I'll admit this generalization of my favorite CreativeBloc question is in my words, not the attendee's. His questions ("How do you make Becky more comfortable? Should we try to make a Mike Brown out of a Becky?") relate to a story about a person (not her real name) frequently shared in my innovation presentations (you can click to read the full story).
Becky would be most comfortable and perfectly happy taking orders from someone and squelching her perspective because she grew up in an environment where that was rewarded. And the corporation where she got her experience is certainly not the only one which values that from its people. Given that, there are lots of places she could have gone and been a lot more comfortable than working with us.
I definitely don't want everyone to be like me! But I do think people should be open about sharing their diverse perspectives, entertaining new ideas, and contributing to a team being more successful in new and innovative ways. If you share that perspective and have someone like her working for you who genuinely wants to expand her horizons, several things could help her grow:
Getting her involved in every creative situation possible.
This will expose her to a less hierarchical structure and a more interactive style. Seeing others share ideas - some good and some not so good - and realizing ideas which don't get picked don't get you in trouble would be beneficial for her.
Arming her with tools such as those which frustrated her in the creative session.
What types of tools? The ones shared here on the Brainzooming blog to aid in strategic and creative thinking. The tools here are intended to help people for whom strategic and creative thinking don't come easily to flourish while reducing the stress they feel in these situations.
Giving her assignments in unfamiliar areas.
This would both frustrate and stretch her. But helping her understand upfront how her experience translates to and helps her in unfamiliar situations will make her a much stronger contributor.
If your Becky really wants to change, this developmental strategy should create a much more fulfilled and successful Becky!
Wrap-up
I sincerely hope you've benefited from these posts answering CreativeBloc questions. I'm looking forward to doing more of this based on questions from future presentations. – Mike Brown
If you’d like to add an interactive, educationally-stimulating presentation on strategy, innovation, branding, social media or a variety of other topics to your event, Mike Brown is the answer. Email us at brainzooming@gmail.com or call 816-509-5320 to learn how Mike can get your audience members Brainzooming!