The article The Weird Rules of Creativity written by Robert I. Sutton and published in Harvard Business Review provides an insight into the management issues. Actually, author writes about creativity and special environment that should be achieved within the framework of the companies. Creativity demands special attitude to flourish. According to the author creativity appears in conditions, which cannot be called friendly, low-stressed and funny. His studies confirm this theory. Sutton states that good manager should take everything he or she knows about management and stand it on its head. Furthermore, his article is dedicated to three ideas for managers and HR to follow. First is about hiring people, second relates to management, and third deals with risk and randomness. Author finds it completely weird but these ideas work in numerous companies.
For most of the companies creativity and innovation is not a primary activity. They try to make money of old products and services and only after that pay attention to creation. Moreover, practices and approaches for creativity growth are so modern. Managers choose the safe ways and to provide creative climate a company needs to turn 180 degrees and shift to new approaches.
Managing talented people is another problem a company should deal with. People who do what they think is right and what their bosses believe is good can drive others crazy but such people force companies to try new ideas and provide lots of innovations. Besides, creativity cannot be achieved in routine and cannot be planned. It is a good idea to keep creative people far away from customers, whose main concern is money because they feel uncomfortable in front of critics. Too comfortable attitude also decreases creativity because obstacles encourage person to overcome them.
According to general and well-acknowledged rules, workers should be rewarded for success and punished for failure. The author states that failure is not a big problem because it is another experience. What should be punished is inaction. Without a try innovation is impossible. Besides, clever manager should convince employees that they can achieve success in case they try and they believe in it.
Finally, the Robert I. Sutton writes that his aim is not convince the company to discard routine and apply his methods to the innovative projects. His aim is to show ways in which creativity can be achieved. Furthermore, doing routine work can help company to exist and to make money. Yet, development of the company depends on creative people and finding and encouraging them should be a concern for every modern company. Hardly any company can exist without innovations.
