Spot the talent and let it bloom

It is a best kept secret -employees creating personal artifacts, poems etc. during working hours using employer’s facilities and even material. What about it? Managements mostly turn a blind eye and behave as if such things don’t happen. But should one ignore them? These artifacts are called as homers. As this article discusses. Homers: Secrets on the Factory Floor : Business History : HBS Working Knowledge Homers are artifacts produced for personal use by factory employees on company time, with company material and/or tools. Other examples in knowledge or creative areas are poems, greeting card designs, game designs, cartoons. Talented employees seek to give outlet to the inherent tension arising out of working in an organized set up through such work. Often this takes the shape of corporate grapevine or jokes about company, management, or even customers. Most of this of course frowned upon by management. But when the the process of relieving tension culmninates in creation of something of value (even if it is for self benefit) it is time to take notice. It is a sign that the talented employee is not being given enough opportunities to create or there is something that stifles her. I feel it is important to let such private creations come out of closets and shelves. These closets surely hold some secrets of spotting and letting talents bloom. I may add that Exponient’s Creative Self Management program takes this process further. Wish to know how? Send me a mail. Hemant