PRESS – Creating the Right Environment for Creativity

 

Introduction to PRESS

In the ever-evolving, hypercompetitive world of business, creativity and innovation are no longer optional; they are essential for businesses to survive and thrive. For young entrepreneurs and start-up founders, the ability to think creatively and adapt to complex challenges can mean the difference between thriving and failing. This chapter focuses on PRESS, an essential component of the 6Ps of Creativity, and its role in building an environment conducive to innovation (or limiting success due to unmanaged environmental factors). In the 6Ps Framework of Creativity, PRESS refers to the external influences and contexts that shape an individual’s experience and expression of creative thinking and creative intelligence (CiQ). It encompasses the social, cultural, and environmental factors that impact how creativity is perceived and enacted.

PRESS and the Creative Context

The concept of PRESS encompasses the environmental (contextual), social (interpersonal), and organisational climate in which the Person operates and functions to create the Product. The climate can enable or inhibit creativity. It refers to conditions conducive or inhibitive to creativity. In the original model of 4Ps by James Melvil Rhodes, “Press” considered the environment that supported or hindered creativity. PRESS has evolved to encompass a broader understanding of how different settings and conditions can affect creative potential and expression (Runco & Kim, 2011). When considering “Press,” the 6Ps model acknowledges that CiQ is not only an internal (self or corporate) quality, but is also significantly influenced by the surrounding circumstances and interactions with others. For entrepreneurs, their understanding, interpretation and response to PRESS factors can lead to failure, losing the battle for adoption/preference, market share and survival, or may deliver more effective decision-making, innovative problem-solving, and resilient business strategies. PRESS involves:

• Contextual factors: including the political, legal, technological and educational environment that will either support or impede  creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship.
• Social Environment: Team dynamics and interpersonal relationships that shape collaboration and innovation, including media and education influencers.
• Organisational Culture: The values, norms, and policies that either foster or stifle creativity.
• Physical Environment: The tangible aspects of a workspace that influence creative thinking.

Current Trends and Societal Dilemmas

We live in a world marked by rapid technological advancement, shifting societal norms, and global challenges that demand innovative solutions. From addressing climate change to navigating post-pandemic recovery, businesses must tackle “grand and wicked problems” that are complex, interconnected, and resistant to simple fixes (Rittel & Webber, 1973). Start-ups are often at the forefront of these efforts, leveraging agility and innovation to find creative solutions.

Further, The World Economic Forum (WEF) expects that more than 50% of employees will need to significantly refresh their skills by 2025 due to the technological transformation currently underway. The WEF identified problem-solving, creativity, and innovation as three of ten essential skills for the future workforce. Entrepreneurs who can master these competencies are not only future-ready but also positioned to lead transformative change, helping humans to deal with wicked, grand problems. These competencies will help future leaders (YOU!) to employ various types of intelligences, assist in effective decisions to be creative, and offer incremental and disruptive contributions to innovation, delivering solutions in line with the United Nation’s 17 Strategic Development Goals to ensure humankind’s survival.

 

Media Influence

In today’s hyperconnected world, media are no longer just instruments for disseminating information – raising awareness of issues, trends and shifts – they form the very fabric that shapes perceptions, influences behaviour, and drives societal evolution. Media’s influences on creativity, innovation and society’s willingness to grapple with tough problems range from highlighting needs, raising awareness and interest, acting as catalysts, and offering insights into available sources, resources and stakeholders (players up and down the supply/innovation chain) to shaping norms that accelerate innovation and mobilize collective intelligence and resources. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the media boom is democratisation. Today, anyone with a smartphone can become a journalist, commentator, or influencer. While this has given a voice to the voiceless, it has also disrupted traditional business hierarchies and business models, challenging industries to adapt or perish.

The rise of media also brings challenges. The 24/7 news cycle fuels a demand for instant content, often at the expense of depth and accuracy. The echo chamber effect of personalized feeds amplifies biases, while the prevalence of misinformation poses risks to public discourse and trust.

Despite these concerns, media’s potential remains vast. From empowering grassroots movements to fostering creativity on a global scale, the ability to connect and inspire is unparalleled. The next frontier lies in leveraging media to address pressing global issues—climate change, inequality, and education—while ensuring ethical and transparent practices.

1. The Democratization of Knowledge and Ideas

Key Points:

Media platforms have significantly broadened access to information, enabling individuals worldwide to share and consume diverse content. This widespread availability fosters a culture of continuous learning and idea generation.

Application for Entrepreneurs:

• Leverage Open Platforms: Use platforms like YouTube, The Conversation, Stuff, TikTok, Messenger and Medium to disseminate content, showcase expertise, and engage with a global audience.
• Continuous Learning: Stay updated with industry trends and innovations by following relevant media channels and thought leaders. Subscribe to trend-monitoring media in the sector or industry of your choice.
• Opportunity: Entrepreneurs can create tutorial videos or write articles to establish themselves as industry experts, attracting potential clients or investors.
• Pitfall – Information Overload: The vast amount of information can be overwhelming; it’s crucial to discern credible sources from unreliable ones.

2. Global Collaboration and Cross-Pollination of Ideas

Media facilitate international collaborations and inter-firm collaborations, allowing entrepreneurs to connect beyond geographical and corporate boundaries (e.g., joint ventures, crowdfunding for startups). Exposure to diverse perspectives enhances creativity and leads to innovative solutions.

Application for Entrepreneurs:

• Networking: Engage with global communities through social media groups, webinars, and online forums to exchange ideas and form partnerships.
• Crowdsourcing: Use platforms to gather feedback or ideas from a diverse audience, enriching the innovation process.
• Entrepreneurial Opportunities- A startup collaborates with international developers via online platforms to create a product tailored for a global market.
• Pitfalls – Cultural Misunderstandings: Be mindful of cultural differences that may affect communication and collaboration.

3. The Acceleration of Trends and Disruptive Thinking

Media rapidly disseminate emerging trends, allowing entrepreneurs to identify and capitalize on new opportunities. Staying attuned to media can inspire disruptive innovations that meet changes in consumer demands, capitalize on technological advancements and/or challenge traditional business models.

Application for Entrepreneurs:

• Opportunity – Trend Monitoring: Regularly following industry news, blogs, and social media allows even micro businesses to stay ahead of market shifts without investing huge amounts of resources in intelligence gathering.
• Pitfalls – Agility: Be prepared to pivot business strategies in response to emerging trends highlighted in the media. An example of quick pivoting is the rise of remote work tools (e.g., ZOOM, Zillow, MSTEAMS) during the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for which was quickly identified and addressed by entrepreneurs developing virtual collaboration software.
• Pitfalls – Chasing Hype: Not all trends have longevity; assess the sustainability and relevance of a trend before committing or shifting resources away from other (perhaps more durable) long-term projects.

4. Shaping Organisational Culture and Creativity

Media narratives influence organizational cultures by promoting values such as innovation and adaptability and reporting on success stories and best practices.

Positive media exposure can enhance a company’s reputation, attracting talent and investment.

Application for Entrepreneurs:

• Brand Storytelling: Craft and share compelling narratives about your company’s mission and culture through various media channels.
• Transparency: Maintain open communication with stakeholders to build trust and a positive public image.
• Opportunities = CSR: A company showcases its commitment to sustainability through documentaries and social media campaigns, enhancing its brand image.
• Pitfalls – Media Scrutiny: Inconsistencies between portrayed values and actual practices can lead to public relations issues or even class actions and consumer boycotts.

5. Mobilizing Collective Intelligence for Wicked Problems

Key Points:

Media platforms enable the aggregation of diverse insights to address complex societal challenges.

Crowdsourcing solutions through media can lead to innovative approaches to issues such as climate change and public health, and others mentioned in the UN’s SDGs.

Application for Entrepreneurs:

• Open Innovation: Engage the public or specific communities through media to contribute ideas or solutions to pressing problems.
• Collaborative Platforms: Develop or participate in platforms that facilitate collective problem-solving.
• Opportunity: – Entrepreneurs are able to launch challenges, inviting global participants to design anything from affordable water purification systems, to new traffic systems, and these challenges may result in diverse and viable solutions
• Pitfalls to Watch Out For – Quality Control: Ensuring the feasibility and reliability of crowd-generated solutions (crowd-sourcing) can be challenging.

6. Storytelling as a Catalyst for Invention

Key Points:

Media have the benefit of multi-sensory appeal (over say billboards or flyers) affording effective storytelling that can inspire innovation by highlighting possibilities and sparking people’s imagination.

Published narratives may shape public perception and drive word-of-mouth or word-of-mouse viral effects of narratives, leading to quick and broad dissemination of ideas, perceptions, perspectives or needs.

Media play a transformative role in driving innovation by democratizing knowledge, enabling global collaboration, accelerating trends, and shaping organisational creativity. They empower entrepreneurs to engage diverse audiences, leverage storytelling, and collective intelligence. While amplifiying innovation adoption, pitfalls such as misinformation and cultural misunderstandings demand careful navigation. By strategically using media, organisations and individuals can inspire creativity, adapt to emerging trends, and address grand challenges, positioning themselves as catalysts for a sustainable, innovative future.

Educational Environment

Environmental PRESS in educational settings, including schools and universities, influences students’ academic productivity and decision-making. Factors including the level of training, and shared aspirations, are linked to environmental PRESS, affecting students’ creativity and academic choices. In addition, the creative person’s upbringing, education and community ultimately impacts how ideas are formed. Gupta (2015) found that everyone perceives the environment surrounding them as unique, resulting in diverse abilities and attributes related to creativity, as result of what a person’s upbringing has imposed on them.

 

Organizational Environment

In the next sections, we explore how entrepreneurs can harness PRESS to create fertile ground for creativity and innovation. The following sections will delve into the dimensions of PRESS, and practical strategies for addressing modern pressures and wicked problems within the organization. This is the micro environment within the firm, and where the firm has touchpoints with stakeholders. By understanding and applying these principles, young entrepreneurs can position themselves and their teams for sustainable competitive advantages and success.

The Work Environment Inventory (WEI) highlights that specific environmental factors in organizations differ, affecting creativity. Information systems (IS) management can focus on these factors to improve the creative climate, such as administrative support and teamwork (Couger, 1996). In research involving a diverse range of corporate managers and employees, different industries and different levels of employees (management vs staff) perceive environmental factors differently. Managers emphasize administrative support and teamwork, while employees value freedom and managerial support. Both groups identify resource limitations and bureaucracy as creativity inhibitors (Whaley & Henderson, 1994). 

The Physical Environment

Research shows that physical environments significantly impact creativity. For example, a study by Steelcase found that employees in thoughtfully designed workspaces reported higher levels of creativity and productivity. The physical space influences mood, energy levels, and the ability to think creatively.

Designing Creative Workspaces

The design of physical workspaces plays a pivotal role in fostering creativity and innovation. An effective workspace not only reflects the organization’s culture but also directly impacts how individuals collaborate, ideate, and perform. Below are essential components and practical steps to create a workspace that fosters creativity, with insights from global brands and research.

 

 

Encourage Collaboration

Collaborative spaces are designed to break down silos and facilitate spontaneous interactions among team members. Open layouts, communal areas, and flexible seating arrangements encourage employees to share ideas and work together more effectively.

Practical Steps:

• Incorporate modular furniture that can be reconfigured for team meetings, brainstorming, or solo work.
• Create communal spaces, such as lounges or cafes, where employees can interact informally.
• Equip spaces with collaboration tools such as whiteboards, sticky notes, and large displays for group ideation.

Example: Pixar Animation Studios exemplifies this with its centralized atrium. Designed by Steve Jobs, this space encourages employees from different departments to interact, leading to serendipitous creative exchanges. (Catmull, 2014)

Inspire Creativity

Creative environments stimulate out-of-the-box thinking by engaging employees’ senses and emotions. Elements such as natural light, vibrant colours, and inspiring artwork foster a positive and innovative atmosphere.

The shift towards hybrid work models has led to the creation of doodle rooms and brainstorming areas, which enhance visual thinking and collaboration. Such spaces are designed to foster spontaneous interactions and dynamic visual collaborations, which are crucial for generating and refining ideas. Invest in creative spaces that cater to different creative processes and different collaboration styles.

Practical Steps:

• Maximize exposure to natural light and use biophilic design elements, including indoor plants, fish tanks (or ponds), natural materials, or screens with images of nature scenes to create a calming, creativity-friendly environment.
• Use bold, stimulating colours in brainstorming zones, doodle rooms, and think tank spaces, while reserving calming tones for focus areas.
• Support visual thinking with Post It Sticky Boards, Pin Boards, White boards, and prototype rooms with enough space to move about and actively engage in visualization and DT processes.
• Incorporate art installations, motivational quotes, or interactive displays that resonate with the company’s vision.

Example: LEGO’s Headquarters in Denmark incorporates colourful, playful spaces that mirror the brand’s ethos, fostering a sense of curiosity and creative freedom among employees.

 

Provide Resources and Technical Aids

A well-designed workspace includes access to tools and technology that support the innovation process. This ensures employees can turn ideas into action seamlessly.

Practical Steps:

• Provide cutting-edge software for design thinking, prototyping, and project management (e.g., Miro, Trello, or Adobe Creative Cloud).
• Set up hardware – 3D printers, interactive touchscreens, and VR/AR tools – for rapid prototyping and immersive ideation.
• Ensure high-speed connectivity and seamless integration of digital tools in shared spaces.
• Flexible Furniture: Use modular furniture that can be easily reconfigured to suit different tasks and promote collaboration.
• Ensure seamless access to technology, such as interactive whiteboards and video conferencing tools, to support innovative work processes.

Example: At Google^TM, resources such as prototyping labs and collaborative platforms such as Google Workspace empower employees to experiment and execute ideas efficiently.  (Find Google Workspace at https://workspace.google.com/marketplace/app/collaborative_whiteboard/657959631782)

 

Provide Private Spaces

While collaboration is essential, employees also need quiet zones to focus, reflect, and recharge. Balancing communal areas with private spaces caters to different working styles.

Practical Steps:

• Design soundproof pods or quiet rooms for deep work or confidential discussions.
• Create calming zones with comfortable seating and minimal distractions for reflective thinking.
• Use noise-cancelling partitions or acoustic panels to reduce noise levels in shared spaces.

A case study at Carnegie Mellon University revealed that teams preferred less visible locations with privacy for screens, whiteboards, and electrical outlets, while individual work occurred throughout the studio, highlighting the need for flexible and multifunctional spaces in creative environments.

Example: Microsoft’s Redmond Campus includes “Focus Rooms” specifically designed for individual work, ensuring that employees have the privacy needed for concentration. You can find similar workspaces for concentrated work at AUT’s library and post-graduate community study rooms. 

 

 

See the book and the video about “Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration” by Ed Catmull (Pixar, Disney Animation) & Amy Wallace, available at AUT library here: https://librarysearch.aut.ac.nz/vufind/Record/1828267?sid=52157357

 

Creative Leadership to Develop A Culture of Creative Enterprise

People-Centricity: Co-creating with Internal Corporate Teams

A thriving corporate culture of innovation and creative problem-solving is not optional; it is a strategic necessity. For start-ups and SMEs, culture is a key differentiator, especially when resources are limited. A well-crafted culture fosters collaboration, encourages innovation, prioritizes customer-centricity, anticipates future trends, ensures employee well-being, and drives sustainable competitive advantage (SCA). Developing an innovative organizational culture requires a focus on human values and behaviours. This can be achieved by aligning organizational values, motivating teams, and committing to innovation. Cases reporting on innovations in companies like 3M and SRI International demonstrate the effectiveness of a people-centred approach in fostering innovation.

Customer–Centric Hubs: Co-creating with Customers

In today’s hypercompetitive market, where consumers are used to personalized services and customized products, engaging customers in the innovation process is essential for developing new products and services. This involves creating collaborative networks and virtual customer communities that facilitate open innovation and value co-creation. Companies can benefit from customer insights and feedback, which can lead to more tailored and successful product offerings

Various scholarly studies suggest that creating experience-centric networks, which integrate customer knowledge and organizational competencies, enhances adaptability and value. Shifting from a consumption-based model to a service and value-oriented approach can help companies engage with the future more effectively. This involves co-creating with customers and adapting to changing market dynamics. Further, agile companies use frameworks for Business Process Modelling (BPM) and customer interaction hubs, which support effective firm-customer interactions and align with human well-being and sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) in corporate culture.

Prahalad and Ramaswami (2004) developed the DART model which serves as a guide for companies to effectively engage with consumers in the co-creation of value. By focusing on Dialogue, Access, Risk assessment, and Transparency, companies can create personalized experiences that resonate with individual consumers, ultimately leading to a more dynamic and responsive market environment. This model reflects the shift from traditional company-centric value creation to a more collaborative approach that recognizes the active role of consumers in shaping products and services.

Understanding and Applying the DART Model for Co-Creation

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the DART model components:

D – Dialogue

The DART model emphasizes the importance of open communication between companies and consumers and suggests that companies engage in meaningful conversations with their customers to understand their needs and preferences better. This two-way interaction fosters trust and collaboration, allowing consumers to feel valued and heard.

A – Access (aka Affordances)

Access refers to providing consumers with the necessary tools and information to participate in the co-creation process. Companies should endeavour to create processes and procedures that allow consumers to access products, services, and relevant data easily and hassle-free. This empowerment enables consumers to contribute their ideas and feedback, enhancing the overall value creation experience.

R – Risk Assessment

In the co-creation process, both companies and consumers share risks. Transparency of the potential risks involved in product development and marketing allows companies to build stronger relationships with consumers, who may be more willing to engage in co-creation if they understand the implications of their choices and actions.

T – Transparency

Transparency is crucial in fostering trust between companies and consumers. Companies should be open about their processes, decisions, and how consumer input is used. This openness not only enhances consumer trust but also encourages more active participation in the co-creation process, leading to unique value creation.

 

In summary, the DART model serves as a guide for companies to effectively engage with consumers in the co-creation of value. By focusing on dialogue, access, risk assessment, and transparency, companies can create personalized experiences that resonate with individual consumers, ultimately leading to a more dynamic and responsive market environment. This model reflects the shift from traditional company-centric value creation to a more collaborative approach that recognizes the active role of consumers in shaping products and services.

Creating a Collaborative, Innovative, Customer-Centric, Future-Focused, Sustainable Competitive Advantage (SCA), and Human Well-Being-Focused Corporate Culture

In a competitive marketspace a thriving, collaborative, innovative corporate culture is a strategic necessity. Research finds that corporate culture is a key differentiator, and a healthy culture drives a business’s sustainable competitive advantage (SCA). Below are detailed steps and real-world examples for creating and embedding such a culture in a start-up or even large, established companies.

1. Fostering Collaboration

Co-creation or collaboration, also called “co-ignition”, is one of the foundations of creativity. It allows for the free flow of ideas, builds trust among team members, and integrates diverse perspectives.

• Daily Stand-Up Meetings: Hold short team meetings to discuss progress, share challenges, and solicit ideas. This Agile-inspired practice fosters transparency and ensures everyone is aligned.
• Physical and Virtual Spaces: Create shared physical areas (if office-based) or digital hubs (e.g., Slack channels or Miro boards) for brainstorming and ideation.
• Shared Decision-Making: Involve team members in decisions affecting their work to boost ownership and engagement.

Example: Zappos, a start-up turned e-commerce giant, famously fostered collaboration by using a flat hierarchy where team members across departments shared ideas freely. CEO Tony Hsieh introduced practices such as “collisionable hours,” where employees could engage in unplanned conversations to spur innovation. (See this video in Forbes about Hsieh’s take on collisionable hours: https://workspace.google.com/marketplace/app/collaborative_whiteboard/657959631782)

2. Driving Innovation

For SMEs and start-ups, innovation is critical to standing out in the market. A culture that supports experimentation, risk-taking, and creative thinking ensures that ideas flow freely.

• Hackathons and Innovation Sprints: Dedicate regular time for the team to experiment with new ideas unrelated to daily tasks.
• Rewarding Bold Attempts: Celebrate not just successful innovations but also well-thought-out attempts that didn’t pan out. This encourages a mindset of learning through failure.
• Customer Feedback Loops: Create processes to continuously gather and act on customer feedback, ensuring that innovations are customer-driven.

Example: Dropbox, in its early start-up days, focused on user-centric innovation by testing prototypes with small user groups and iterating based on feedback. This iterative process allowed Dropbox to refine its product before scaling (Houston, 2012).

 

3. Being Customer-Centric

Customer-centricity is about putting the customer at the core of decision-making. For start-ups and SMEs, this ensures limited resources are invested in what truly matters—delighting the customer.

• Develop Empathy Maps: Help your team understand customers’ needs, emotions, and pain points.
• Offer Proactive Support: Use simple tools such as chatbots or ticketing systems to resolve customer queries quickly.
• Customer-Focused KPIs: Track metrics such as Customer Lifetime Value (CLV), Net Promoter Score (NPS), and churn rate to gauge success.

Example: Airbnb started by focusing obsessively on the customer experience. Founders Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia personally visited hosts, listened to their concerns, and iterated the platform based on feedback. This customer-centric approach helped the company scale while maintaining trust. (See Airbnb History) or find the information here at
https://www.igms.com/airbnb-history/).

4. Building a Future-Focused Culture

Future-focused organizations anticipate industry trends and invest in long-term capabilities, making them resilient to market disruptions.

• Trendspotting Workshops: Regularly host team discussions on emerging industry trends, using resources such as McKinsey Insights or Gartner Reports.
• Upskilling Programs: Encourage employees to acquire future-focused skills such as AI, data.

Leaders in Co-ignition & Co-creation

Creative Leadership in High Performance Companies (T20)

To lead a productive and high performance workforce under digital disruption and a business context of poly-crises is definitely a challenge, especially when dealing with a dynamic digital future that is an erratically moving target. Talent, according to Hay’s Group, the global management consulting firm, is only one of six major areas companies need to foster to create a long-term competitive advantage in the marketplace.

A comprehensive study by Hay Group, “Best Companies for Leadership”, found that the best companies seek and nurture creative talent and innovation as “a matter of daily business”, involving not only all stakeholders internally, but also the entire supply chain.

“The Best Companies for Leadership recognize that many of the skills once required solely for senior leadership roles — high levels of emotional intelligence, commitment to continuous learning, analytical thinking — are now critical at every level of the organization …To excel in today’s highly complex and competitive business environment, the Best Companies (top 20 = T20) are taking deliberate steps to develop and reward these competencies to enable their organizations to achieve operational excellence today, while driving innovation for tomorrow.” In fact, 82%  of T20 companies use rewards or reprimands that are based on rigorous measurements of performance against goals, compared to only 58% of all other companies. Similarly, 89% of T20 companies encourage employees to set challenging or aggressive goals, versus only 69% of others.

At the same time T20 foster cultures that encourage innovation: 76% of T20 companies reward and stimulate cross-business-unit collaboration to develop new business lines, compared to only 54 % of others. The T20 companies are also more likely to encourage employees to learn in areas outside of their areas of expertise (70% vs. 48%) and to recognize and reward employees for really novel, unusual ideas (77% vs. 58%).

“It’s becoming harder to create and run profitable businesses in traditional ways…Organizations have to think differently about how they relate to their markets.” T20 companies are adept at anticipating and meeting client needs at multiple points along the consumer spectrum. They’re shifting from selling products and services to becoming integrated business partners that can help their customers solve pressing needs.” With 78% of T20 companies reporting that they actively encourage employees to spend time discussing customers’ future needs, compared to only 55% of all other companies.

Hay Group’s additional findings summary is available from:

Eighth Annual Hay Group Study Identifies Best Companies for Leadership | The HR Gazette

 

 

Table 6.1 Areas of Focus for Top 20 Best Companies for Innovation Leadership

The Best Companies emphasize innovation	Top 20
Provides structured opportunities for younger employees to promote innovative ideas to senior leaders	71 %
Treats failure (after a good effort) as a learning opportunity, not something to be ashamed of	72 %
Views employees in new start-up or innovation areas as having equal importance to those driving operational improvement	80 %
Provides employees with creative challenges rather than narrowly defined tasks	78 %
The Best Companies are globally aware and respect diversity	Top 20
Require an appreciation of global issues as a key job requirement	79 %
Actively recruit cultural minorities	71 %
Leaders are culturally savvy and have the skills to work effectively with diverse teams	84 %
Have a high proportion of women in senior leadership positions	59 %
The Best Companies emphasize environmental and social responsibility	Top 20
Leaders are advocates for environmentally responsible business practices	89 %
Leaders are change agents who initiate change toward higher environmental standards	86 %
Actively apply sustainable and energy-efficient policies	83 %
Use corporate social responsibility to recruit employees	68 %

What does it take to Innovate & implement

An infographic featuring the findings by engage-innovate.com illustrates and discusses the steps to take the hundreds of new ideas, and get them implemented. The infographic is displayed in Figure 6.15.

You can find the detailed description here : 9 Steps to Make Innovation Happen: An Infographic – Engage//Innovate

 

 

In Summary: Building a creative culture is essential for fostering innovation, collaboration, and long-term success in any organization, especially for start-ups and SMEs. Such a culture emphasizes:

1. Collaboration: Encourage cross-functional teamwork through daily stand-ups, shared decision-making, and digital collaboration tools, as seen at Zappos its flat hierarchy and “collisionable hours.”
2. Innovation: Support experimentation and risk-taking with practices like hackathons and customer feedback loops, exemplified by Dropbox’s iterative prototyping approach.
3. Customer-Centricity: Make customer needs central by creating empathy maps, offering proactive support, and focusing on metrics such as NPS and CLV, as Airbnb did by engaging directly with hosts and guests.
4. Future-Focus: Stay adaptable and resilient by monitoring trends, investing in upskilling, and embedding sustainability into strategy, similar to Unilever’s commitment to sustainable growth.
5. Human Well-Being: Prioritize mental, emotional, and physical health with initiatives such as Salesforce’s mindfulness zones and wellness reimbursements.
6. Embracing diversity and inclusion on all levels, age, ethnicity, experience, education, culture, background and personal purpose/values.
7. A commitment to continuous learning and progress, embracing technology and the competencies (skills, mindset, attitude set) necessary to grapple with the sticky issues of a dynamic, tumultuous future.

By integrating these practices, start-ups and SMEs can create a culture that attracts talent, delights customers, and drives sustainable competitive advantages (SCAs).

 

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OpenAI Dall-E & de Villiers R. (2025). 16 Jan 2025. PROMPT: PRESS IMAGES: You are a creative director and expert designer for a book illustrating company. You are particularly known for your understanding of human psychology and children’s behaviour. You have been asked to use DALL-E to design a book illustration, showing kids in their very colourful bedroom at play, using various toys to build a castle. Lego, Duplo, Blocks and spoons. Please create that bright, sunny, happy image now.

OpenAI Dall-E & de Villiers R. (2025). 16 Jan 2025. PROMPT: PRESS IMAGES: You are a creative director and expert designer for a book illustrating company. Excellent. Please show the kids a little older, playing outside the barn, building a tree house and ladder, using various farming instruments

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