Handcuffing Creativity
By Peter Lloyd"Employees aren't allowed on the internet," he replied sheepishly. Reading my astonishment, he nodded empathetically.
Perhaps I'm too sensitive, because I spend a lot of time writing about innovation, invention, creativity, and ideas. I'm always on the lookout for creative ways to make things work better. I could be wrong. Maybe some businesses can justify making some parts of the internet off limits to some employees, but "Employees aren't allowed on the internet," came from the mouth of an intelligent young clerk at a major bookstore chain.
(I won't mention the chain name, except to point out that the store borders my neighborhood.)
The bookstore clerk was helping me search for something on the in-store computer. When he failed to find it, I suggested he surf to a website, where I knew the answer waited to be grabbed. Sorry, can't help you.
What was management thinking!
Am I just a curmudgeon or are half the companies that pretend to serve the public consciously and systematically muzzling the natural creativity of their employees these days?
Not your better restaurants, but all kinds of chain restaurants force nice people--who might even have charming personalities—rattle off rote welcomes and robotic table introductions when I arrive. Is it me? Or do they do the same to you?
Where I live, I was appalled to learn at one time that my Bell phone store could not be reached—I'm serious—by telephone! Recently I found that, although the phone store I tried to reach by phone—those things they sell--did not list their phone number on their website (at least not where I could find it).
I was able to unearth it, however, by calling the mall's main phone. After wading though the list of options, I chose "talk to a service representative," and got a recorded message.
Yes, they actually used the word service to describe what their representatives do.
Listen, corporate control freaks, you have no more valuable or powerful source of innovative energy at your disposal than the natural creativity of your people.
Am I beginning to sound like Andy Rooney? Okay, then listen to best-selling author Stephen Covey. He writes in the introduction to Six Sigma for Dummies, "Studies show that the vast majority of employees possess far more talent, more intelligence, more capability, more creativity, and more ability than their jobs require or even allow."
Peter Lloyd is co-creator with Stephen Grossman of Animal Crackers, the breakthrough problem-solving tool designed to crack your toughest problems.