Playing it Safe vs. Creative Thinking

I recently saw an interesting article that seems quite appropriate for the times we live in. This article was based on a report published recently by Robert Half International, a staffing service. Condensed versions and commentary on this report have been available via a number of search engines in recent weeks. These days we are bombarded with stories of gloom and doom. Stock market prices are dropping, wealth is eroding, jobs are becoming scarce, unemployment is rising, and the future seems more complicated than it has ever been. We are inclined in times of uncertainty to turn inwards, start playing safe, protecting what is there in the hope that time will heal all and that things will go back to the good old days. The article (in abbreviated form) advocates exactly the opposite when it comes to business practices. “Playing it safe” is put forward as being one of the top three mistakes managers make in times like this. As the article suggests, “being boring” is not a strategy for survival because losing your competitive edge is a likely result. This does not suggest that risks should not be considered, but rather that innovation and creativity are still ways to gain ground. The second main mistake is to discount or discourage innovative thinking at all levels in an organization. Innovative thinking, the article suggests, is more likely to help an organization survive; many ideas can be put into the pool to not only assist the organization but also encourage a sense of joint survival among all employees. Rewarding such behavioral thinking is an added encouragement. This concept can only thrive in an environment where managers actively encourage this and do not feel threatened. Managers should therefore actively participate in this process. Here in China, we are not unaffected by the issues that have been making page one news all over the world. We have seen many businesses close and unemployment levels rise. We too have recently seen a large injection of government capital into the economy to both boost and revitalize industries. Creative thinking and behavior at management levels to avoid the sometimes obvious mistakes could be another path on the way to revival and survival.