Management Habits That Stifle Creativity at Work and How to Change Them

Some management habits may be productive in certain situations but can impair creativity at work.

The Quick Fixer

This habit settles for the first adequate solution to a problem, stopping the search for a better one. To avoid the Quick Fix, set a quota of five to ten different ideas before choosing a solution.

Another approach is to set a minimum time of at least five minutes for generating new ideas.

The Stifler

This habit involves quick negative criticism. Premature criticism is one of the most damaging ways to stifle creativity at work. At the same time, managers need to give honest opinions about new ideas.

Try pretending the ideas are coming from your boss. This can help ensure that each idea receives careful consideration and respect.

The Gauntlet

This habit occurs when every idea must run the gauntlet of group criticism before it is taken seriously. The danger is that ideas can be lost when one or more people dominate the discussion through status or position.

The antidote is non-evaluative listening. Merely reducing evaluation is not enough. When listening to or listing ideas, total non-evaluation is necessary.

The Timer

This habit can be productive, but when overdone, it can impair creativity at work. Creative problem solving requires time to:

Explore and define problems.
Generate all types of ideas without evaluation.
Develop criteria for evaluating ideas.
Evaluate and select ideas.
Develop the solution to be implemented.

Shortcuts can produce solutions of lower quality and less creativity. Time is like money when it is spent pursuing high-quality solutions.

The Controller

This habit does not give people enough freedom to decide what to do or how to do it. Good management is still essential for achieving results, so a balance is needed between total freedom and consultation with others.

To stimulate creativity at work, managers can set direction, clearly describe the desired end product, delegate within people's areas of expertise, and then take the risk of letting people manage their own work.

The Rewarder

This habit can seem productive but can impair creativity. External rewards, or even a strong focus on external rewards, can lower creativity. In contrast, self-direction, in which internal motives operate, can increase creativity.

Internal motivation can include challenge, enjoyment, interest, novelty, a sense of control over one's work, and curiosity. Focus people's attention on the daily enjoyment and challenge, and creativity can soar at work.

Other Habits That Interfere With Creativity at Work

Not expecting people to be creative, partly because of job descriptions.
Not tolerating ambiguity or loose ends and moving to closure too quickly.
Overemphasizing reason and logic while treating fantasy and intuition as a waste of time.
Not allowing creative people to individualize their working conditions.
Not encouraging humor.
Failing to allow time for ideas to incubate and mature in the hidden complexities of creative thought.
Not questioning why or how things can be improved.
Playing it safe and not taking risks.
Believing that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Put it into Practice

Try a Creativity Habit Swap. Choose one management habit that may be limiting creativity in your workplace. Then replace it with a small, specific behavior that gives ideas more room to develop.

1	Pick one habit. Choose the Quick Fixer, Stifler, Gauntlet, Timer, Controller, or Rewarder. Think of a recent situation where the habit may have affected creativity.
2	Catch it in action. Write down what happened. Did the first solution end the discussion? Did criticism arrive too soon? Did one person's status silence other ideas? Did time pressure or too much control get in the way?
3	Choose a replacement. Swap the old habit for one small behavior. Generate five ideas before choosing, listen without evaluating, allow more time, delegate the method, or shift attention from rewards to challenge and enjoyment.
4	Test it on a real problem. Use the replacement habit during your next meeting, project, or problem-solving session. Give the new behavior enough time to work.
5	Notice what changes. Look for more ideas, greater participation, unexpected connections, or better solutions. Pay attention to what happens when evaluation, control, or time pressure is reduced.
6	Make the swap a habit. Keep the replacement behavior and use it repeatedly. Once it becomes natural, choose another habit to change.

The challenge: Don't try to change every management habit at once. Choose one, replace it with a more creativity-friendly behavior, and see what happens when people have more freedom and time to develop their ideas. •

Many managers are unaware that their own habits, although often productive, can lower creativity at work. The good news is that habits can change by substituting a new, productive habit for an old, outworn one. •

Edward Glassman, PhD, was President of Creativity College® and Professor Emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he led the Program for Team Effectiveness and Creativity. …