality of employees demonstrates their respect and appreciation for their employment at the company. The case study also failed to mention any policies or practices in place to encourage creativity. It was mentioned that when an outside firm engaged CoolBurst managers into a creativity enhancing exercise, management snapped with hostility. The reward structure was hardly mentioned in the case study. With the company’s steady success a competitive reward structure should be a highlight of the narrative.
2. The changes needed at CoolBurst to foster an innovative learning environment are small and many. Changes need to begin at the top of the hierarchy with Luisa. She needs to learn to better manage her stress and set an example for her subordinates. The problem would be best addressed as a company team, not as an individual. The company’s management needs to come together and understand the need to address the situation. Changes will not be successful if management does don’t support the need for creativity and innovation in order to grow. A company brainstorming session could seek out a list of potential solutions for management to choose the best and most viable ideas. By shifting the problem from Luisa to a team problem not only does it alleviate some of Luisa’s stress it also shifts the company culture to collaborative leadership. Employees participating in the discussion of leadership initiatives will be more motivated (a highly effective non-fiscal reward). Policies need to be created to ensure management does not punish or belittle employees for expressing a creative opinion. Management needs to come together to create a clear definition of the problem and the creativity and innovation they are seeking. Simply clarifying their definition of innovation would eliminate the stigma they have attached to the concept of creativity. It is difficult to encourage creativity when management has associated creativity with many negative attributes of a previous employee. Most importantly the company needs to come together to relax and celebrate their many successes and enjoy the opportunity to seek out new opportunities to grow.
3. In order to be successful in changing the company’s culture to embrace innovation Luisa needs the support of all levels of employees. As CEO Luisa needs to set the example with herself and address the impact anxiety from the situation has caused her personally. The case study provided a comprehensive description of how Luisa’s personal life and mental health was being affected by her job as a CEO. She worked around the clock yet could not see that her lack of attention to her own self-care was causing her to suffer from anxiety. She needs to address her own mental health issues in order to be a healthy leader of the company. Her anxiety is causing her to obsess over the problem rather than analyzing potential solutions. In a healthier state of mind, Luisa would have been enjoying her success as a CEO of a company that is steady. She would have noticed she was surrounded by many creative solutions to her problem while strolling through the art festival. She would have paid more attention to the potential opportunity of expanding the company’s product lines, distribution and targeted consumers. She would have seen the opportunities the small new competitors are leveraging as potential areas for growth. Once she has addressed her own needs she then needs to rally the support of others. She will need the support of all members of management to foster an environment that encourages innovation. Luisa needs to begin to focus on opportunities to change and grow rather than overanalyzing about negative details. With a more opportunistic attitude, Luisa needs to create an environment that encourages others to focus on creating solutions.
References
Wetlaufer, S. (1997). What's Stifling the Creativity at CoolBurst?. Harvard Business Review, 75, 36-54.
