I Can’t Believe It
If you think you work in an environment that fosters creativity & innovation, take a look at some of these quotes from individuals from companies you may recognize. It’s difficult to believe what you are about to read, but all are true. It’s also a wonder that these companies ever survived let alone, succeeded.
“As of tomorrow, employees will only be able to access the building using individual security cards. Pictures will be taken next Wednesday and employees will receive their cards in two weeks.”
-Fred Dales at Microsoft Corp in Redmond, WA.
“What I need is a list of specific unknown problems we will encounter.”
-Lykes Lines Shipping
“Email is not to be used to pass on information or data. It should be used only for company business.”
-Accounting manager, Electric Boat Company
“This project is so important, we can’t let things that are more important interfere with it.”
-Advertising/Marketing manager, United Parcel Service
“Doing it right is no excuse for not meeting the schedule. No one will believe you solved this problem in one day! We’ve been working on it for months. Now, go act busy for a few weeks and I’ll let you know when it’s time to tell them.”
-R&D Sprvsr, Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing, 3M Corp.
“My boss spent the entire weekend retyping a 25-page proposal that only needed corrections. She claims the flash drive I gave her was damaged and she couldn’t edit it. The drive I gave her had a write-protect switch.”
-CEO of Dell Computers
“Teamwork is a lot of people doing what I say.”
-Marketing executive, Citrix Corporation
“My sister passed away and her funeral was scheduled for Monday. When I told my boss, he said she died so that I would have to miss work on the busiest day of the year. He then asked if we could change her burial to Friday. He said, “That would be better for me.”
-Shipping executive, FTD Florists
“We know that communication is a problem, but the company is not going to discuss it with the employees.”
-Switching supervisor, AT&T Long Lines Division
“We recently received a memo from senior management saying: “This is to inform you that a memo will be issued today regarding the subject mentioned above.”
-Microsoft, Legal Affairs Division
“I have never seen a bad television program because I refuse to. God gave me a mind, and a wrist that turn things off.”
-Jack Paar
Lon Safko
Serial Innovator, Keynote Speaker, Trainer, Innovative Thinking
Tags: innovative thinking, creative, creative thinking, Innovation, critical thinking definition, innovation definition, critical thinking skills, creative process