5.1.5 Psychological Barriers (continued)

E) Fear of Looking Like a Fool

Fear of looking like a fool is the biggest barrier of all and the most difficult to remove. It is one of the oldest barriers in that it starts very early in life. The imagination and creativity injected into games played by very young children generate much laughter and enjoyment. Unfortunately, the laughter can be turned against an individual who then begins to say, 'they are laughing at me'. Nobody likes being laughed at and, as a consequence, as we grow up we tend to avoid putting forward the silly or wild ideas, in case we are laughed at, or thought foolish. Another phrase applicable in creative situation is 'laugh with, not at, the wild ideas'.

This barrier is heightened when managers from different levels in the organisation are working together to solve problems. The most junior member of the team will not put forward wild ideas in case his seniors regard him as a fool. He does not want to destroy his promotion chances and therefore, sticks with well‑tried (i.e., analytical) routines. At the other end of the scale, the most senior manager seeks to protect the image he has built for himself. He says, 'I don't want to confirm junior in his opinion that I'm a silly old fool'. As a consequence, he does not propose any wild ideas either.

This barrier has another aspect. Managers do not like going against universally accepted views, particularly when these are stated by prominent or notable people. There is a risk of being wrong, particularly if the new idea is radically different from common practice. Examples of this aspect abound in history, and are still found today. This aspect is also particularly strong when technological advance is present, and new skills are required to replace existing. Examples of this aspect are:

§  A cast-iron plough, invented in 1797, was rejected by New Jersey farmers who said that it would stimulate the weeds and poison the plants;

§  The patent for a radio valve lapsed in 1907 as no one could find a use for it;

§  In 1906, a scientist, Simon Newcomb, said that flying was quite impossible;

§  President Truman was said to have been advised by Admiral Leahy that, 'Atomic bombs won't go off, and I speak as an explosives expert';

§  The railway builders in the early nineteenth century were advised that speeds of 50 m.p.h. would cause nose bleeds, and that trains could not go through tunnels because people would be asphyxiated;

§  Brunel, building the SS 'Great Britain', now restored in dry dock in Bristol, was advised that, 'iron ships won't float'. So unsure were the builders of the efficiency of boilers and propellers that they included sails as well;

§  In 1933, Lord Rutherford said, 'The energy produced by breaking down the atom is a poor kind of a thing. Anyone who expects a source of power from transformation of these atoms is talking moonshine';

§  In 1957, the Astronomer Royal, Sir Harold Spencer Jones, commenting on the news of the first satellite, said that generations would pass before man landed on the moon, and that even if he did succeed, he would have precious little chance of getting back.

Statements like these made by eminent people, who really ought to know better, discourage others from trying new and unusual ideas. Fortunately creative people are prepared to take risks ‑ it is they who lead the way into new technologies and procedures. They are not discouraged by criticism and, of course, are rightly acclaimed later when their ideas are found to be sound and workable.

Fear of looking foolish, or being proved wrong, is a powerful barrier for the analytical and creative manager. As has been suggested earlier, barriers have no place in a creative session and behavior, and should be left outside the room.