Dear Theodore Levitt,
My inquiry in creativity’s importance led me to your article “Creativity Is Not Enough.” Thank you for taking the time to express your perspective regarding creative individuals in the business setting. I was particularly intrigued by your use of analogies and relatable examples to support your point. Your article gave me a wide scope of ideas to consider as I continue my research on the complexity of creativity.
You assert the need for organized businesses to rely on non-creatives in order to be productive. You define creative individuals as “those compulsive idea generators whose distaste for the mundane realities of organizational life renders them incapable of executing any real project.” According to you, Dr. Levitt, too much creativity leads to unrealistic work goals, which means getting nothing done since ideas are never implemented. In addition, you argue that innovation is a much more laborious task than developing creative ideas.
As a creative individual myself, I agree that implementing ideas in a business is an arduous task. Innovation requires a certain degree of collaboration and management that eventually leads to success. I support your claim that companies should stay focused but not resistant to ideation. The overall objective of a company is productivity. It’s difficult to alter a company’s goal because of the addition of innovative ideas. A more efficient approach involves making noteworthy minor adjustments to a company’s structure. I acknowledge your view that ideation is not a synonym for innovation. Ideation involves generating new ideas, while innovation implements these findings.
While I agree that a company’s goal is to get things done, creative individuals amplify the productivity of a business because they force employees to cooperate. Creativity within a company is not one person’s responsibility. If one person consistently generates new ideas, others can work to ensure ideation leads to innovation. Innovation may be time consuming, but ideation is equally challenging. The individuals who seem “incapable of executing any real project” spend countless hours thinking of bold ideas that shape companies such as Apple and Google. I agree that businesses should stay focused, but isn’t there a chance that it’ll dissolve without the addition of new ideas? Richard Florida, another HBR author, finds that “At the core of the creative class are scientists, architects, designers, educators, whose economic function is to create new ideas, new technology, or new content.” We live in a world that requires creativity, so maybe we should slowly encourage imaginativeness in companies.
After reading your article, I understand the perspective of those who support non-creatives in corporations. You have stressed the importance of a business’s efficiency and success, which is derived from focus. I agree that innovation is a complicated process. There needs to be a balance between ideation, innovation, and implementation within a company for it to triumphantly thrive. I’m confident that with our common goal of bettering companies, we can find a solution to this controversial issue on creativity.
Sincerely,
A Creative Soul
