What’s the best way to stifle creativity? I remember reading a comic strip about penguins and a peacock and it accurately describes what I commonly see in the work place. Many organisations claim that they want fresh perspective. They hire mid careerist because it was purported that they will be able to bring in their experiences from other organisations. Yet when new ideas are proposed, it was hardly accepted. In other cases, these ideas were changed so much that the proposer felt little ownership in the matter. And when things finally go wrong, the proposer was blamed for the idea, even when it has deviated much from the original one. When things work out instead, it is because it has went through much discussion with the team and was refined, hence it succeeded.
As middle managers, we should not be seen as impediment to our staff development and growth. Some middle managers are perhaps afraid that their staff steals their limelight. Or they would be blamed if their staff make a wrong suggestion. For all you know, the idea could be well received by top management, but it never made it past you because there is a lack of trust and empowerment.
I remember reading this quote by Wolfgang von Goethe: – “Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them to become what they are capable of being.” As leaders, we should have the trust and faith in those that we lead and let them shine. A leader is like a boat floating on the water. You rise as the water rises and you fall when the water falls. If as a middle manager, I have managed to groomed someone who eventually surpassed me greatly, I will be quietly happy for the person.
Leave a Reply