10 Great Ways to Crush Creativity & Enthusiasm in Any Organization

Ah, creative thinking and an inspired workforce. That elusive, mystical creature that everyone wants to capture, but many find elusive. 

Some people say it's the lifeblood of an organization, but let's be honest: who needs it? If you want to stifle innovation and keep your team stuck in the past, you've come to the right place. Here are ten surefire ways to crush creative thinking and keep your employees uninspired.

What follows is an ironic recipe to stifle creativity in any organization.

1. Criticize, Criticize, Criticize

Why encourage when you can discourage? Whenever someone comes up with a new idea, shoot it down faster than a clay pigeon at a skeet shooting range. Remember, Decca Records turned down the Beatles. Who needs the next "Hey Jude" when you can have a perfectly good "Hey, Don't Do That!"

2. Ban Brainstorms

 It's like the fax machine of the corporate world. If you want to ensure that no new ideas see the light of day, do not let people get together to talk about co-mingling ideas. If you must have them, make sure they're long, tedious, and full of pessimism. 

3. Hoard Problems

Why share problems when you can hoard them like a squirrel with acorns? Keep all the big, strategic issues to the C-suite. After all, the common folk might get scared if they knew the real challenges. Also, if you are an ordinary worker and see a problem, keep it to yourself. Build silos, not ideas.

4. Efficiency Over Innovation

Who needs a new wheel when you can just keep reinventing the old one? Focus on making your current business model as efficient as possible and ignore any disruptive technologies or methods. Remember, Blockbuster didn't fail; it just became a museum exhibit.

5. Overwork Everyone

Nothing kills creativity faster than exhaustion. Make sure your team is so tired and swamped with work that they don't have time to think. Who needs a Eureka moment when you can have a "Why am I still in this meeting at 9 PM?" moment?

6. Stick to the Plan

Plans should be inflexible, set in stone, and never to be questioned. If it's not in the plan, ignore it. Though you may be tempted to look at Market trends and Customer feedback, please ignore these and stick to the plan, even if it leads you off a cliff.

7. Punish Mistakes

Remember, the road to stagnation is paved with punitive measures. If someone dares to try something new and fails, make sure they never forget it. Public shaming sessions are highly recommended.

8. Don't Look Outside the Organization

The only good idea is an in-house idea. Why look for inspiration from other industries or, heaven forbid, competitors? You've been doing business the same way for a reason; there is a better time not to change.

9. Promote Mini-Mes

If the CEO is a genius (and, of course, he is), then the best thing to do is to clone him and avoid diversity. Promote people who think exactly like the leadership and watch your company become a haven for super-friendly groupthink. 

10. Skip the Training

Talent is like a fine wine; it's either there or it's not. Don't waste money on training programs or workshops. Just hire people who already think like you, and let the sameness reverberate.

So there you have it, folks. Follow these ten steps, and you'll have a perfectly uncreative, stagnant, and uninspiring workplace. You're Welcome!