Creative Process Drives Leadership Intervention

Application of Creative Process and Robust Learning Curriculum
used to achieve supportive outcomes

TB & G , Large public company
(Fictitious name however to provide confidentiality)

CPS / HPI Leadership Intervention
CPS – Creative Problem Solving HPI – Human Performance Improvement

Background: The client was an individual about mid forties promoted from a financial position at Corp. to a General Manager running one of this company’s (at the time) largest manufacturing facility. Not new to leadership, however new to running a manufacturing facility with profit and loss responsibility. Very fast paced facility, working long hours, under tremendous stress to get work completed with a feeling of pulling the load himself. He had 7 plus supervisors working for him however transitioning from a “manager” to a “leader of people” was physically hurting him and his valued family life.
He had a real passion for developing people, however I think due to the pressures of his position he may have lost perspective of himself, his company and his position. Here is a comment he shared with me; “These people are good people and I do want to develop them, but there is no place for them to go here. I’d like to at least help them so they can find other opportunity outside of here”.

Purpose: A breakdown in leadership and follow through occurred in developing a process improvement program. After reflection and evaluation, the GM realized issues with his leadership and committed to preparing himself and his people for another round of this improvement program.

Process: Because of the complexity of the challenge and awareness that problems even existed among the people involved, two well-researched processes were used to help them learn and apply meaningful programming. CPS – Creative Problem-solving – helped to bring about “change and transformation” within the leadership team. HPI – helped connect people and performance to business strategy.

Payoff: Supportive outcomes occurred through - shared purpose and vision, participative leadership and an understanding of divergence and innovation.

Creative Physical Space

I visited with a company Wednesday August 3rd that is the epitome of creative physical environment. The VP of HR's husband was a Sid Parnes, MS graduate I believe in the 70's or 80's. His contribution and the commitment by the founder to creativity in the work place has made this organization and its physical environment a showcase and one to be admired. My contact is holding this name close to chest but one day I'm going to investigate more about this individual.

They occupy 4 floors of a 5 story corporate building in downtown USA. Each floor is layed out exactly the same, so that anyone coming on to different floors doesn't waste time with learning a new environment. There are however some differences depending upon the functional areas, however these areas are layed out in work team environments to reduce affects of silo complications.

There is a color scheme with pastel light earthly colors. I noticed some yellows and some different shades of green. The furniture is brand new with a 1950- 60's fashion style. The open floor staircases are metal with old fashion stainless steel wire molding. This place was outstanding. When you come onto each floor their is a coffee bar with a marble style countertop with two high top chairs. There are conference and study rooms all over the floor space. There are some areas with walls for writing ideas when people collaborate as their walking. You'll notice a couple chairs and a little coffee table with privacy walls built to allow for little private conversations. Some rooms even have closed doors and designated as innovation labs. They even have rooms designated for excursions when there is a need for an environment change. He showed us one little study room with outdoor patio furniture in it instead of office tables. They have what they call here the US as hotel rooms where individuals coming for short stays can get comfortable and get work done while their at the Corp. office. Most of the rooms are required to be cleaned when a group leaves it however he did tell us that the lab floor where most of their engineering and technical work is done has rooms where ideas are written and allowed to stay until projects are completed. On the first floor there is a very large open space that was divided into 3 training rooms. The walls are able to fold and it provides for this huge room in the event of a large gathering. Each training room had "A" frame white boards and the walls had cork strips to tack flip charts on the walls.

Each floor has a resource area right in the open space they designate for learning; book shelves chairs and couches. Latest and hot topic business books, industry specific ones and even professional trade journals and newspapers. Each floor also has a room designated as their copy room with multi-copy and postal conveniences. Each floor has history memorabilia of the development of the company and its products. The company sells industrial, medical and personal cleaning products. What might you guess they have screwed to the hall walls? Yep, dispensers of their waterless liquid cleaners. I noticed two of these dispensers on each floor so employees can keep their hands clean of viruses and bacteria's.

And of course CPS Creative Problem Solving is part of what they call Value Leadership training that each of their managers are required to complete. It is so convenient that their training room is ground level and during CPS training their sent outside to sense the environment.

Here is a cool thing. The founder believed creativity was instrumental to him in his product development, so it became the cornerstone for how to do business. He recognized also not everyone has a good meal when they come to work, so peanut butter, butter, bread and milk are served free as well as popcorn two days a week. Then they also have food in vending machines in the kitchen areas. Each floor has one. Caters are available and brought in for special sessions and kitchens are convenient located off the training rooms.

Now the people. I noticed work teams occupying many of the rooms on each floor. The doors were closed so their were no distracting sounds able to get in and actually the whole place was rather quite. In many of the rooms they had this child toy that has many rings all different sizes. Each ring is labeled with words of significance, starting from the top; Purpose, mission, values, critical success factors, learning and training execution and so forth. As they play they are reminded of the important things in the work life.