It may seem as if life today is all doom and gloom, but it really may be the case that every cloud has a silver lining. And I don't mean the Bishop of Lewes' conviction that the recession will be good for society.
According to University of Manchester historian Dr Charlie Wildman, recession can prompt unusual levels of creativity. Having studied Liverpool and Manchester archives from the 1920s and 1930s, Wildman has concluded that the Great Depression spurred a period of unparalleled creativity leading to, among other innovations, the development of the modern high street. Ironically, the same high street to which the current recession is laying waste.
Wildman found that during the Great Depression, councils invested heavily in public transport, civic and commercial architecture, civic exhibitions and official celebrations, with municipal rulers, civic leaders and businessmen acting as spurs for what she calls "amazing levels of confidence, innovation and civic pride." She believes that this civic investment acted as "a form of opium for the masses", with its innovations representing a pragmatic response to the threat of extremist politics, as people struggled to cope with the reality of poverty and unemployment. This certainly strikes a chord today - a recent poll by YouGov revealed that 37% of adults surveyed expect "serious social unrest" in British cities, as the recession tightens its grip.
Wildman says that there's no reason that the current recession won't produce similar levels of creativity, but how are organisations to go about developing and indeed using it?
Comments (4)
Posted by Ben Moss | March 3, 2009 3:56 PM
It seems that Barack Obama may have been reading Dr Wildman’s research as he plans unparalleled investment in the America’s infrastructure. The UK’s response is milder, but many public sector budgets could hold up for another 18-24 months before the government wants its ‘recovery’ money back.
Recession can shock a nation into creativity, but to fully tap into it we all have to pull in the same direction – and society is now far more individualised than in the ‘20s. In the short-term, businesses need to look for recession-based opportunities and align themselves with Government funding streams. However, they must also anticipate the end of such funding. Right now, it’s time to work on offerings that will be attractive when the recovery begins. Vision is a key component of creativity and can start to drive our thinking beyond this recession.
For further comment on creativity and the recession see Cary Cooper's blo: http://carycooperblog.com/2009/02/06/recession-breeds-innovation-and-opportunity/
Posted on March 3, 2009 15:56
Posted by Jonathan Chapman | March 3, 2009 3:58 PM
We often talk about empowering employees in order to achieve high performance. Wildman shows us that when faced with adversity people can raise their game. The challenge for organisational leaders is to tap into this through genuinely managing their people like business partners and not costs to be managed down.
Focus on creating an environment that provides clear direction and access to the right information to allow employees to act with authority and speed to meet the demands that the current environment presents. Can you afford the alternative, frustrated employees and potentially unproductive unrest in your workplace?
Posted on March 3, 2009 15:58
Posted by Jo Ewens | March 30, 2009 12:32 PM
More and more pressure is being put on managers to run their teams more efficiently and effectively; strong leadership is essential to a company’s survival.
Equipping your managers with the necessary skills to respond to and withstand the changeable and competitive climate they are working in is a necessity no business can afford to overlook. The need for managers to build confidence in their teams and create a positive and productive environment has never been stronger.
The Outdoors is a unique learning environment that allows people to practise Management and Leadership skills first hand. It provides more impact and credibility than the classroom with participants experiencing and reacting to the real thing. People have to deal with real emotions and very real physical situations. The results are more powerful, longer lasting and deeper rooted than those learnt in a classroom. Making it one of the most effective methods for ensuring that skills learnt on Development courses are effectively transferred back into the workplace is to.
Dave Bunting, of www.my-peakpotential.com - Leadership and management development specialists, was formerly an adventurous training specialist with the British Army. He says “Adventurous training has long been used in the Military to develop leadership and enhance the performance of soldiers. Activities involving controlled exposure to risk are used to develop strong leadership & teamwork, enhance decision making and build self confidence; skills vital to any management role, operational or professional."
Businesses need strong leaders to inspire productive performance and communicate effectively - taking you through these uncertain times.
Effective management training in this climate is not a luxury, it is a necessity.
Posted on March 30, 2009 12:32
Posted by Nicola Austin | May 14, 2009 5:20 PM
Networking has never been so important, we know that a recession can be good for creativity as it forces innovation. However, creativity often relies on having access to the right people, the right ideas and the right stimulus. There is a new club launching on Monday run by Carole Stone and YouGov that looks promising for this...
During the good times we know that networking is important - maintaining the value of 'Me plc' but often it becomes a parade of success rather than a chance to openly engage and share ideas.
During these tougher times, the savvy networker will take the chance to get back to some of the basics, asking the right questions and openly engaging with ideas and the experiences of others. Perhaps equally importantly the savvy networker will get the motivation and optimism that talking to others can deliver.
Posted on May 14, 2009 17:20