?? Embracing Change and Candor: Lessons from Creativity, Inc.

When we talk about Marketing and Business, we often discuss strategies and best practices to achieve good results. However, whether we are working at an agency or if you are a entrepreneur, you will always have to work with other people.

We are human and social beings who need human interaction, and when it comes to creativity, even more so. The book I reviewed this week was Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull. I must confess that I read it for the first time many years ago, but a personal situation made me revisit two of its chapters: “Honesty and Candor” and “Change and Randomness.”

When working with creativity, it is crucial to feel confident in expressing ideas, while at the same time having the candor to accept criticism of those ideas, in order to allow them to be improved or even discarded. Working in a workplace that enables us to develop our ideas not only brings peace of mind to those involved, but also results in better outcomes for the company. Catmull explains this in his chapter “Honesty and Candor,” highlighting how honest feedback is vital for teams to function effectively. He mentions the creation of a system at Pixar called Braintrust, in which teams review projects monthly and offer sincere and constructive critiques with the goal of fostering excellence and discarding mediocrity.

Since then I often tell my colleagues, whom I respect and admire professionally, after coming up with an idea, “destroy this idea and be as harsh as possible with your feedback,” because in order to offer criticism, it’s essential to have solid arguments; otherwise, there is no progress. However, its also important to have in mind, not every criticism without foundation is valid. We all know that not everyone works with excellence in mind, but rather with ego—but that’s a different topic that I’d rather not dive into now.

The truth is, as Catmull describes, the productivity of teams that work within the Braintrust concept is much higher than those where trust doesn’t exist. However, even if we have a wonderful work method, there is another concept that I find fundamental: “Change and Randomness,” which, in short, speaks to us about the acceptance of change.

As human beings, we are accustomed to linearity. In fact, Catmull explains how our brain feels much more comfortable when faced with predictable situations. However, any organization frequently faces change and randomness, and it is the ability to confront change that allows any organization to maintain success over time. For this reason, he recommends that organizations should embrace change as part of the creative process instead of fearing it, using Pixar’s acquisition by Disney as an example.

Many times in our professional lives, we find ourselves in a team that allows us to tap into our creative potential, and suddenly, circumstances change. Accepting that the future is not as predictable as we’d like can cause discomfort, sometimes more than we would want. But it is precisely within change that the opportunities for growth lie.

Creativity, Inc. is one of my favorite books, and I recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about business strategies in the corporate world. Even if you are not leading a company, believe me, it offers valuable tools for anyone working in a corporate environment, especially those involved in creativity.

I hope you enjoyed this edition, and if there’s a particular topic you’d like me to discuss, don’t hesitate to suggest it.

Have a great week!