CREATIVITY AND METHOD OF THE "6 HATS" - LIDL COMPANY

DRAGHICI LILIANA
AN II MSDA
 CREATIVITY – HOW IMPORTANT IT IS IN BUSINESS
RESEARCH SHOWS THAT FOR THE FINANCIAL SUCCESS OF A COMPANY, CREATIVITY IS ESSENTIAL.
HOWEVER, DESPITE ITS IMPORTANCE, FEW ORGANIZATIONS UNDERSTAND THIS AND ARE WILLING TO
DO WHATEVER IS NECESSARY TO ENCOURAGE EMPLOYEE CREATIVITY AND KEEP THEIR CREATIVE
PEOPLE SATISFIED AND PRODUCTIVE.
MOREOVER, CREATIVITY IS A PERSONALITY TRAIT WITH A VERY HIGH DEGREE OF DESIBILITY IN THE
BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT. ROBERT HOGAN AND JOHN MORRISON BELIEVE THAT GOOD MANAGERS
ARE RATHER STABLE, PRACTICAL AND CONCERNED WITH MAINTAINING ORDER AND KEEPING COSTS
IN CHECK. CREATIVE PEOPLE ARE IDEALISTIC, NONCONFORMIST AND TEND NOT TO BE CONCERNED
ABOUT FINANCIAL ISSUES.
.
 FROM A PSYCHOLOGICAL POINT OF VIEW, IN AN ORGANIZATION, MANAGERIAL AND
CREATIVE PERSONALITIES ARE INNATE ENEMIES WHO ARE PREDISPOSED TO NEVER
UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER. HOWEVER, ALTHOUGH THE TWO TYPES ARE PSYCHOLOGICAL
OPPOSITES, MANAGERS AND CREATIVE PEOPLE NEED EACH OTHER.
GOOD MANAGERS ARE NOT NECESSARILY, NATURALLY, INNOVATIVE OR CREATIVE, AND
CREATIVE PEOPLE ARE NOT USUALLY GOOD MANAGERS. IN AN ORGANIZATION, IN ORDER
TO ACHIEVE ITS BUSINESS GOALS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO CO-EXIST THE TWO PERSONALITIES.
THE CHALLENGE IS GIVEN BY HOW WE HARMONIZE THE TWO PERSPECTIVES IN COMPANIES
 HOW DO WE BUILD AN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE THAT ENCOURAGES CREATIVITY?
CREATIVITY IS STIMULATED BY FREEDOM AND FLEXIBILITY IN THE WORKPLACE. RESEARCH FROM HOGAN
ASSESSMENTS SHOWS THAT INNOVATIVE EMPLOYEES TEND TO HAVE MORE VISION, TEND TO SEE THINGS
FROM A BROADER PERSPECTIVE, AND FOCUS ON WHAT MATTERS. THEIR MINUS, HOWEVER, MAY BE THE
FACT THAT THEY ARE LESS FOCUSED ON EXECUTION AND ON THE UNFOLDING OF THE MORE ROUTINE AND
LESS INTERESTING ASPECTS OF THE BUSINESS.
 SOME TIPS FOR MANAGERS WHO WANT TO CREATE A CULTURE CENTERED ON
CREATIVITY

- PROVIDE SUPPORT TO CREATIVE EMPLOYEES BY PUTTING THEM ALONGSIDE

CONVENTIONAL COLLEAGUES WHO WOULD NOT CHALLENGE THEIR INNOVATIVE
IDEAS, BUT WHO WOULD AGREE TO WORK WITH THEM
- THE TEAMS THAT PERFORM HIGHER PERFORM ARE THOSE THAT HAVE A MIX OF
CREATIVE PROFILES WITH PROFILES CENTERED ON DETAILS AND PROCESSES
- CREATIVE PEOPLE SHOULD BE MOTIVATED WITH INTERESTING, CHALLENGING
AND MEANINGFUL PROJECTS, AND NOT EXCLUSIVELY WITH FINANCIAL REWARDS
WHAT IS HOLDING BACK THE CREATION OF AN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE CENTERED
ON CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION IS THE RESULT OF POOR MANAGEMENT. LEADERS
WHO ARE UNABLE TO BUILD AND MAINTAIN EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH
CREATIVE EMPLOYEES, WHO DO NOT SET CLEAR PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS, OR
WHO DO NOT PROVIDE BALANCED AND CREDIBLE FEEDBACK, ARE INCLINED TO FAIL
TO STIMULATE A CREATIVE CLIMATE.

EDWARD DE BONO: "SIX" THINKING HATS

EFFECTIVE THINKING IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS IN ALL AREAS OF ACTIVITY. ANY DELAY AND ANY HESITATION
CAN MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUCCESS AND FAILURE. FROM HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO
PRESIDENTS OF LARGE COMPANIES, MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD HAVE BEEN USING A
NOVEL METHOD OF CREATIVE THINKING FOR OVER THREE DECADES – THE METHOD OF SIX THINKING
HATS.
THIS FUNNY ROLE-PLAYING GAME PROPOSES US TO DIVIDE THE WAY WE THINK INTO SIX CATEGORIES –
EACH SYMBOLIZED BY A HAT OF A DIFFERENT COLOR. WE LEARN TO ANALYZE WHAT HAT WE WEAR AT A
CERTAIN MOMENT, THEN WE WILL CHANGE THE HATS ONE BY ONE, DELIBERATELY, TO GO THROUGH
THE WHOLE PROCESS OF THINKING. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO GET? A CLEAR LOOK AT OUR PROBLEMS
AND A FIRM SOLUTION TO EACH OF THEM.
THE ROLES OF EACH HAT

WHITE HAT: THE WHITE HAT IS NEUTRAL AND OBJECTIVE. SHE IS PREOCCUPIED WITH OBJECTIVE
FACTS AND NUMBERS.
RED HAT: RED SUGGESTS ANGER, ANGER AND EMOTIONS (I SEE RED OF ANGER). THE RED HAT
OFFERS EMOTIONAL POINT OF VIEW.
BLACK HAT: BLACK IS SOBER AND SERIOUS. THE BLACK HAT IS FORESIGHTED AND ATTENTIVE. IT
EMPHASIZES THE WEAKNESSES IN AN IDÉE.
YELLOW HAT: YELLOW IS POSITIVE AND SUNNY. THE YELLOW HAT IS OPTIMISTIC AND COVERS
HOPE AND POSITIVE THINKING.
GREEN HAT: GREEN IS GRASS, VEGETATION AND ABUNDANCE, FERTILITY AND GROWTH. THE
GREEN HAT INDICATES CREATIVITY AND NEW IDEAS.
BLUE HAT: BLUE IS COOL AND IS ALSO THE COLOR OF THE SKY, WHICH IS ABOVE ALL ELSE. THE
BLUE HAT IS OCCUPIED BY CONTROL, THE ORGANIZATION OF THE THOUGHT PROCESS AND THE
USE OF THE OTHER HATS.
DESPITE THE APPARENT SIMPLICITY, THIS METHOD ALLOWS US TO ACHIEVE EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS,
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO A GROUP DISCUSSION, WHERE TOO OFTEN WE ARE MORE CONCERNED
WITH DEFENDING OUR POINT OF VIEW, INSTEAD OF WORKING TOGETHER TO FIND THE BEST CREATIVE
SOLUTION TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM THAT AROSE IN THE FRAMEWORK OF ORGANIZING THE SHIFT TO
PERFORM THE REQUIRED TASKS.

Because it allows us to enter and exit a certain role, this method is a successful one because, someone
may not feel at ease if it comes to expressing their seemingly unrational emotions about a business,
while, if they are "forced" to wear the red hat, they will do it freely saying that when solving the
problem we have to be more responsible on the processes that we have to carry out. or maybe he is
afraid to expose a new and seemingly strange idea, but with a green hat "on his head" I am even
encouraged to do it, namely to offer employees the necessary support for the performance of tasks, to
be open to questions that will be asked from employees. But if criticisms are made "with the black hat
on the head", the negative element of this action is regarded as a necessary moment for the
development of an idea.
 .
THAT IS WHY ROLE REPLACEMENTS WILL BE MADE FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL MANAGEMENT
TO SEE AS MANY OPTIONS AS POSSIBLE THAT WILL BE EFFECTIVE OR NOT BUT THAT
ANALYZED AND CHANGED WILL LEAD TO A GOOD RESULT IN ORDER TO DRIVE THE SHIFT AS
WELL AS POSSIBLE. THE BLUE PALLIATION WILL BE REPRESENTED BY THE MANAGER OF THE
COMPANY WHO WILL ESTABLISH TOGETHER WITH THE OTHERS THE SOLUTION AND THAT OF
PUTTING 2 MANAGEMENT STAFF ON A TEN TEN FOR A BETTER ORGANIZATION AND TO
SUPERVISE THE WAY THE CASHIERS PERFORM THEIR TASKS.
A CREATIVE IDEA IS TO GIVE EMPLOYEES A BONUS TO INCENTIVIZE THEM TO COMPLETE THEIR TASK
CORRECTLY AS WELL AS AN ORGANIZED OUTING OUTSIDE THE COMPANY.

THE USE OF PARALLEL THINKING THROUGH THE METHOD OF THE "SIX THINKING HATS",REDUCES
THE TIME SPENT IN OPERATIVE SESSIONS IN FINDING SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS ARISING IN THE LIFE
OF A TEAM, IMPLICITLY IN THE LIFE OF AN ORGANIZATION. IT ALSO HELPS TO RESOLVE
INTERPERSONAL CONFLICTS BY ELIMINATING CONTRADICTORY DISCUSSIONS IN WHICH THE PARTIES
INVOLVED WANT TO WIN DISPUTES AND DEMOLISH THEIR OPPONENTS.