"I’m still sorting through all of this," says Spence. "I’ve talked to my friends about the surface level -- that idea of a destination-driven society. We must meet these goals and get there and that’s all we are. And yet all the great works of philosophy talk about how the final destination will get here faster than you want. So maybe it’s more important to pay attention to the journey. If all you’re doing in business is accumulating milestones, then what's the purpose? I think I knew that intellectually -- but walking across New England was a time to stop, look and think. That is really, I think, where creativity is birthed."
For every action in business, there is always an equal and opposite reaction. As companies become more obsessed by speed, we could also think about the value of slowness. If we want to be truly innovative, perhaps what’s needed most is the courage to slow down and reflect on the creativity latent within us. Maybe for every Fast Company we need some slow solitude.
Email
Digg
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Buzz Up!
LinkedIn
Recent Comments | 2 Total
October 2, 2009 at 12:10am by mike bern
Now this is not going to be a post where I moan about the abundance of self proclaimed management gurus out there, don’t worry. But even amongs the more credible professionals out there, there is not always a clear cut definition and distinction between creativity and innovation. Based on my own research and experience, it is useful to view creativity as mental processes and behaviours that the individual engages in, whereas innovation is often understood to be the structures and processes at work that facilitate creativty.
garden sheds