Creativity also learn
In the financial department of Danone detected a problem that periodically produce reports are not read because the amount of figures, graphs and tables make them unattractive. On the other hand, the Gillette Company, meetings lengthened as working time was reduced to the moments between meetings. What both of these problems have in common? Perhaps your solution is to implement creative and innovative measures. To achieve this, “the starting point is to ask things in a different way than the usual one, because if we do the same questions, always get the same answers, and so it is impossible to innovate,” explains Philippe Delespesse, founding partner of Creative Intelligence, a consulting firm that helps manage business creativity.
In Gillette reduced the time of its meetings forcing the participants to stand
They did at Gillette, where, after thinking a lot about concluded that the meetings would be standing. This measure helped to reduce the time of the meetings, as the discomfort of not being able to sit helps them focus on the issue to be addressed without major detours. According Delespesse, this is a good example of the error which is “Connect with the product creativity, design, and R & D only, because creativity is a value through all the departments of the company.”
Joaquim Vila IESE responsible for innovation, he adds that “companies need to find original solutions to both new and recurring problems. Conventional solutions in the best place us at the same level as other similar businesses. An original solution, however, results in an advantage to be more or less impact depending on the value contribution, as far as it can protect against counterfeiting, as well as the degree of support which they have within the company .
Education for all
The training of employees is key to reach all these innovative solutions, as normally managing creativity is an ongoing issue in the companies. The formations are the first step to convince employees and managers that good ideas emerge only when you unlock the mind, and when the environment is conducive to unleash the imagination. “From there, the company is interested not only in generating ideas, but also to systematize these processes. They can create a team with their own trainers in creativity, not having to rely on an external company, and a committee of innovation permante be in charge of tracking all the ideas that arise within the company, “explains Delespesse.
A bet of the big companies
Although the management of creativity can bring great benefits, economic investment involving such services are an obstacle for small and medium enterprises.
The cost of a two-day training for 40 people may be around 15,000 euros
Until now, companies that have chosen these methods are large multinational business groups such as Chupa Chups, Coca Cola, Pepsico, Planet, Danone Matutano, among others.
To get an idea, a training session two days for a department of 40 people costs approximately € 15,000, for additional € 6,000, you can also train a group of “trainers” inside the company. But the amounts can rise even more. Creative Intelligence has been charged with a major pharmaceutical to train 300 workers in a plan that will last more than a year and a half, and that will cost the company a total of 100,000 euros.
The profitability of investment depends on the value of innovations on, but the overall satisfaction of participants, so far, far exceeds the “remarkable.” At Applied, for example, include the 500 ideas that have been generated through several creative management workshops, and from Metro recognizes the effective capacity of these techniques to achieve results in the short term.
