日本財団 図書館


(4) He held social gatherings to ease tension in the office but neglected to address the fundamental problem.

Informal communication can be useful in helping people get better acquainted or improve existing relationships, to some extent. It will not, however, lead to a fundamental solution in a case such as this. This, by itself, does little to encourage the creative abilities of his staff. Social activity attempts to lighten a tense atmosphere and build a sense of comradeship, at least on the surface, by putting a problem issue behind. It would have been better to have pursued a solution to the fundamental problem. The atmosphere would have improved immensely as a result.

To find a real solution to a problem issue such as this requires serious debate and discussion. In the process, there may be a conflict of opinions or an emotional struggle among staff. If supervisors actively seek to avoid such conflict, staff will never have a vigorous enough motivation to seek a real solution. An open exchange of opinions among staff creates a sense of teamwork and mutual trust.

 

2 Measures to Encourage Creativity among Staff

 

The creativity required to increase productivity or improve methods of work is developed under the following conditions.

・Staff are interested in their work.

・They are presented with challenging goals.

・They have discretionary power and have a level of independence from their immediate supervisors.

・They have a level of responsibility and decision making authority.

・Supervisors place emphasis on achievement rather than failure.

 

To achieve this, supervisors are expected to act as follows.

・Make staff aware of why improvement is necessary.

・Give them more authority and create more opportunities for them to think by themselves.

・Make positive evaluations of for what they have achieved by highlighting and appreciating good points.

・Allow staff to participate in the real decision making process.

 

 

 

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