A creativity challenge

A case study

1. What are some of the characteristics of the past management practices and organizational climate that are thwarting creativity?

2. What are some measures that you can take to begin to foster creativity int he individuals you work with and in your unit as a whole?what tools might be helpful?

BOOK- Managing Human Behavior in public and Non profit Organizations

(Continued) does that give you for addressing the problem? A Creativity Challenge: A Case Study icleas but also routinely shot them down if they were raised. His favorite response to suggested Innovations was, "We tried that once, and it didn't work." Staff con- fided that they hari learned a long time ago that they just needed to keep their heads down and do their jobs. One com mented, "Besides, it's enough to just keep up with all the requests we get. We don's have staff to do anything else!" What are some of the characteristics of the past management practices and organizational climate that are thwarting creativity? What are some measures that you can take to begin to foster creativity in the individuals you work with and in your unit as a whole? What tools might be helpful? Adapting Innovations You have just received a promotion to become the supervisor of the public infor mation office for your agency. You are thrilled about your new job and anxiously await the opportunity to work with your staff of seven people, both to improve how your agency responds to requests for information and to create new avenues for communication between your agency and citizens. At the conclusion of your first staff meeting, you ask your staff to help you begin identifying what they think are some of the problem areas and opportunities that the unit can and should address. The silence that follows is very unsettling to you. Nonetheless, you wait for some- one to speak. Finally, the most senior staff member says, "There is never any money around here to try anything new." Another comments, "What's the point? Our unit isn't a priority. Everything we've tried has been shot down." Another adds, "Citizens don't respond to our efforts to communicate with them. They are com- pletely apathetic." After a few more similar comments, you conclude the meeting by expressing appreciation for their com- ments and your hope and vision that things will change for the better. Still, you feel rather discouraged. Later, in private meetings, you talk with your staff about your desire to approach problems creatively and to come up with some new and innovative approaches to achieving the unit's mission. In the course of these discussions, you learn that the prior supervisor not only did not solicit One of the best ways to fuel your creativity is to seek out ideas from other individu- als and organizations. For example, the Alliance for Innovation has a website that describes innovative practices in local governments. Go to www.transformgov .org/govnews.asp and choose one of the examples that you think might or should be adapted and adopted in your commu- nity. Then answer the following questions: 1. What particularly intrigues you about this innovation? Why do you think it is needed and might or might not work in your community? 2. In what ways might the innovation be adapted to your particular community characteristics or needs? How can you build on or depart from what is already being done in another community