Addressing Blocks to Creativity in the Workplace

Great philosopher Immanuel Kant once a narrated a story, about a person hiding in a bush while a group of the royal soldiers following him with naked weapons with an intention to kill the man. He referred to a man who was watching this man hiding inside the bush. Soldiers asked this man about the person to whom they were searching.  Kant raised a hypothetical question about the answer, should the person lie because he can save a life, or he should tell the truth because telling a lie is against the moral ethics (Plante, 2011). The ethical status of a lie can be decided on many factors associated with the question. The first question is connected with the status of the person who is hiding, if he is not guilty then he should be saved with the help of a lie and it is ethically correct (Hanson, 2014). If this person is guilty, then he should be handed over to the soldiers, because soldiers are doing a right job. Another condition also applies. This person might be guilty but the soldiers may be trigger happy about killing him. He might have deserved a softer punishment. The moral predicament attached to a lie can be judged on the circumstances under which a person is speaking a lie (S.V.Nayak, 2017). Another term to explain this situation can be the consequence behind the truth or the lie. The primary theories say that truth is white and lie is black, however, the consequences of the truth or a lie can bring them in a grey area (Edwords, 2018). Later on, the same consequences can change the complexion of the guilt pangs or feel good factors attached to the truth or the false statement that a person is making.

Famous essayist Sir Francis Bacon in his essay “The Truth” wrote that absolute truth is pure gold but we cannot make ornaments out of pure gold, we need to mix the copper in the form of a lie to make it work (Minkov, 2010).

My personal stance in the above-mentioned case is dependent on the consequences that my colleague is going to face. Suppose, if he is getting a penalty because of the lie that he spoke then, I will not entertain his request. The consequence is not strong enough where we should compromise on the ethics. If my colleague wants me to tell a lie because he wants to save the money that he presented as a bill then again I will not support him because this is a case of dishonesty. It will also make me a partner in the crime. However, if I will discover that due to the strict policies of the company his job is at stake than certainly, I have a strong reason to support him and in this case, my moral conscience will allow me to speak in his favor, even if it is a lie.

Before fixing a moral predicament of any good or bad act we should see it from different angles. Let’s forget about the ethics for a while, even the judiciary follows the same principle in many cases. For instance, they have two terms called “legally guilty.” and “factually guilty (Bergman, 2015)  .” A person is not guilty of the crime unless you can prove legally on him. This legality comes from the legal systems where they allow a lie to prevail for the time being. In the current case my colleague is also facing the same situation; factually he is guilty of the dishonesty and a breach of trust of an organization. It is also a case of the misuse of power. Let’s see it under a different light before we fix a moral predicament connected to this issue. The corporate rules connected to the perfect competition market clearly states that deals should be done purely on the merits of market-based competitions. A company should not bribe or give undue favors to another business partner (K. Ainley, 2016).

Confronting Noisy Office Neighbors

In the current case if a company allocates funds to entertain prospective clients in a setup that can be considered as an “out of way” setup then this company is responsible for the breach of “fair market practices.” Factually my colleague is guilty if he represents a company in an “out of the way” expensive restaurant with an intention to entertain them for a probable deal. However, legally he is not guilty in the purview of the company. In the same fashion, in my views, he should be saved on the merit of being “legally guilty” only.

However, the last term that we can bring into this system of decision making is “moral integrity of a person.” There are two ways to look at it since we are a part of any given system we need to follow the morals prescribed by that system. In the current case, by breaching the principle of perfect competition, the company is setting a bad moral (Polowczyk, 2017). If I favor my friend by telling a lie then I am only supporting a bad moral under an ethical framework forced upon me by the system. This can also be a justification to support my colleague.

1. Solving Problems Analytically and Creatively (Chapter 3)

You are working in a lower-level managerial position in a Boise firm. Your boss stops by to visit you one day and says “I have got this problem with my boss. She is new to the firm and seems to be taking pleasure in turning everything upside down. She has instituted new reporting procedures, new meeting schedules, new budgeting process, new everything! Now, I have been here for 15 years, and the old system makes sense to me. I have tried to be diplomatic by holding my peace, but I do not see any reason to change. If you ask me, I think she is one of those libbers, out to show her power.” What will you do? How will you do it? Why?

Aspects that should be addressed/included in your answer:

Identification of possible blocks to creativity, identification of a creative analogy, bringing back analogy to provide a creative solution or a new viewpoint.

In the current situation, the first thing that I will do is to go for a position analysis. This position analysis will help me in looking at myself from an objective point of view. I am working at a lower managerial level and reporting to my immediate boss. This reporting culture sets my limit to choose a path of action. This position also allows me to identify two immediate blockages in the field of the creativity. The newly appointed boss is trying to come up with a new organizational culture. She is trying to change a few things that were present from last fifteen years. When I see this condition from the point of view of the existing employees then I find that it is a kind of environmental blocking which is coming into action (Macdonald, 2017).

Creativity flourishes in a certain type of environment. During the last one decade after the arrival of cloud technology, we have witnessed a sea change in the daily functioning of the organizations (Brown, 2011). The culture of hiring a change management company has also become prevalent. The study of operational plans of these change management companies clearly gives us an idea that they also take care of this creative environment blocking by phasing out the changes in different small steps (Diana, 2015).

Implementing Change in the Workplace

Now in the case of my immediate boss, it is a case of the internal blocking. Let’s first check the personality type of my immediate boss his reactions clearly shows that he is acting like a

A regressive person who doesn’t like change in the settings (Szobiova, 2015).  Considering his past track record and his experience in the organization we can also say that he can also be counted as a progressive person that wants slow changes in an organization (Juo, 2017). His statement also gives me this idea that he is not happy with the style of leadership. In the current case, the person sitting at the helm is trying to practice an autocratic style where she is not winning the confidence of her staffers (Hatum, 2017).

On the lines of the problem solving certain creative analogies can be introduced in the communication protocols. The introduction of some confidence building is the first measure that can be taken in this direction (David Magellan Horth, 2017).

The statement where my boss says “she changed everything upside down” is an indication that the team is not aware of the fact that why the administration is making such type of changes in the working routine and reporting culture. In another statement my boss said that he tried to be diplomatic, this also shows a communication barrier between the team. After this analysis, we can identify three major problems.

1. An internal, as well as environmental creative block, is present and this block is not allowing the change to flourish.
2. Communications barriers are present on all the levels, employees are not able to express their displeasure with the issues. It is the same with the senior management staff. They are not able to ascertain the purpose of the change and the calculations of the planning department behind the exercise.
3. The third and most important thing is connected to the leadership style and the projection of the personality of a leader. The team is not having high regards for the leaders.

In order to start the problem-solving exercise, we need to first understand the difference between planning and operational planning (Franz, 2012). The planning done by the top-notch sets the goals for the organization, operation planning, on the other hand, tells us about some practical and necessary steps that should be taken during the course of the implementation of the main plan or the big plan.

In the current problem, a list of confidence-building measures should be implemented with an intention to introduce certain creative analogies and make it a smooth and fruitful exercise of the change management. When we have a look at the conflict management tools then we find that a collaborative approach to solving the problem is the best approach.   

Creative Analogy 1: Let’s be on the same page

In order to achieve this status of being on the same page, the top brass should come up with communication sessions where they should talk about the new goals and the plans of the organization. Bringing all on the same page is the first step in the direction of the collaboration of a team.

Creative Analogy 2: Everyone is an agent of change

It is simple human psychology, we see ourselves as a part of a group. If an individual is getting this feeling that he is the only person who is feeling the heat of the changes then it will bring an internal conflict in him. This internal conflict may result in an internal creative block as it is happening in the case of my immediate boss. The projection that he is an agent of a big change will enable him to think more freely (Diana, 2015).

Ethical Dilemmas in the Workplace

The introduction of these creative analogies will help in resolving the issue. As we can see it in the statement of my immediate boss where he said that he doesn’t find a reason to entertain this change, his opinion about the new leader that she is misusing her power is only a half-baked opinion which has its roots in the presence of various communication barriers.

1. Managing Conflict (Chapter 7)

Your office neighbor talks very loudly on the phone. It is very hard for you not to be disturbed in your work. You have talked to her about it in the past but it keeps going on. You are sitting in your office. It is happening once more and you are quite irritated about it. You have decided to confront this person now. What will you do? How will you do it? Why?

Aspects that should be addressed/included in your answer:

Use of recognizable conflict resolution approach, explanation of why this approach is appropriate, identification and explanation of reasonable alternative

In the current case, we can see that it is an issue focused conflict that I am sharing with my colleague (Jiang, 2009). The facts of the case also give me an idea that even after two formal interventions she is not ready to learn her lessons. In my views, this issue can be addressed by injecting some humor into the problem (Bannink, 2010). She is talking loud is a trivial issue and no organizational or professional goals are at stake (Proksoh, 2016). The theories of the conflict management can also treat it as a people based conflict. However, it is a not a people based conflict because rest of the attributes of that person are fine (Roger Fisher, 2012). Talking loud is the only issue that should be taken in an account here.

While developing a conflict management strategy, I would like to focus on two steps on an immediate basis. First I will try to adopt an empathetic listening stance. This stance will help me in clearing my perception of that girl (Eunson, 2012). The empathetic stance will also help me in understating the core reason for the problem. For instance, here we can immediately think of two reasons. The first reason can be connected with the device that she is using for the purpose of the talking. It might have some technical problems that might force her to talk louder, the second reason may be connected to her healing abilities, she might be someone with hearing problems and this can force her to talk a little louder.

The technique of empathetic listening is the best technique to understand the core of the issue when we are handing a conflict that is not professional in nature and stakes are not present in the equation (Raines, 2012). After the identification of the problem, I will try to develop an agreement that can work for all. It means that I can tell her to walk in the smoking area when she needs to talk loud.

Sometimes a single conflict may have certain tangents attached to them. For instance let’s assume that she is working in a loan recovery department, in this case, it is a professional hazard for her to talk a little louder.  

By injecting an empathy and humor in the communication I can move ahead in the direction of a win-win situation for all (Suzanne Mccorkle, 2017). Compromise is another word that has the power to resolve a conflict. In the present case with the help of apt communication protocol, I can tell her to speak a little slowly on all the possible occasions. Under a compromise driven solution, I will also increase my tolerance levels to the noise on some given occasions when she is talking under the spur of the moment. Compromise mostly leads us to some unattractive outcomes (William K. Roche, 2014). However, in the current case, I am opting for an outcome which is less unattractive in nature.

1. Leading Positive Change (Chapter 10)

You are in charge of a large sausage manufacturing company.  Up until now, everything has been running smoothly, but you believe it is time for a change.  You have been reading about empowerment and teamwork, and you think that if you can reorganize the employees into self-directed teams, your sausage company has a chance of becoming the most profitable sausage company in the United States.  Your management philosophy is that any profits the company makes should be shared with the employees.  Employees are concerned, however, because they think that any change may be accompanied by downsizing and layoffs. What will you do? How will you do it? Why?

Aspects that should be addressed/included in your answer:

Establishing a climate of positivity, creating readiness for change, articulating a positive vision, identifying and explaining actions to be taken.

There is a difference between a leader and a manager. Leaders plan, they create a path and set vision statements. Managers, on the other hand, help the teammates to face day to day difficulties by introducing supplementary operation plans to fill in certain gaps (Cameron, 2012). In the current case while wearing the hat of a positive leader we can identify one problem and opportunity prima facie. The notes of the case study say that people in the organization are not ready to change the working patterns because they feel that a change in the functioning of an organization may bring in some deficit in the profits or it may decrease their need in the system of the manufacturing (Gorden, 2017). As a result, they may receive layoff notices. This thought process also tells us that there is reluctance towards the change.

In order to convert this reluctance into readiness, as a positive leader, one should come up with a communication where the organization should express its vision of sharing the profit with the employees (Cameron, 2013). The primary aim of this change exercise is to procure certain teams that can work on their own and earn more profit for the organization. The creation of a vision of abundance is the next step in the direction of the goal-realization (Lewis, 2011).  

As a planner or the positive leader, the exercise of the forecasting is the next step. In the process of the forecasting, a positive leader should set small goals for the team and promote them to have small wins (Michel, 2015). This exercise will help them in articulating a vision of the abundance. We can learn it from the example of the Google. The success story of the Google is an outcome of the thousands of small teams working as a separate entity and achieving small goals to contribute in a big picture (Cramer, 2014). They are not sharing big organization concerns they are setting their own operational plans and abiding by the directives set by the Google in the terms of the procurement of the goods and profits (Gorden, The Power of a Positive Team, 2018).

It was impossible for Google to set goals and values for such a big quantum of operations, instead of hiring managers they relied on a universal message. This message is known as their organizational vision document (Gordon, 2011). In order to facilitate a guideline for the action plans and operation plans, they also come up with a universal mission statement.

As a positive leader, an individual should work in the direction to become an enabler of the team.

Setting up a positive sentiment in the organization is another issue that every positive leader has to handle. In the current case, we can see that people were not ready for a change, on a hypothetical line let’s think that people are ready for the change. Now what, what should be the next step of this organization in the direction of sustainable attainment of the goals.  In general, a steady vision document is the best bet. We can understand it with the help of the case of Ruslan Kogan. He came up with a new vision statement where he said that “implementation is the new research.” His vision statement changed the fortune of his company. He refused to follow the culture of beta testing or the test launch of the products.

It emerged as a breakthrough in a market where the product lifecycles were shrinking drastically (Brown, 2011).

It is an example of articulating a vision for the abundance. As a positive leader Ruslan Kogan gave a full authority to his team where they can experiment and learn their lessons on the basis of a trial and error. It can be termed as an extreme case because Ruslan’s team was working in a retail market where they were having this luxury of experimenting with various products and every day was a new day (David Magellan Horth, 2017). However, in the case of the present organization, we can introduce another vision document under the heading of fostering sustainability with the help of an additional input into the main vision. As a positive leader one can also take a leaf from the book of Ruslan Kogan, where he converted small wins into big wins by promoting a culture of the experimentation in the organization.

As a positive leader, one should never forget that it is a consistent process of change which is going on in the current organization (Eunson, 2012).  It is true that teams are working under a self-motivation regime. ; However, they need the backup and support of a big organization all the time. This supports them in the process of the sustenance of their business ideas and the operational plans to meet small goals that can contribute to the big picture.  

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