Creativity, a key for each stage of transformation

“Creativity is fun intelligence” Einstein liked to say a joke … we imagine that combining intelligence and fun can only be a positive cocktail to overcome the most important tasks difficult. But transformation, whether individual or collective, is precisely one and it is a real headache for every leader. We know this rule of the 25% “early adopters”, 25% refractory and 50% who wait that the train passes to take it with everyone. Thus, for 75% of individuals, even minimal transformation, is assimilated to a risky change and is therefore negatively charged. Only 25% like things to move by having a positive a priori about what is changing. In these 3 cases, the transformation is to be approached in a different way, and it turns out that creativity is an effective key but with a differentiated purpose and use!

Eager early adopters: creativity to move forward

Those who love change are easily identified in a company. Without caricature, they generally have convictions around progress and especially on the positive side of progress. These followers of “change for change” are often in innovation functions or when they are in feudal functions volunteer to carry a project, agree to try experiments, take the risk of a pilot … You recognize them easily as a manager and they recognize each other as well, frequent and today create communities that Digital allows them via internal social networks. For those followers of change, creativity is a practice of good mental health, participating in a brainstorming is a must, imagining new solutions is second nature. On the other hand, since they are in a minority, they need to feel supported in their vision and their capacity to find solutions, to invite them to a reflection seminar upstream on the axes of the transformation plan and then to solutions of actions is a means of federating them. Easily able to project themselves, the Innovation Games type “Speed ​​Boat” or “Worst Nightmare” are perfectly indicated with them. Use their imagination and motivation through creativity and by making them “ambassadors” of your transformation program.

The undecided: the creativity to convince them by the co-construction of solutions

Those “waiting to see how it will happen”, “waiters” or “undecided” are generally in the majority. With this population, they must first of all be convinced of the need to change: first, to help them to accept to consider the problem, the purpose of the transformation but also the urgency; Help them find solutions, and in a third time provide them with evidence of early advances to see that “it is possible”. Creativity will be able to play a role in these 3 phases: to become aware by prospective projections so that they realize the threats and the opportunities, to find solutions using the method of the Creative Problem Solving ) (*) Which clarifies, finds ideas and applies solutions to act, and finally to draw inspiration from what works elsewhere to extrapolate for their own field or profession.

Refractories: creativity to limit inertia and toxic buzz

Those who hate to leave their comfort zone and instead support the stability, the advantages gained, the “no risk taking”, will be difficult to convince … Some will leave (retired or leave the company) but for those who They will still take time … When the transformation has passed the transition phase and will begin to bear fruit in reorganization and new resources … But it may take time.  It is therefore necessary to advance without them initially and plan to embark them to limit their capacity of inertia in the system. Again creativity can help to go faster by facilitating the expression of fears and by carrying out an emotional cleansing that will allow a gentle awareness and embark everyone at his pace in the transformation movement.