I was wondering today about how we might measure our daily, weekly or monthly creative output. What if creativity could be weighed? Or calculated? Or calorie counted? How much creativity are we consuming or expending throughout our lives?
And then I came across this interview with Richard Branson posted on Linkedin today.
"If there is a "right" way to develop your company's culture, our experience shows that it should evolve organically. In 1970, my friends and I weren't planning to do anything other than make some money and have a good time while doing something we loved. We loved listening to music, so we tried to sell records to other kids who wanted a fun place to hang out while deciding which ones to buy. We had no marketing plan or budget – our goals were simply to make enough money to pay the rent and our suppliers, and to have some cash left over at the end of the month. Our launch was really no different from that of most small companies, since few entrepreneurs start thinking about their business's culture until it is already well established.
If I think back to what we did right, it was in our planning process, when we made sure we were having fun working together and that everyone who had a good idea was included in our decision-making process.
We had accidentally stumbled on the core elements of a culture dedicated to delivering great customer service! It turned out that people who work in a friendly environment that is tolerant of mistakes, and who are empowered to make decisions about how they do their jobs, arrive at the best possible solutions for serving customers.
Remember that how you treat the customer will form the basis of your corporate culture. Put your staff first, listen to them, and follow up on their ideas and suggestions."
Even with no tangible plan in place, Virgin's culture of listening and idea sharing got them a very, very long way. It might even get them to the moon! Now that's what I call creative airmiles.
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