Adapted from a Paper presented by Barry Mapp in 1994 at the ERIK Network European Conference “Regional Successes in Creating and Connecting Companies – European Union Perspectives”
A Creation Company can be thought of as a place (business) where the work systems, work processes, work culture, work management and work leadership are aligned with people and how people work best.
Where such alignment occurs this can lead to extraordinary results.
When the systems do not get in the way of the work, human spirit and human joy and passion unfold.
When alignment happens between people and systems, the work can “flow”, unimpeded by artificial constraints, boundaries, controls or hierarchy.
When the work is aligned with how people like to work, then every person in the business is able to perform at their very best, such that everyone has the opportunity to produce extraordinary results.
When there is such alignment, individuals have a sense of control or influence over the work and a sense of responsible for their own work
The Fundamental Principles for creating a Creation Company
Tom McGehee says there are three fundamental principles for a Creation Company (and ANY company can generate the excitement, energy, confidence, and audacity of the “whoosh” of a Creation Company by subscribing to these fundamental principles):
1) A leadership style free from command-and-control principles
2) A corporate culture that values individual expression and collaborative work
3) An understanding that success means creating the new not replicating the old
From my personal experience, I would also add two additional principles required for (long-term) Creation Company performance (this makes it five principles in all) and these will be discussed in the next blog
Coming next: Five Working Principles of Creation Companies
