Creativity through the metaphor of food

Around two years ago I wrote a manifesto for ‘Change This’ on the topic of slow innovation. This was inspired by the founding of the ‘slow food’ movement by Italian journalist Carlo Petrini. After strolling past a new MacDonald’s franchise in the centre of Rome he paused and said: If this is fast food, why not have slow food? His ideas revolved around fresh ingredients, nutrition and the social aspects of family dining to name but a few. Slow innovation explored the topic of innovation through the metaphor of food. Can the same be done with creativity?

Although creativity is a component of innovation it is often seen as a standalone topic and many HR professionals and senior managers treat it as exactly that. Readers who truly appreciate creativity and its benefits will know that the greatest value is obtained from long term interventions – training plus cultural change is more valuable than simply being furnished with a copy of De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats.

The difference between slow food/slow innovation and slow creativity is that when innovating, the slow options are usually different from the fast option. The components of slow creativity are, however, exactly the same. The difference lies in timescales, combinations of interventions and above all skill and knowledge in introducing new techniques and ideas.

So if slow is good, what does it look like? Here are a few ideas about what to look for:

•    Realistic timescales, avoid the rush to generate new ideas this afternoon.
•    Beware the boss distributing self help books.
•    Look for opportunities to collaborate with others.
•    Look for ways to determine if what you are doing is working.
•    Ensure that whatever methods you use do not exclude others.
•    Signs of increased intrinsic motivation.
•    Signs of changed and exploratory/learning behaviour.

But what happens if you apply the ‘quick fix’, maybe forcing groups of unwilling individuals to brainstorm with post-it notes? Again this is not an exhaustive list but you might notice:

•    Reluctant participation and a possible decrease in output.
•    Less variety and volume of ideas due to a narrowing not a widening participation.
•    Individuals struggling to come up with ideas on their own.
•    Less focus on playful behaviour and emphasis on quantity not quality of output.
•    Increased absence or reasons to focus on more ‘important tasks’.
•    An aloof and critical management style.

So slow is good because it adds value and is sustainable. Borrowing from the food metaphor, slow creativity requires a competent chef whilst slow innovation and slow food require both a competent chef and a different list of ingredients. And here is the key. Because slow creativity uses the same tools and techniques it is too easy for inexperienced people to dabble. Thus the moral of the story is ‘go slow, go carefully’.