Another questionnaire, this time to help assess the creative climate of your organisation [via Fast Company Now]. Nine dimensions  have been identified that fall into these three groups :

Resources :  1. Idea Time    2. Idea Support    3. Challenge and Involvement

Personal Motivation :  1. Trust and Openness     2. Playfulness and Humor    3. Absence of Interpersonal Conflicts

Exploration :  1. Risk-Taking    2. Debates About the Issues    3. Freedom

Charles Prather shares some observations from his nine-point program in the article :

In our work with organizations brave enough to measure their climate for innovation, we have found striking similarities.  The dimensions in greatest need for improvement were
(1) Risk-Taking
(2) Idea Time
(3) Idea Support, and
 (4) Trust and Openness

and

"In our work with clients we consistently find that the view of the environment is directly related to the organizational level of the rater. That is, the higher up the organization, the better the environment appears to be.  It is a little like flying over New York City at 30,000 ft.  From that height it looks just fine, but at street level you begin to notice the problems, and it is at the street level that work gets done.  As you think about how to improve your climate for innovation, be sure improve the foundation, beginning at the street level."

I remember when i worked with an organisation for 10 years this was always the result of employee surveys, regardless of nature of survey - employee satisfaction, innovation or creativity climates, business-savvy and entrepreneurship inventories - the view from the top was always so rosy.

Especially when the attitude reflected by top management was 'need-based information'.  And this lack of openness and trust i believe are key stiflers of creativity and innovation.

And what i found toughest and most stifling was being somewhere at mid-level, trying to balance the rarified air of the top brass with the 'stench' from the masses. Like the time one of the girls working under me was denied a promotion, despite A+ reviews, and the 'excuse' at the time given to me was i didnot shout loud enough, despite verbal and written recommendations.  #!?@*#*#!???.  The girl was shattered, i was shattered, and the organisation was 'oh its not our fault - but never mind, there's always next year'.

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