can your office brainstorm?

This article paints a horrific picture of the corporate world, and how ineffective brainstorming can be in bad environments. Reading the article actually freaked me out a bit - when you read between the lines at what sad work environments these people spend their days in.

There's a quote from Paul Baard, a professor of organizational psychology at Fordham University's School of Business, who suggests to the corporate creeps that they should start off like this: "No one, present or not here, is going to be hurt during this process. We will not be using ridicule ... ."

I'm sorry - but any environment that requires a statement like that is too far gone. It's impossible to put politics and agendas aside for a 60 minute brainstorm. If they exist, they exist.

As an agency, we've seen both sides of the fence. I've certainly visited clients similar to the ones featured in the article - who are more concerned with blame and agendas. And I can't imagine spending a day in any one of these places.

But I've also been inspired by fantastic creative environments. I'm always impressed when the President of a company walks into a conference room and people don't tense up. Even better, employees keep smiling, keep joking - even comfortable enough to tease their leader. Maybe even comfy enough to wear a hot dog mascot costume for a company production. That's a President who's created an environment free of politics, where people can truly be creative. Successful brainstorms come from people who are comfortable with themselves, and in their jobs. Not just for 60 minutes - but for their careers.