solvay_live243_p02a04 somEdito

pilot model. No matter if this piece of equipment looks foolhardy
or a little mad, we need to touch and feel it. This dynamizes
team work (it is also great fun) and twice a year, R&D organizes
a demo day on its own premises which has a bit of the feel of an
inventions fair about it. “The marketing people are beginning to
come and look”, Klaas Vegter told Solvay live. “You swap ideas
differently in front of a contraption than in front of a diagram,
however smartly done.”
For Klaas Vegter, you don’t force someone to produce new ideas.
But once you’ve got thirty or so people together, there is a statistical
effect and new ideas emerge. “What stimulates creativity best
is the logic and consistency with which management encourages its
employees, by recognizing their efforts, providing logistic support and
with a direct impact on remuneration.”
No one likes being ridiculed! Within an enterprise like Philips,
everyone evolves within a hierarchy, and all managers occupy
positions vis-à-vis their peers that they have to protect. “It is the
most competent people in particular who hesitate to take risks, as
they are putting at stake their image, and at times their functions
or roles in their groups.” Developing a creative culture
means giving people confidence that they can take the risk of
advancing into unknown territory... Without paying the consequences
if it doesn't work out. •
© Digital Vision/John Cumming
The right
to be wrong
ccepting one’s own mistakes
“Aand those of others”, is a wellknown
management principle. “And
even so, it’s not as easy as that to
apply”, Klaas Vegter admits. “Let me
give you an illustration. We had
organized a project presentation day
for which I had strongly encouraged
my employees to be creative”, Klaas
Vegter recalls. “One of my researchers
made a very personal presentation of
his project in the form of a humoristic
little play. At the time I didn’t catch
onto his approach, and my face
probably expressed a certain
irritation. After his presentation, he
came up to me and apologized and
said how sorry he was he had taken
the wrong approach. It was then that
I understood his choice, and was
highly embarrassed. I answered that
on the contrary, I was impressed
by his daring and also his courage
to take the risk of doing things
differently from the rest. It was I who
had lacked imagination and openness.
I often use this example in front
of all the others. Even the Research
Director came close to discouraging
an original idea!”
New business
Innovation demo day
- sharing ideas and projects.
J U L Y 2 0 0 6
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