It can be concluded with great certainty that certain organizational cultures inhibit creativity and innovation whilst others foster it. Some organizations are just better at identifying problems, generating and selecting valuable ideas and developing and commercialising them - this is why those firms tend to maintain competitive advantage and remain leaders in their field.

Another way to look at the problem is in terms of blocks. Certain organizations create or enhance blocks that prevent their human capital from working to its potential. Some of the many blocks include:

a) Conformity and risk aversion
b) Culture dictating behaviour
c) A sense of inappropriate behaviour
d) Negatively assessing own ideas
e) Logical thinking, scientific, cause and event thinking
f) Rejection of ideas without adequate valuation processes
g) Competition inhibiting behaviour
h) Fear of being perceived as being unoriginal
i) Fear of being perceived as being unintelligent
j) Problems have an illusion of difficulty
k) Waiting for inspiration
l) Lack of resources
m) Lack of tangible progression of good ideas
n) Lack of focus or goal


Simply from an analysis of the above, it is apparent that a number of areas require the attention of leaders, including:

a) Management of personalities and individual blocks
b) Management of organizational blocks
c) Management of ideas from problem identification to commercialisation
d) Distinctions and management of cultural and structural inhibitors

Resolution techniques include broad categorisation – many blocks can be viewed

About the Author: Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com.