Scott Berkun says it’s the easiest way

Scott Berkun, author of The Myths of Innovation and Making Things Happen says that the most common bottleneck to progress in the middle ranks of corporate America is too many people in the room — especially too many people with the power to veto progress.

He writes:

In these recessionary times it might seem cruel to bring this up, but if the goal is to be more creative, or to up the odds new ideas become products, the easiest move is is to get people out of the room. Either take away their power, or get them off the team, but reduce the number of people in rooms where decisions are being made.

I have to say I think he’s right. Few, if any, major breakthroughs, now or in the past, come from committees or teams. Nearly all are the product of creative individuals, who often had to fight tremendous odds to be heard at all in committee-mad corporations.

Democracy may be a great from of government, but it doesn’t work to produce innovation. It’s much better at producing stability and keeping everyone happy than changing things. That’s why big corporations, weighed down with steering committees, working parties and study groups so rarely produce anything much beyond thick reports, hot air and fat fees for consultants.

As Berkun says:

So when in doubt — look around the room. If your team is flailing or struggling to resolve a creative decision, create more autocracy. Either get the dead weight out of the room, or pick the person in the you as the leader believe has the best perspective and grant them your authority - let them make the call. If you can’t change the balance of power by any other means, thin the herd. If you have no other alternative, pink slips might be the best thing for everyone involved: the talent you fire may find, or create, the autonomy they deserve elsewhere. But either way, do what you can to give the creative minds in your world the autonomy they need to thrive.

Tough love indeed.

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