文档介绍：DOFROMDOHBR THE HARVARD BUSINESS NOTNOT REVIEW COPYCOPY
OnPoint
ARTICLE
Want to snuff out innova- How to Kill Creativity
tion at pany?
by Teresa
Ignore employees’ special
expertise. Reinforce
conventional thinking.
And above all, throw a wet
blanket on employees’
deeply embedded passions.
New sections to
guide you through
the article:
• The Idea in Brief
• The Idea at Work
• Exploring Further. . .
PRODUCT NUMBER 3499
THE IDEA IN BRIEF How to Kill Creativity
If the mantra for the current business climate To foster an innovative workplace, you need to
is Innovate or die, why do so panies pay attention to employees’ expertise, creative-
seem to be choosing the latter option? thinking skills, and motivation. Of these three,
employees’ motivation—specifically, their
Creativity gets killed much more often than it
DODO NOTNOT COPYCOPYintrinsic motivation, or passion for a certain
gets supported. The problem is not that man-
kind of challenge—is the most potent lever a
agers smother creativity intentionally—the busi-
manager can use to boost creativity and his
ness need for coordination and control can inad-
company’s future ess.
vertently undermine employees’ ability to put
existing ideas together in new and useful ways.
THE IDEA AT WORK
In business, it isn’t enough for an idea to be ticular challenges. Employees are most creative
original—the idea must also be useful, appro- when they are intrinsically motivated—in other
priate, and actionable. It must somehow influ- words, when the work itself is motivating.
ence the way business gets done—for example,
It can be time consuming to try to influence an
by significantly improving a product or service.
employee’s expertise or creative-thinking skills.
Within every individual, creativity exists as a It’s easier to affect someone’s intrinsic motiva-
function of ponents: tion—and the results are more immediate.
Activities that enhance