Creativity and wrapping the year up

This is the last Creativity Newsletter of 2024, as I’m off to America next week and back in the New Year.

I’ve been thinking how I can wrap the year up and gather all the subjects of many previous newsletters into one coherent whole…join the dots if you may.

A tall order, but here goes. I’ve produced a model that aims to do precisely that! It shows how creativity holds everything together and ultimately drives success.

At the heart of the model lies performance, it is what adds value. Surrounding it are three key elements: Strategy, People, and Process. Each Element is important, and they all interact with each other.

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1. Strategy: The Map to Success

Strategy is about direction. It answers the big questions:

• What are we doing and where are we going?
• Also, why that direction?

Where Strategy meets people, Culture is king and where Strategy meets process, Tactics are the initiatives and delivery actions:

• Culture: The shared beliefs and values that shape how we work.
• Tactics: The actions and initiatives we implement to meet our strategic goals/objectives.

When aligned, culture and tactics make strategy actionable. Without tactics and actions, strategy is just a dream at best sitting in the desk draw. Without a supportive culture, tactics get stuck in the mud and get bogged down. Together, they create a framework for intentional strategic decision-making.

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2. People: The Heart of Everything

People bring everything to life. They are the thinkers, doers, and connectors. People are the power of the organisation; they make things happen fast (and can slow them down).? Where people and process interact is an interesting space. For me there are two things, among many of note -

• Communication: Sharing ideas clearly and consistently.
• Competence: The skills and expertise that deliver. Good people doing a great job.

Strong teams don’t just work together; they collaborate effectively. When people communicate well and bring their best skills forward, performance improves.

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3. Process: The Engine That Drives Work – The doings.

Ignore processes at your peril. Yes, you might think they are boring, but you will never perform well with poor Processes. They provide structure for success. They ensure consistency, alignment and minimise chaos. Key aspects of process include:

• Creating repeatable systems, you can trust that deliver.
• Streamlining workflows to make life easier rather than harder.

Good processes simplify complexity. They free up people to focus on adding value and customers, rather than repetitive tasks. Processes bring the strategy into the everyday and amplify people’s efforts. My mantra is Simplify, Standardise and Automate – relentlessly.??? That takes imagination and innovation. Both of which are often in short supply where processes/systems are concerned.????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

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Performance at the Core

At the centre of the model must be Performance. Why? Because it’s the ultimate driver of success. Performance reflects the impact of our strategy, the dedication of our people, and the strength of our processes. It’s where everything comes together to create value.

If something doesn’t impact, contribute to or improve your performance, then ask yourself why do it?

High-performing organisations don’t just excel in one area. They align strategy, people, and processes so each supports the other.

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The Role of Creativity

Now we get to the interesting bit. Creativity surrounds the model like a protective layer. It’s the lens through which we approach challenges and opportunities. Creativity:

• Inspires new ways of thinking.
• Drives innovation in both strategy and execution.
• Keeps people engaged and motivated.

It’s a collective effort that thrives when supported by culture, communication, and streamlined processes. It thrives when nurtured, given freedom to experiment and make mistakes. Your creativity unlocks potential across everything, so can consistently win against your competitors.

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The Path to Success

Along with Creativity, success is the outermost layer, encompassing the entire model. It’s the result of integrating creativity into everything we do. It’s achieved when:

• Strategy is clear, exciting and engaging.
• People feel empowered, connected and enthused.
• Processes are efficient, simple and helpful.

Success is an ongoing journey, it comes in all shapes, sizes and variations. However, it is always driven by continuous learning and improvement. Just like Financial performance - Success of yesterday, doesn’t mean success is a given for tomorrow.

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Bringing It All Together

Above all this model shows me what’s possible when we integrate our efforts, and everyone pulls together as a coherent whole. I think as the year ends, my learning is that I’ve become more of a believer in the following:

• How our strategic objectives guide our choices. Put big effort into getting them right as they are your organisational North Stars.
• How our people our naturally keen and enthusiastic. Leadership firstly, needs to get out of the way and secondly, enable and encourage.
• How our processes when good, help and when poor, constrain.? A third of your working life should be focused on process and continuous improvement. To put it in a Christmas context - Efficient processes are the gifts that keep giving.

Finally, performance may sit at the centre, but it’s creativity that is the energy provider that fuels everything. High levels of Creativity make things happen with pace and low levels of Creativity means you are wading through treacle. As the model shows with great Creativity at the top, it will lead to success at the bottom!

??CTA - Have a Merry Christmas and wishing you all a Happy New Year.

Yee-Haw and Ho-Ho-Ho.