allPM.com :: Positive Leadership In Project Management – Creativity and Innovation, The Leader’s Edge By Frank P. Saladis PMP

Positive Leadership In Project Management – Creativity and Innovation, The Leader’s Edge By Frank P. Saladis PMP

Published on Friday, February 29, 2008 - 03:05 PM

Creativity and innovation are critical skills for any leader and a “must have” for success. As people mature and become comfortable in their respective job assignments, the inherent creativity found in everyone seems to dissipate or become sealed in a deep chamber of the mind where it is forgotten. During class discussions I often bring creativity and innovation into the dialog.I ask the class participants about their creative abilities. The question, “who believes they are very creative?” doesn’t generate much of a response. Creativity and innovation seem to have been replaced by logic, time constraints, forced deadlines, and tired brains or maybe a very suppressive work environment. There is no time to think about options and new approaches or creative ways to solve a problem. There is only the pressing need to produce something quickly and as inexpensively as possible, which reduces the team into the mode of – just get it done. There is no time to think about and discuss the solution that has been decided upon to determine if it is actually the best solution. This “jump to solution” approach can be very risky in terms of cost, organizational capabilities, customer satisfaction, and the behavior of the project team involved.

Creativity becomes a victim of time pressures and stress. The greater the pressure, the more our creativity is suppressed. Today’s emerging leaders and those who have found their calling as leaders are continually looking for the next right answer, the next best product, the way to save a dollar, the best way to keep their employees or team members motivated. While researching information for a presentation, I discovered an interesting quote on a website that focused on the “wow” project” (visit Tom Peter’s website to learn about the wow project). The quote was “There is no such thing as a boring project, there is only boring execution.” If you think about it, any project you may be assigned to should be important to your organization or you wouldn’t be working on it. (This is a generalization but it is a reasonable assumption). The leaders and decision makers for most organizations select projects because they have some value and are necessary. Some projects may be relatively small in terms of complexity and duration and many are considered routine. These smaller projects seem to be where creativity and innovation suffer the most. A lack of enthusiasm on the part of the project manager or team leader result in lackluster performance and probably quite a bit of complacency. It seems that “small” projects are viewed as not very important and not worthy of a little extra creative effort. Looking at larger projects where there is more at stake in terms of cost, risk, and integration of components, there is generally more interest, excitement and a feeling of commitment.

Regardless of project size, projects should be considered unique and important and the project manager or project leader should approach the project with a sense of commitment, enthusiasm and purpose. It is important to develop that same enthusiasm within the project team. This is where creativity and innovation begins, at the start of the project. The project manager as the leader must develop a strategy that not only focuses on the successful completion of the project, but on how to keep the team engaged and motivated.

I believe leaders should view themselves as idea generators and catalysts for thought and action among their teams. Creativity was embedded in everyone at birth and was used without limit until we entered the real world where logic took over and restrictions and rules apply. The project environment is filled with uncertainties and unexpected situations, despite having a great planning process in place. The leader will be required to encourage the team to think of alternatives and, in some cases, very unusual ways to solve problems. If you have ever watched the TV program “The Apprentice,” you have seen the project manager and the team work very hard to develop creative solutions to a challenge. For some teams, it seems effortless to create something or solve a problem, while others struggle for ideas. The leader must provide the right type of guidance, confidence building, and stress reduction to allow ideas to flow and grow. This type of leadership encourages thoughts and ideas that are shared among the team. A “crazy” idea may be the start of something truly feasible.

It is important for the leader to keep his or her creative talent sharp and ready. Looking for new ideas is actually enjoyable and can be very educational as well. You never know where the next idea may be hiding. It’s important to keep looking. One should never believe that there are no more good ideas out there. Sometimes you just need a place to start looking. Here are a few places where creativity and innovation can be nurtured and come alive and they are relatively easy to get to:

The local book store – just read book titles and try changing the title to fit your work environment

Magazines – if you travel often, pick up a few magazines and read the advertisements as well as the articles. Quite a bit of imagination goes into an ad.

In the shower – this is a place where you are most likely very relaxed. Your mind is at ease and stress is very low. Ideas flow freely when your mind and body are relaxed

A walk in a park – again, a place to reduce stress and let the mind daydream a bit.

The internet – this is an unlimited source of ideas. Pick a topic, do a search, read the various views on the subject and draw your own conclusions.

The History and Discovery TV channels. Sometimes learning how something works helps to find solutions to a wide variety of issues.

Colleagues and mentors – Ask questions. Become a bit inquisitive. Find out more about a lot of things.

Observe artists and hobbyists. They are usually very creative and are willing to discuss their work enthusiastically.

Listen to speakers at seminars. Really listen to their thoughts. Many speakers have a very inspiring effect on their audiences.

Listen to audio books while driving. There is much more to most books than just the story.

There are many sources and opportunities for leaders to improve their creative abilities. It starts with the desire to make a difference. An open mind, a different view about a familiar subject, and few “what if” questions and you are on your way to the next big discovery. We don’t always have to be practical and logical. Sometimes logic is the barrier to a great step forward. There are always risks but that is actually part of the excitement of innovation and creative thought. “Lead the way” sometimes means “create the way.” Imagine the possibilities!

© 2008 allPM.com

Frank P. Saladis (PMP) is Senior Consultant with International Institute for Learning, Inc. He has been involved in the development of standardized Project Management Guidelines (PMGs) for the AT&T Corporate Information Technology Services (Corporate ITS) organization and is the author of the Project Evaluation Review Process (PERP). He is the recipient of the 2006 PMI Linn Stuckenbruck person of the year award.

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