Today’s workplace is all about creativity and innovation. However, many organizations still struggle to create an environment that welcomes new ideas. Why is that?
The hierarchies are to blame! Though they’ve existed for decades, in fact, centuries, they actually stifle innovation rather than support it.
Today, we will talk about creative deviance and how hierarchy impacts creativity. Ultimately, we will talk about how organizations can create an innovative environment.
The Mental Models of a Learning Organization
One of Senge’s (1994) disciplines of a learning organization is mental models. We all get stuck in particular views of the world or opinions on how it ought to be. It’s not different in creativity. In a fast-moving world, creativity requires an open-mindedness and willingness to examine new ideas.
Hierarchies: The Double-Edged Sword of Structure
Perhaps one of the most deeply entrenched mental models in organizational management is the hierarchical structure. This centuries-old idea assumes that, in order to properly leverage resources and divide labor, one needs to divide up specialized tasks and place proper levels of management above the specialized roles to ensure work gets done.
However, this type of structure often inhibits organizational creativity (Williams & Yang, 1999). As new ideas are generated, they require permission and resources from managers, who may not understand the new idea due to their lack of specialized knowledge. If top-level managers are stuck in an inefficient mental model, some creative ideas may get struck down before being properly examined to determine if they are truly innovative.
The Impact of Creative Deviance on Innovation
Creative deviance may be necessary in a typical hierarchical organization that isn’t welcoming to innovation.
Mainemelis (2010) asserts that creative deviance is the only factor responsible for innovations in such organizations. Creative deviance occurs when individuals with new ideas disobey orders to suspend elaboration and choose to continue working. As idea generators run up against management’s old mental models, continuing to pursue the creative idea becomes an act of deviance. Without such deviance, creativity has a difficult time surviving in the organization. While creative deviance is not ideal, such deviance does help innovation.
The question becomes, how can leaders build an organization that doesn’t require creative deviance for innovation?
Beyond Hierarchies to Open Innovation
As a leader, how can you create an environment that doesn’t rely on creative deviance for innovation?
Rethinking your organizational structure is the only way to address it. Here are some approaches that may work.
Decentralize Decision Making
Employees should make informed decisions at all levels to move forward without waiting for approval. Of course, that doesn’t demean the role of supervisors; instead, it delegates the responsibility and encourages them to develop innovative solutions.
Encourage Feedback
Feedback, especially constructive feedback, opens up communication channels. When ideas can be discussed, modified, and improved without following formal protocols, employees are encouraged to develop more creative solutions to problems without inhibitions.
They can share what’s on their minds and even come up with out-of-the-box ideas.
Cross-Functional Teams
Allow collaboration across the department so that different people and ideas benefit from the diverse perspectives. This way, each idea will be enhanced by experience.
It will be more open to discussion than trapped in specialized domains only.
Reward Risk Taking
Reward and acknowledge employees who propose new ideas even if they are not used. Always give credit and applaud those who come forward and give constructive feedback.
Conclusion
While hierarchical structures are intended to establish stability and efficiency, they are often the biggest barriers to innovation. When employees feel the need to push boundaries to generate and pursue ideas, this can lead to creative deviance.
Even though it’s a powerful tool, it is an unconventional way of innovation and should not be the way to go about it.
If you wish to thrive in today’s competitive world, you should keep an open mind. Remove the barriers to creativity to give each employee space and an open environment to speak their thoughts and come up with bright ideas.
This is the key strategy for leaders to transform organizations into learning environments without the need for creative deviance.

About the author
David Burkus is an organizational psychologist, keynote speaker, and bestselling author of five books on leadership and teamwork.