"Everything that could have been invented", already gone – who said this phrase was Charles Duell, director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, in 1889. It can be difficult to understand this feeling of stagnation, even more so if we are talking about more than 100 years ago. But this is the truth: it is difficult to look to the future and visualize new inventions. Now, that we have even reached the era of flying cars, the questioning comes even stronger: how to advance more than we have already advanced?
In September of last year, Brazil climbed 5 positions in the global innovation ranking, reaching the 49th position – being the first placed in Latin America. The statistics show a growth of the country in the area, what is very interesting, mainly, to attract the attention of new investors here
But, behind the growth of innovative companies, there is the creativity of a team involved. And that is where the big challenge comes in. Last year, 67% of Brazilian executives, ears for the research National Study on Digital Evolution and Business Innovation, they found that they believe that organizational culture is one of the main factors that prevents companies from innovating. But then, how to apply creative management in a company? Everything starts with investing in talent. Far beyond just looking for those who meet the job requirements, it is also necessary to worry about the whole, with the team that is being built
To understand the best way to do this, let's imagine a scenario. On one side, we have team X: where all the employees live in the same area, are of the same breed, they frequent the same places, they have the same experiences and are inserted in the same social context. To the other, we have team Y: each individual here, come from different places, go through different situations, consume different content and are of different races and classes. Which team is more likely to come up with new ideas and solutions for the market
Some companies already have this answer – at the beginning of this year, a startup Blend Edu, розкрив що, last year, 72% of the companies surveyed in the research, they already had a dedicated area for diversity and inclusion management. The number shows how relevant the agenda is to today's society. This is because people inserted in different contexts, they will build a diverse environment, bringing more ideas and viewpoints, that are fundamental to a company's creativity. You know when we see an advertisement or product that is so brilliant, that we wonder how no one has ever thought of something like this before? I assure you it was a very well-trained team that created it
But then, let's say you built your "dream teamdiversified: what comes next?Hiring is not a miracle solution, what will matter most is the after, it is the management of employees – a management team that cares about being creative, also needs to look at the environment it is promoting for the employees. And this is where many companies skid. According to the consulting firm Korn Ferry, the mistake of most managements, is hiring people from minority groups, but not taking the agenda seriously. Establish hiring "quotas", thinking about diversity, but not to worry about training and retaining employees, besides not providing a welcoming environment, it will only sink the company's reputation – and scare away valuable talents
Creative management and innovative management go hand in hand. According to the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), a culture of innovation is composed of 8 pillars. They are: opportunities, ideation, development, execution, evaluation, organizational culture and resources. These little words, in summary, applied in daily life, will enable your company to stay informed about the market, ready to face the challenges that arise. It is to look, first, inside – ensure that the processes, goals, collaborators, organization and values, they are aligned and working well. Only then will the structures thrive with the growing challenges of the market
We are in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Today, in a few seconds, we managed to ask technology to meet (almost) all our requests. With a few clicks, anyone with access to these tools, can create the most different thoughts. But, amid so much progress, it is essential to remember that technology acts as an ally, and not as a substitute for the human mind. The work coming from a team made up of different talents, should not be underestimated. Companies that understand the importance of building a creative team of people and investing in the necessary resources to improve the quality of work, stand out in the market
A management team that cares about these issues, must follow trends and have leaders who are advocates of innovation, in addition to engaging the team and stimulating creativity, and value diversity and inclusion of professionals. These are habits that should be put into practice to achieve an environment conducive to creativity manifesting. If your company does not invest or keep up with what the market is asking for (such as innovation, creativity and originality, she ceases to exist. This is the bare and raw truth – just remember the big names in the market, that failed because they "stopped in time"
The most valuable lesson I have learned in recent years, leading a Latin American team in a technology solutions company, we need to constantly reinvent ourselves. Stepping out of the comfort zone is quite a challenge, but it is what we need to do all the time – and sometimes we don't even realize how these changes can happen naturally. When we understand the need to adapt to the environment we are in, instead of fighting against this movement, it's when we manage to evolve
