Just for Laughs

This is Rebecca. She has been with the company for many years. She is in the sales department and has won the best sales award several time. I do not recall Rebecca sending me any email before. That is why I was surprised when I got an email from her this morning. The subject of the email was “Just for a laugh” but I think it is a lesson for all of us especially the leaders in the office.

This is her email to me.

"How to Kill Creativity"

1. Always pretend to know more than everybody around you.
   
2. Get employees to fill in time sheets.
   
3. Run daily checks on progress of everyone's work.
   
4. Ensure that highly qualified people do mundane work for long periods.
   
5. Put barriers up between departments.
   
6. Don't speak personally to employees, except when announcing increased targets, shortened deadlines and tightened cost restraints.
   
7. Ask for a 200-page document to justify every new idea.
   
8. Call lots of meetings..
   
9. Place the biggest emphasis on the budget.
   
10. Kill any idea that is not your own
    

We need to remember that creativity is what keeps things growing, keeps the mind sharp and keeps people enthusiastic in all their endeavors, from home to work to personal life. So next time you have the opportunity to stifle creativity – Don’t – whether it is in the workplace, the kitchen, or from a smiling 3 year old. Thinking out of the box is what brings society its leaders. Restricting creativity only hurts oneself.

Thank you Rebecca.