Creativity - Innovation and Change Management’s Neglected Child
We’ve seen countless step-by-step models and check-lists attempting to rationalise innovation and change management, to make them more “manageable.” This approach assumes we can dissect complex processes, put them under a microscope, and thereby understand and control them. It’s the idea that what works in one place, one industry, will work everywhere, that best practices are one-size-fits-all. But in our quest for prediction and control, we end up losing the essence—those elusive qualities like curiosity, empathy, diversity, perspectives, and a willingness to experiment - creativity.
Innovation without creativity is like playing music without improvisation. The sheet music might provide structure and direction, keeping everything in order and on time, but it’s the improvisation that breathes life into the performance. Creativity transforms the predictable into the extraordinary, infusing soul, emotion, and spontaneity that truly resonate. Just as improvisation empowers musicians to explore beyond the notes on the page, creativity unlocks possibilities that no plan or formula can anticipate. It’s the hidden spark that fuels both innovation and meaningful change.
Most change management models emphasise communication and ensure that people understand the reasons behind the change, that they have the necessary skills, and that the path is clear. But these models rarely acknowledge a deeper need—our innate desire to be creative and to exercise agency over our lives, including our work. Change, when handed down as a blueprint or checklist, can leave people feeling like passive recipients rather than active participants.
Few change models create genuine opportunities for people to shape the change themselves. Imagine if, instead of presenting change as a pre-set program, organisations invited everyone to co-create the journey. This shift would foster a sense of ownership, turning change into a creative endeavour rather than a directive. By carving out a space where people feel their voices and ideas matter, organisations can cultivate engagement, resilience, and a sense of shared purpose. After all, lasting change isn’t just implemented—it’s created, one small step at a time, by those who live it.
Creativity—the neglected child—got written out of the script because it’s “too fluffy,” too unfamiliar, too serendipitous, too… messy. In a world that craves predictability and control, creativity’s uncertain nature makes it feel like too big of a risk. But this “fluffiness” is precisely where its power lies. Creativity doesn’t follow a linear path, and it doesn’t always yield immediate, tangible results. Yet it’s through these unexpected turns that real breakthroughs happen.
By shutting out creativity, we’re choosing short-term comfort over long-term growth. We miss the chance to stumble upon ideas and perspectives that don’t fit neatly into established frameworks but that might redefine them altogether. Creativity is what fuels both innovation and true transformation—qualities we can’t afford to keep out of the script.