One summer during my college years, I worked for a camp in northern Wisconsin. I learned a lot that summer, including a little management philosophy.

During the first couple days, as a kid would be filling his or her cup at the cafeteria soda fountain, ice cubes would go flying as they bounced off the rim of the cup. Multiply this by a few hundred campers, and you had a mess on the floor (and a liability issue, too, I suppose).

The camp director told the cafeteria crew to find a solution quick, and added, "Think like a kid. Be creative!" He was a master delegator because he didn't just pawn off jobs, he encouraged creative solutions from the minds he had right there on the scene.

The next day, a sign was posted on the pop machine: "Glass up high, ice won't fly!" It was perfect!

It was quick, so kids would see it and read it. And it was witty, which won their compliance. They held their cups up high, closer to the ice dispenser, and the problem was solved.

When business owners call me, they expect creativity. But for many of the little day-to-day problems and issues within a business, there are perfectly creative minds right there on-site. Give employees the chance to create and "own" a solution, and they'll treat your business with an owner's pride.

Labels: creativity, employees, management