Whole brained thinking - Integrating strategy and creativity

Traditionally businesses have mostly focused on managing the hard, rational, quantitative, ‘left brained’ skills to manage the business, with the emphasis on finance, technology and process.

Clearly they are important. However there is a growing realisation that in times of constant change there needs to be as much focus on the ‘softer qualitative aspects’ of the business; its people, reputation, culture, values, its communications, creativity, and its brand, to protect it and provide long term sustainable competitive advantage.

The effective management of these softer assets requires a very different set of skills to those traditionally employed.

It means bringing ‘right brained’ thinking, (the intuitive, the emotional and creative) into the very centre of the business to compliment and balance the ubiquitous ‘left brain’ (the logical, analytical and rational).

It means putting customers, (internal as well as eternal,) at the centre of your thinking. It means building products, services, communications, systems and processes, around their needs rather than the other way around.

It means opening up to new ideas and new ways of thinking, unlocking the creative potential of all those in the business, harnessing their hopes and aspirations to a common vision and a common set of shared values. Creating places where people want to come to work.

It means encouraging people to view their contribution and responsibility in the wider context of the business vision and mission, rather than in the narrower confines of their individual roles.

It means recognising the importance of your ‘brands,’ investing in them and making them work harder, and reflect your values, as part of a broader, integrated market positioning and communications strategy.

It means working ‘smarter’ and maximising the potential of all the communications channels available to you, (those ‘owned’ by the business and those that you pay for).

Integrating left and right-brained thinking underpins our whole approach.

We are a small group of highly experienced, multi disciplinary business consultants and creative thinkers, committed to the success of our clients through the transfer of experience, expertise and new thinking.

‘Competitive advantage does not come from the internet it comes from leveraging creativity.’

— Professor Richard Scace