Discussion: The Creative Organization and Creative Approaches to Problem Solving

If you were to imagine a workplace where everyone was creative and innovation thrived, what would it look like? How would a day in the office be different from a day in any other type of office? What kind of colleagues would you work with? You might imagine colorful or eclectic decorations, or maybe the freedom to schedule your days and tasks as you wish. While these descriptions are often found in creative workplaces, organizations that truly support innovation have an even deeper focus on supporting creativity.

In the article “How Pixar Fosters Collective Creativity,” Ed Catmull, the company’s president and cofounder, describes the organizational elements that support the company’s creative environment. For this Discussion, you will examine how and why you might implement these elements to your workplace.

For this post, first read the article by Ed Catmull (2008) Consider three organizational principles at Pixar that support a workplace environment where employees can implement creative solutions to problems. Then, choose one of these principles or another principle that you are familiar with that could be implemented at your organization or an organization you have worked for in the past.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post the following:

• A description of three organizational principles at Pixar that support a workplace environment where employees can implement creative solutions to problems.
• Choose one of these principles or another principle that you are familiar with that could be implemented at your organization or an organization which with you are familiar to improve creativity and the implementation of creative solutions. Explain why it would be beneficial to implement this principle at the organization you selected.
• Explain how you as a manager might implement this principle and how you would need to tailor it for the organization you selected. Support your conclusions with references from this week’s Resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond to two of your colleagues in one or more of the following ways:

• Compare how you and your colleague view the elements needed to support creativity in the workplace.
• Share a relevant experience where you or your organization tried to implement an element or a practice in an effort to create an environment for employees to be more creative.
• Explore a way you might want to implement an element shared by your colleague at your organization or within your industry.