2nd Discussion wk6

Case Study and Assignment attached. Must use Templates/Headings that’s attached when completing assignment. Must use APA references and Citations. No word count answer questions in complete detail.

For this week’s Shared Practice, read the following case study, Creative climate: Work environment allows IDEO to deliver promise of innovation. Examine how IDEO combines the elements of leadership, work environment, and processes in ways that harness the creativity of its employees and project teams. Then, think of an organization where you have worked, currently work, or one with which you are familiar. Consider how the organization compares with IDEO in supporting a creative climate.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post a response that includes the following, using an organization for which you work, have worked, or with which you are familiar:

· Describe the leadership, environment, and process factors specific to both individuals as well as teams that contribute to a creative climate.

· Evaluate how the leadership, work environment, and organization processes supported the creativity of employees and teams.

· Based on your observations and/or experience with the organization, describe an initiative that could be implemented that would strengthen the climate for creativity among participants in the initiative. 
Hint:
 You can base the initiative on the IDEO case study (i.e., redesigning employee work spaces to enhance collaboration) or you can craft one of your own.

· Explain how the initiative you have selected for the organization might build on its strengths and/or address its weaknesses in supporting individuals and teams in a climate for creativity.

Must use Initial Post Template below:

Factors That Contribute to a Creative Climate Specific to Both Individuals and Teams

Factors That Supported Creativity of Employees and Teams

Initiative That Could Strengthen Climate of Creativity

APA References

Reference:

Puccio, G. J., Mance, M., & Murdock , M. C (2011) Creative Climate: Work environment allows IDEO to deliver promise of innovation. In Puccio, Mance & Murdock, Creative leadership: Skills that drive change (pp.314-320). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.

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Case Study: Creative Climate

WORK ENVIRONMENT ALLOWS IDEO TO DELIVER PROMISE OF INNOVATION

Excerpted from Puccio et al. (2011) Creative leadership: Skills that drive change. Los Angeles, CA:

Sage.

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The Challenge

Pepsi, Nike, Prada and other outstanding

companies knock on your door when they are

in need of an innovative product. Apple calls

on you when they are stuck on a challenge

and need a breakthrough. Your services

promise the creation of breakthrough

solutions, and your entire existence as a

company rests on your ability to deliver

innovation on demand. Are you up for the

challenge and what will it take to succeed?

The Company

Who could meet the challenges above and

how do they do it? IDEO, the now famous

design firm headquartered in Palo Alto,

California has created innovative products

and solutions for over 20 years. Because he

disliked corporate rules and was motivated to

create a company that was fun to work for,

David Kelly started what is now IDEO in

1978 under the name “David Kelley Design.”

In 1991 Kelley’s company was renamed to IDEO, with a focus on industrial design. Today IDEO

helps companies design innovative products, services and processes, employing approximately 350

people worldwide.

Are Ekvall’s 10 dimensions of a creative
climate present at IDEO?

Creative climate dimensions based on
Ekvall. (1996)

At IDEO:

 Challenge & Involvement:
Brainstorming and other practices encourages all to participate

Reputation & setting big goals challenges IDEOers

Fun design challenges given by leadership

 Freedom:
Freedom to customize workspace with more than just pictures.

Freedom to select projects of most interest

Freedom to have some downtime at work when needed.

 Idea Time:
Brainstorming is considered almost a religion.

Movie and other types of excursions take place

Workspace promotes spontaneous conversations

 Idea Support:
Constant encouragement / coaching by leadership

Easy to get supplies for ideas/concepts

Off project ideas supported i.e. Tech Cart

 Trust & Openness:
Lack of Rules and procedures

Peer evaluations a common practice

Team members interview and help make hiring decisions

 Playfulness & Humor:
Practical jokes are common at IDEO

Project teams often give out fun awards

IDEOers are given the permission to play

 Debates: (Viewpoints and ideas are appropriately challenged.)
The Evaluate & Refine step of IDEO’s Innovation process provides time

for discussion of different viewpoints.

 Low conflict: (Little or no presence of interpersonal tension)
Strong efforts are made to blur the lines between management and

workers.

Intensive interviewing occurs to find employees that best fit IDEO’s
culture.

 Risk-Taking:
“Fail often to succeed sooner” motto promoted by leadership

Consistently try new things knowing some failures will occur

 Dynamism:
Past project prototypes appear throughout organization

Flexible workspaces changing continuously with projects

Regular guest speaker events

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Since ABC’s Nightline news show reported on IDEO’s innovation process first-hand, the world

has become familiar with their impressive achievements. Fortune magazine described their visit to

IDEO as “A day at Innovation U.” The Wall Street Journal called IDEO “imagination’s

playground.” There is consensus in the business/organizational world that IDEO is a leader in the area

of innovation. What is it that enables them to consistently produce innovative solutions? Do they have

more creative talent? Is it a charismatic leader? Do they have a secret formula?

Cultivating Creative Consistency

If you take a close look at IDEO and examine how they have consistently produced well-known

innovations such as Crest’s Neat Squeeze stand up toothpaste tube, you won’t find any magic bullet.

What you will find is a combination of effective leadership behaviors, creative work environment

practices and a variety of processes that work synergistically together produce a culture that

exemplifies creativity.

Leadership

One of the first clients Kelley worked for was Steve Jobs of Apple. The lessons he learned from this

experience were more valuable than the paycheck he earned from Apple. He was inspired by Apple’s

dynamic culture, and the atmosphere there reinforced his belief that having fun while working could be

productive.

Although founder David Kelly is no longer involved with the day-to-day operations at IDEO,

his early actions set the tone for creativity to flourish. As the founder and early leader, Kelley frowned

on rules. He participated in pranks and other fun antics, all of which made it clear that in his shop it

was ok to be playful. Kelley’s actions influenced the way new and up-coming leaders of IDEO would

behave.

Leaders at IDEO have worked hard to eliminate the “us vs. them” mentality. Traditional

indicators of hierarchy, such as plush corner offices and titles, are missing. Employee performance is

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more important than seniority, and the behavior of IDEO leadership consistently demonstrates that

flexibility is “in” and rigid rules are “out.”

Leaders understand that risk-taking is essential and mistakes will occur. One-way risk-taking is

encouraged and practiced is through in-house design challenges. Unlike a design challenge for paying

customers, these in-house challenges typically have an open timeline and very few criteria. For

example, a challenge was held to see who could design the best solution to a sun glare problem created

by the office skylights. A simple and artistic solution won the “people’s choice” award using

umbrellas dangling upside-down.

Whether it’s modeling the way, helping design the workspace or supporting creative processes,

IDEO leaders keep a focus on inspiring employee imagination and innovation.

Work environment

Because it understands the value of employees, IDEO pays a great deal of attention to the work

environment, both physical and psychological, (emotional). Nothing is out of bounds if it is for a

good cause. One employee built a pulley system to suspend his bike in the air over his workspace to

get it out of the way. It turned out to be such a hit that others followed his lead.

Physically speaking, IDEO’s offices look and feel like a cross between a college dorm, a

daycare playroom and an art studio. Work areas are clustered together in different locations. Mind

Maps and flip chart paper fill up walls. Old and new prototypes lie around or hang from the ceiling,

providing fuel for new innovations. Magazines and unique gadgets are also in abundance throughout

the workspace, providing even more fuel for ideas.

There is some method to their madness. IDEO has learned that having the right size workspace

makes a difference. Too much workspace decreases energy and slightly tight space generates energy.

There are opportunities for spontaneous interactions among people. A studio system, similar to a

movie studio, helps keep work groups small and flexible as the company grows. These studios are

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designed like little neighborhoods, having common areas where people can collaborate and private

areas for solo time. They even have their own distinct personalities. Workspaces are modular and

moveable to accommodate changing projects, new teams or any crazy needs that arise. Most

importantly, employees have the freedom to customize their personal areas beyond the simple family

pictures.

When it comes to the human psyche, the environment at IDEO doesn’t miss a beat. Their

leadership practices reflect an environment where workers are energized, ideas flow, confidence is

high and imagination is plentiful. Some of these practices include allowing employees to select

projects of most interest to them; bringing guest speakers in on a regular basis; providing generous

amount of food and drink for employees and putting on interesting end-of-year work parties. There are

fun project trips and spontaneous excursions to the movies. According Scott Underwood of IDEO,

such practices keep employees sharp and the environment buzzing with energy.

Another very important aspect of IDEO’s creative work environment is the presence of teams.

According to Tom Kelley, “Teams are the heart of the IDEO method.” With a strong belief against

the “lone” inventor, IDEO establishes teams for all types of tasks and projects. By leveraging diverse

knowledge bases, personalities and experiences, IDEO teams generate countless breakthroughs.

Teams provide continuous, open exchange of information and ideas. In many cases employees work

on multiple project teams at one time, which helps promote crossbreeding of ideas. It is also very

common and welcome for people outside a project team to spontaneously drop by and offer ideas

during a brainstorming session.

Processes

Over the last 20 years IDEO has developed a 5-step new product development process that harnesses

the collective imagination of project teams. Not only is the process repeatable, it also compliments and

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strengthens their culture. The five-step process used during most new product development projects

consists of Understand, Observe, Visualize, Evaluate and Refine, and Implement.

• Understand. When taking on a project, IDEO employees try to understand all of its

aspects. This may include such things as the market, the client and /or any possible

constraints.

• Observe. IDEO invests much time and energy into understanding consumer needs and

wants. Conducting real world observations provides a great deal more insight beyond the

typical interview process. For example, observing mountain bikers in action inspired a

water bottle that keeps mud out of a rider’s mouth.

• Visualize. This step is the most brainstorming-intensive. It includes the generation of

many ideas or concepts, some rough prototyping and in some cases even storyboard-

illustrated scenarios.

• Evaluate and Refine. Supporting one of their company’s mottos, “Fail often to

succeed sooner,” this step is essential for developing well thought out innovations.

Clients, consumers and other IDEOers evaluate and refine some of the key prototyped

concepts.

• Implement. Moving ideas from concept to commercialization is typically the longest

step in the process. Implementation one of the most rewarding steps for IDEO

employees because it validates the whole process of making ideas into a reality and

developing innovations.

Brainstorming is a mini process with a significant influence on the IDEO culture. According to

General Manager, Tom Kelley, brainstorming is a crucial activity at IDEO. Although brainstorming

sessions are loose, freewheeling thinking sessions at IDEO, they are also taken seriously. Rules are

not just posted on the walls; they are painted on in big letters. Leaders sometimes join in and always

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support the brainstorming sessions with all types of resources. Because brainstorming is viewed as a

skill, everyone works to continuously improve how well they do it.

Although brainstorming is most evident in the “Visualize” step of IDEO innovation process, it

has a ripple effect throughout the company. It encourages people to collaborate and share ideas even

outside of sessions. Productive brainstorming sessions fire up teams with confidence, optimism and

energy, making it one of the engines behind IDEO’s culture.

What Are the Results?

Having leaders who lead by example, a work environment that frees your mind and flexible processes

that guide you down a repeatable path have established a work culture at IDEO that produces

exceptional results. With thousands of successful products over a 20-year history, it is easy to find

examples of innovation. Although there is not a single factor that causes this innovation, it is clear that

the blending of leadership that actively facilitates creative thinking, a work environment that supports

employee imagination and a product development process that is repeatable, does much to ensure

ongoing innovation.

How successful has IDEO been? Since the beginning, it has never had an unprofitable quarter.

Potential clients are continuously knocking on their door and many are turned away for lack of time.

The turnover ratio for key employees is less that 5%. IDEO has played key roles in the creation of

many well-known innovations including the first consumer computer mouse, the Aerobe Football, and

the Palm V. Their products, such as the Forerunner Portable heart defibrillator, have also saved lives.

As IDEO continues to be recognized for its accomplishments, winning awards, gracing the

cover of popular magazines and, of course, being featured on primetime television, its reputation and

creative legacy grow. The creative climate and commensurate culture are powerful examples of the

bottom-line effectiveness of how creativity and leadership work together.

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Sources:

Site visit & tour, IDEO, (August 5th

, 2004).

Interview with Scott Underwood, IDEO, (August 5
th

, 2004).

IDEO website Retrieved September, 2004, http://www.ideo.com

Brown, Ed, “A day at Innovation U”, Fortune, Volume 139, Issue 7, Pages 163-165, New York, Apr 12, 1999.

Ekvall, G. (1997). Innovations in organizations. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology. 5 (1) 105-

123.

Kelly, T. (2001) The art of innovation: lesson in creativity from IDEO. NY, NY: Doubleday

Tom Peters interview with David Kelley, Retrieved June 6, 2004, www.tompeters.com/cool_friends/friends.php

Tom Peters interview with Tom Kelley, Retrieved June 6, 2004, www.tompeters.com/cool_friends/friends.php