I got this from Mike the other day in regard to the post on castles in the sand.

I also feel its not just the escape from work, but the chance to create something new and original (inherent in all of us) that drives us to build these castles. It is this desire / hunger that allow your employees to be successful. If you take away the sand castle with unnecessary policy and procedure (everyone must build your castle this way) you lose not only the creativity of new ideas, but the hunger to work faster and harder.

What a great comment. Thanks, Mike. I guess the bigger question is why do firms create policies and procedures that stifle creativity? I think the answer is fear. Weak managers fear that employees will look good by coming up with innovative ideas. Weak managers want to control and micromanage. Weak managers try to demand what leaders create naturally, respect. Leaders are OK with innovation. Leaders want their people to create and succeed because they know it reflects well on them. Leaders delegate and as long as the castle gets built they are happy. What policies and procedures do you have in place that are destroying castles or preventing them from being built in the first place?

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