Role of Creativity in Process Improvement

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝘁. I learned this watching a marketing director walk her own floor. She was brilliant. Her team was talented. But when I asked her to show me how a campaign brief moved from insight to approval, she hesitated. Not because she didn't know her business. Because no one had made the work visible. Within twenty minutes, we'd uncovered three places where very good ideas were quietly dying. Not from lack of creativity - because no-one could see the process. It made me think about how we've been taught to separate creativity from discipline. That structure somehow diminishes spark. That artists and operators speak different languages. But as I spent years working with teams at P&G and Danaher, I've learned a different perspective. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘂𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆. It's 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. It's the 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. Deming understood this: 𝐼𝑓 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑑𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑡. That's why, when I go to Gemba - the real place where work happens - I ask three questions: 1. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀? Not the org chart. The actual process. 2. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴? If you can't tell, you're not managing it. 3. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁? Not what you plan to do. What you're doing now. And guess what? The best leaders don't resist these questions. They lean in. Because once you can see how the work is really done, you can improve it. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆. ✅ It's what makes creativity repeatable. ✅ And once you can improve it, you can scale it. ✅ That's what separates good organisations from world-class ones. 👉 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘁. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. 📌Save this to revisit before your next strategy review.

From Studio to Strategy: How I Use Art School Critique to Lead My Team Creativity is often seen as the domain of artists: abstract, emotional, maybe even a little chaotic. But as someone who lives in both worlds = fine art and the precision-driven diamond industry. I’ve come to see creativity as something much more powerful: a leadership tool. In my studio, creativity is expression. In my team, creativity is communication, empathy, and collaboration. And sometimes, it means reimagining something as fundamental as how we give feedback. The Feedback Problem:- When I first began managing my team at AMIPI INC. (in the diamond industry) I noticed a common issue: people were reluctant to give or receive feedback. Conversations around performance were often guarded, surface-level, or avoided altogether. This wasn’t just a communication problem, it was holding back growth and innovation. So I asked myself, how would an artist approach this? Enter: The Critique Circle:- In art school, critique isn’t just part of the proces, it is the process. We hang our work on the wall, step back, and invite others in. The goal isn’t to tear it apart. It’s to learn, evolve, and see something new. It’s about trust. I brought this approach to my team by introducing something I call Critique Circles: • We replaced performance reviews with creative review sessions. • Everyone shared their “work in progress” whether it was a sales pitch, product idea, or report on a whiteboard or presentation screen. • Feedback followed a three-step flow: what works, what could be explored further, and what inspired you. • We included visuals, metaphors, even sketching when words fell short What Changed:- Within weeks, the dynamic shifted. Team members no longer feared feedback , they welcomed it. They began offering ideas freely, asking for input before being told, and even initiating their own mini critique circles on or in meetings. The result? • Faster iteration and better results. • Deeper team trust. • A more emotionally intelligent culture. What started as an artist’s instinct turned into a cornerstone of how we collaborate. Creativity Is a Culture, Not a Department! I believe creativity isn’t a skill reserved for “creatives” it’s a mindset. When we infuse it into leadership, we unlock human potential in the most unexpected places. Even in an industry as exacting as diamonds, creative leadership has helped me build not just better products, but a stronger, more connected team. And if you’re someone who leads, builds, or manages, don’t underestimate what you already have inside you. Your creative instincts might just be your greatest asset. 12-ft commissioned artwork for a hedge fund’s main boardroom (client confidential). Grateful to create at this scale.

‼️🚨You can’t spreadsheet your way out of a broken culture. I’ve been deep inside a transformation project over the past few months—working with teams to redesign processes, reimagine systems, and shift how things actually work. And the biggest surprise? The most effective tool hasn’t been a framework. It hasn’t been a new tech platform. It’s been creativity. Yes, the thing we’re told is optional. Nice to have. A post-it wall exercise. But when people are stuck in old ways of working, it’s not logic that unlocks the future—it’s imagination. It’s play. It’s safety. It’s empathy. When I bring play into process redesign workshops, something powerful happens: The pressure drops. The thinking expands. People start seeing new possibilities instead of just tweaking old ones. There’s a myth that strategic thinking and creativity live in different worlds. But in real transformation work? They’re partners. They need each other. If you’re trying to shift a system—start by shifting the space people are allowed to think in. Creativity isn’t a break from the work. It is the work. → I wrote more about this shift here: https://lnkd.in/dgzwTCzV Curious—how are you using creativity in serious, high-stakes work? #leadership #creativity #transformation #changemanagement #workshops #culturechange #rightbrain

“Process kills creativity.” That’s the lie. The truth? Process protects creativity. It gives it space to grow. You think Pixar makes magic by winging it? Nope. They use a system called the “Braintrust” — a repeatable process where candid feedback fuels every film. It’s why Toy Story 4 hits just as hard as Toy Story 1. Or take Apple. The most iconic design company on earth… Run by roadmaps, guardrails, and frameworks so tight they make creatives scream. And yet? They still drop products that feel like magic. The best music producers in the world? They don’t start by “feeling it.” They start by loading a template. A beat map. A BPM grid. Then they build something you’ll feel forever. Process isn’t the enemy of creativity. It’s the scaffolding that lets it reach new heights. When there’s clarity on how to work, You free up energy to dream, explore, and build the unexpected. So let’s stop acting like it’s “structure vs. innovation.” It’s not. It’s discipline + imagination. That’s the winning formula. 🎥VC: cedricgrolet #SalesAndMarketing #RevenueGrowth #CustomerExperience #JuddBorakoveStyle 

One of my biggest challenges scaling WKND to 8-figures was creating processes in the Creative team. I had to think outside the box... Creatives are notoriously anti-process, and it wasn’t any different here. I had to sell the team… Here’s what I told them: Processes don't kill creativity. They amplify it: 1. They provide a framework for ideation Great processes give your team a baseline to think from, sparking new ideas 2. They reduce decision fatigue When your team knows exactly what to do and how, they can focus mental energy on being creative. 3. They eliminate unnecessary back and forth Streamlined processes cut out time wasting communication, giving your team more time to create. 4. They prevent burnout Clear processes allow your team to support each other, take time off, and stay fresh. 5. They create space for experimentation When the basics are handled efficiently, there's room to try new approaches. The key to this is: - Design processes that guide, not restrict - Give the team the ability to make process changes - Give them complete freedom on a limited % of deliverables to still express themselves Give your team a clear path, then let their creativity run wild within it. What processes have you implemented that boosted creativity in your agency?