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Harnessing Your Creativity 175

Use this simple chart to work on some of your own business issues. I have included one
example to get you going:

Issue or problem Single-loop solution Double-loop solution

Working too many hours Spend less time with family Be much clearer about
priorities and do less
Etc. business entertaining

Hothousing

You have probably heard the expression “a hothouse of ideas.” It
conjures up the image of a person or team brimming with creative
concepts. But, what is it about a hothouse that could usefully be
applied to the business situation?
Gardeners use hothouses for many things, including:

Growing tender plants from seeds.
Accelerating the growth of plants.
As a test bed for new species.
Controlling the environment of a particular plant.
Protecting plants from the harsh climate outside.

You can see how all of these techniques transfer readily to the busi-
ness environment. Good ideas need to be nurtured. However, what
is less well known is what gardeners say to their plants while they
are being nurtured. Even Prince Charles is said to talk to his favorite
plants.
In a business, in contrast, what you say is essential. Sneering,
for example, one of my seven serious sins on page 161, is a disas-
trous way to treat people. To create an effective hothousing environ-
ment, you need to develop a language that rewards the tentative,
encourages the sharing of ideas, promotes hunches, values insights,
and gives constructive feedback at appropriate moments.
Comments such as the following are obviously helpful: