How To Be An Engaging Leader: Suitable For C-Suites and more

How To Be An Engaging Leader

Suitable For C-Suites and more

Bet is, online article written by Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey in 2014 called Corporate Structure, Compliance and Compensation Plans Can Stifle Employee Engagement may raise a bell about "Corporations today say they want a more entrepreneurial culture. Some of the top search terms coming out of the C-Suite are: entrepreneurial culture, employee engagement and employee empowerment"(Source).Search is continuous by corporations to find suitable engagement tools that may contribute to successful engagement and empowerment of their people.However, challenge exists with "Many of these tools can be applied directly to the existing corporate structure"(Source) . More important is a consideration for "all culture and all change starts from the top, and the top execs have to be willing to change in order for these tools to work their magic. Many C-Suiters are fearful of change." Unfortunately, Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey in 2014 wrote in an article called Corporate Structure, Compliance and Compensation Plans Can Stifle Employee Engagement  remarked that c-suites tend to "feel that it [in this case, the change] might cause a “revolution” or result in legal challenges or run-away costs.So, they stifle methods that can empower and engage employees that, in their minds, step on the three sacred corporate cows"(Source).

An engagement initiative such as CREANIVITY methodology may serve as a guide for corporate participants who may often than not be fixed within a "Corporate Structure: The basic structure of most corporations resembles a pyramid and is ipso facto top-down by its basic architecture and function. Within the pyramid are silos, which are mini-pyramids. Each mini-pyramid’s turf is fiercely defended from perceived infringements by the other mini-pyramids. This top-down, turf-war-prone structure can prevent the upward mobility of good ideas and interdepartmental cooperation necessary for real breakthroughs"(Source).

Frankly, CREANIVITY methodology, would guide along the line of "How can employees be empowered and engaged if they think their boss will sit on their idea, change it or claim it as his or her own? How can employees come up with comprehensive solutions that involve changes to other departments if they are perceived as “off-limits?”(Source).Probably, one unifying solution that complements existing communication structure as well as interaction flow would appear in some components of CREANIVITY methodology. Being part of cross department and cross functional engagement exercises, CREANIVITY becomes a platform, either in physical classroom setting or online facilitation mode, that aims to be part of a solution in after specific directions were set on business initiative.


Providing solutions as a result from three main stages of problem to plan to productivity, these 3P's complement any strategy formulation by tightening inner nuts and bolts of implementation for results. While organization and function usually produces a strategic framework fairly easily, the crunch may come in translating strategies into results. Common approach in strategic execution would attend to immediate needs of  the context for all activities, more often enthusiastically   defining areas to do's although the don'ts are missing from the table because certain internal issues are skirted around. In this practice of selective attention may expose the organizations to numerous risks and threat, which should have been surfaced even before or during the project conception.

To this point, crucial facilitation of strategic issues creatively with all stakeholders of a project would require focus on proper structural methodology such as CREANIVITY model to collect responses to arrive at specific collective decisions. Ideally, participants should also be engaged in the creative process of exploring designated issues or problems to derive an informed decision through collective means . Thereafter, engagement continues as a major focus in producing a collaborative plan that leads to account for interrelated business and technical issues to be faced by teams from various functions. CREANIVITY methodology minimizes selection based on qualitative preferences to stress  more on quantitative facts. Emphasizing evidence data support approach to resolve problems or issues. teams can move from the problem containment to plan containment and ends with containment for productivity more smoothly to contribute collectively in solid, effective decision-making.

Together with creative thinking and connectivity influence format of engagement, strategic decision making passed through a series of creative thinking tools based on skills building systematic CREANIVITY framework that can be used to enrich and assess plans of actions against multiple strategic choices or problem solving options. Establishing  responsibility for a collective CREANIVITY session promotes motivation to make rational decision making processes so that strategic directions appear as clearer objectives to balance with risk assessment.