There is a complicated relationship between a company’s advisory board and the creativity and innovation related to their work. After all, there is no easy formula for a company or board to follow that offers guaranteed implementation of innovative and creative ideas. At ABA we focus on creating High Impact Boards and on the question of how does a board encourage innovation?
Boards are responsible for determining many of the organization’s policies. Coming up with guiding principles requires great creativity, a strong vision, and a desire for innovation. Getting stuck in a rut and applying the same, outdated strategies tends to stunt growth.
An ever-increasing interest is present in competitive international environments for the role of organizational innovation and creativity involved in the sustaining of the long-term prosperity and survival of firms.
Two distinct processes related to creativity and innovation coexist within the corporate system. These relate to the stimulation of attempts to introduce and develop new and improved means of accomplishing things at work. One is that this stimulation occurs at the bottom of the corporate hierarchy; the other is that it occurs at the top.
Some maintain that those operating at the peak of a chain of command exist in a unique position to create an impact on a firm’s level of commitment to work-related initiatives that are innovative and creative. The board of directors is instrumental in deciding the future of an organization.
After a study of three datasets from Norway, findings showed corporate board directors reporting an exhibition of innovative and creative behaviors. They also perceive the atmosphere of the boardroom to be nurturing of innovation and creativity. An obstacle exists, however, when disagreements emerge over opinions and ideas at boardroom meetings. These can negatively impact how board members consider their work environment in terms of innovation and creativity.
The debate is ongoing, although the findings of the study benefit already extant models and theories of the roles and innovation of advisory board members. Many questions remain that require further research. Creating an atmosphere that promotes creativity in the boardroom is one conundrum. Another is how to convert boardroom creativity to innovation within the organization. A final problem is what to do when boardroom interactions turn into battlefields.