Creativity in Business from a Scottish Perspective

I sense a mirror reflection in Australia when I read a summary of Sir George Cox's presentation to delegates at the Scottish Institute of Directors Conference at St. Andrews this week. According to Sir George, Scottish business must stop thinking of creativity as an add-on if it is to compete globally. In his keynote speech, Sir George, chairman of the Design Council of the UK and author of the Cox Report on Creativity, commissioned in 2005 by Gordon Brown when he was Chancellor, praised Scotland's record of innovation. "China simply aspires to be a supplier of low-cost labour. Yet, they are just as likely to compete at the high end. Scotland and the UK are still recognised as being at the forefront of many industries such as the creative industries, fashion and media. But we must integrate our creative thinking at a managerial level - it is not simply a case of 'bring in the creatives'. Countries like China and India invest heavily in this area and they also have a can-do attitude, meaning anything is possible. We must get better at recognising the opportunities which exist, at the moment the level of aspiration is insufficient"

The theme was widely echoed throughout the one-day conference, which also heard from Microsoft vice-president Bob McDowell, and the serial entrepreneur Gio Benedetti. David Watt, director of IoD Scotland, said: "The theme of creativity as the key business skill of the 21st century has struck a cord with our audience, and the speakers and workshops have emphasised the urgent need for product innovation in business." Bob McDowell's speech was particularly thought provoking on the need for Scotland to use its small size to be sleek and smart in innovation. "We could do a lot better if we got our processes in line to do things faster and to be more responsive to changes in the market." This sounds very familar to me.