Creative Conspiracy - by Leigh Thompson (Hardcover)

About the Book

Embracing the Counterintuitive Side of Collaboration
Think of your to-do list at work. Chances are the most important tasks require you to work with others--and the success of those endeavors depends on the effectiveness of your collaboration.
According to management expert Leigh Thompson, collaboration that is conscious, planned, and focused on generating new ideas builds excitement and produces what she calls a "creative conspiracy." Teams that conspire to organize themselves, motivate one another, and combine their talents to meet creative challenges are the hallmark of the most successful organizations.
In this book, Thompson reveals the keys to the kind of collaboration that allows teams to reach their full creative potential and maximize their results. She also reveals a host of surprising findings; for example:
- Left to their own devices, teams are less creative than individuals
- Providing "rules" to teams actually increases inventiveness
- Striving for "quality" results in less creativity than striving for "quantity"
- Fluctuating membership enhances a team's innovation
- Most leaders cannot articulate the four basic rules of brainstorming

Thompson combines broad-ranging research with real-life examples to offer strategies and practices designed to help teams and their leaders capitalize on what actually works when it comes to creative collaboration. "Creative Conspiracy" challenges managers to adopt an unconventional approach to leading teams that, done right, will lead to the creative success of every team--and every organization.

Book Synopsis

Embracing the Counterintuitive Side of Collaboration

Think of your to-do list at work. Chances are the most important tasks require you to work with others--and the success of those endeavors depends on the effectiveness of your collaboration.

According to management expert Leigh Thompson, collaboration that is conscious, planned, and focused on generating new ideas builds excitement and produces what she calls a "creative conspiracy." Teams that conspire to organize themselves, motivate one another, and combine their talents to meet creative challenges are the hallmark of the most successful organizations.

In this book, Thompson reveals the keys to the kind of collaboration that allows teams to reach their full creative potential and maximize their results. She also reveals a host of surprising findings; for example:

- Left to their own devices, teams are less creative than individuals
- Providing "rules" to teams actually increases inventiveness
- Striving for quality results in less creativity than striving for quantity
- Fluctuating membership enhances a team's innovation
- Most leaders cannot articulate the four basic rules of brainstorming

Thompson combines broad-ranging research with real-life examples to offer strategies and practices designed to help teams and their leaders capitalize on what actually works when it comes to creative collaboration. Creative Conspiracy challenges managers to adopt an unconventional approach to leading teams that, done right, will lead to the creative success of every team--and every organization.

Review Quotes

"Thompson shows that by devising rules and sticking to them and by carefully crafting the make-up of a group, they can become a source for creative collaboration. Her advice is practical and is applicable to everything from start-up teams trying to come up with new ideas to musicians working together, to advertising executives and creative directors developing pitches....[and] could save thousands of business managers, entrepreneurs, art directors and others, hours of time when coming together to generate new ideas." -- Business Day

"This is a useful book for leadership teams that want to refresh their practices. It will certainly provoke lively dialogue." -- School Administrator magazine (AASA)

"This is a great book on teamwork in business and other types of organizations. Leigh Thompson, with her knowledge, teaching and many years of experience, has made a valuable contribution with it to help teams formulate goals and achieve them." -- BIZ INDIA

"Her book provides solid guidelines for any organization that relies on teamwork to get things done." -- BizEd magazine

ADVANCE PRAISE for Creative Conspiracy:

Harry M. Jansen Kraemer, Jr., former Chairman and CEO, Baxter International--
"Whether you're a senior executive or a junior manager just starting your career, you'll find Leigh Thompson's ideas and advice on creativity challenging, insightful, and extremely valuable. I wish she had written this book ten years ago!"

Mark A. Rittenberg, Lecturer, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley--
"Leigh Thompson tears down popular team-building myths and provides fresh solutions to common challenges in this engaging, counterintuitive book. Creative Conspiracy is a must-read for leaders of high-impact teams working to make a difference."

Claudia Poccia, President and CEO, Gurwitch Products--
"Creative Conspiracy breaks traditional paradigms by emphasizing the significance of supporting individual creativity to achieve an innovative group dynamic."

Pierre Casse, Professor of Leadership, Skolkovo Moscow School of Management--
"In this provocative yet practical book, Leigh Thompson provides eminently useful guidelines for effective collaboration as well as unexpected answers to critical leadership questions: Are individuals or teams the source of outstanding creativity? Where do performance, progress, and success come from? Be ready for some major surprises."

Stephen M. Calk, Chairman and CEO, National Bancorp Holdings and The Federal Savings Bank--
"Professor Thompson's unique and thoughtful insight into the true drivers of creativity is required reading for any CEO interested in effective and timely return on investment. Her thorough research is a real wake-up call to leaders who want to ensure that creativity is not only fostered but embraced in both mainline and cutting-edge organizations."

Karen Jehn, Professor of Management, Melbourne Business School--
"A true myth buster! Creative Conspiracy is a must-read for anyone interested in creating dynamic, high-performing teams."

About the Author

Leigh Thompson is the J. Jay Gerber Professor of Dispute Resolution and Organizations at the Kellogg School of Management. She directs the highly successful Kellogg executive course, Leading High Impact Teams, and the Kellogg Team and Group Research Center. She also codirects the Negotiation Strategies for Managers course. Thompson has published more than 100 research articles and has authored nine books, including The Truth About Negotiations, Making the Team, and The Mind and Heart of the Negotiator.