Office talk is good for business

Boring workplaces stifle business creativity and production

Assembly line working practices are stifling creativity in business and workers should be given more time to talk to each other, according to a new report.

Employers need to lighten up - creativity is the source of innovation and future competitive advantage

Alex McKie, report's author

According to the Industrial Society - one of the leading advisers on the workplace - most employers have not moved beyond traditional "head down assembly line" working practices, and rigid chains of command.

It calls on employers to "lighten-up" and do more to encourage creativity at work, and shed macho working practices which fail to recognise the changing demographics of the workplace.

Downturn concerns

Recent attempts at increasing creativity, says the author, are under threat from "hyper rationality".

Creativity at work means:

Encouraging flexibility - debate is not a sign of weakness and discussion is not time wasting

Understanding how men and women use conversation differently

Learning how to listen

Losing control - shake off traditional business structures of hierarchy and command

Rewarding effort - criticism kills ideas fast, even jokes about 'time wasting' are counter-productive

Source: Industrial Society

Concerns over the state of the economy and job insecurity could make even innovative businesses more averse to risk, and less open to change.

"Last year creativity was almost every organisation's favourite buzz word," said the report's author Alex McKie.

"Creativity is not an optional add-on for business, or a luxury of the fat years. It lies at the heart of successful business. It is the source of innovation and future competitive advantage."

Mr McKie believes that an important way to foster innovation is to encourage people to talk.

He said: "The employer intent on stamping out idle chatter is likely to kill good ideas in the process."

Role-models

Some companies have become infamous for their innovative working practices.

St Luke's, a central London advertising agency, is famous for its people-friendly policies.

At St Luke's, nobody has an office or even a fixed desk, which ensures that staff meet other people the whole time.

But Mr McKie believes that creativity should not be restricted to traditional "creative" industries, such as advertising and marketing.

Advertising agency St Luke's is famous for its creative work practices

He says that fundamental perceptions need to be rethought.

"The old macho view of business has been about driving your views home and getting everyone to agree with you," said Mr McKie.

For example, employers need to understand that men tend to use language to assert authority, while women use language to make friends and negotiate.

Employers should also be willing to "lose control" - and treat employees as equals, rather than enforce such rigid chains of command.

Further information:

A full transcript of Alex McKie's report can be found on FastFutures website (see link on right).