This was a very interesting assignment and I enjoyed having the
opportunity to take a closer look at the creative culture of the
organization that I work for. I was surprised by some of the elements
included in Ekvall's ten dimensions. A big surprise for me was
playfulness and humor. Maybe because I want to work for a company
where that is a factor. At my current company, that is definitely not a
factor, although I find ways to include it in my work. The rest of the
elements all made sense to me. When thinking of a creative work
environment and one that supports healthy conflict and discussions
to promote new ideas and avoid groupthink is, these elements are all
important.
I did not have any difficulty evaluating any of the dimensions. I have
been working for my company for over 12 years (I lost count), and I
feel that I have a good understanding of my company's culture. I was
actually quite harsh with my company and rated them as a 1 for
everything. Those ratings were my true thoughts on where they
stand in each dimension. This pandemic has shown me a lot about
how unsuccessful my company has dealt with change, risk-taking,
and idea support. As the old saying goes, "Like teabags, you never
know what they are like until you put them in hot water." I think this
pandemic has exposed a lot of weakness in my organization. I think
the positive is that they can now see that and use it as an
opportunity to grow.
