People can choose to work in three places during their lives: the cottage, the castle or the cathedral. Some try all three. Let’s explore these places to work.

1) The cottage.

Creative people often start by working from the ‘cottage’. Because they have little money, they use their imagination to reach the market, provide great service and satisfy their customers. Years later many entrepreneurs look back and recall the halcyon days when they felt in control of their growing business. Every decision counts and they see an immediate effect. Every day is an adventure and they must live off their wits.

Creative people attract attention, however, and one day they are visited by a messenger from the ‘castle’. This may be a larger organisation or the company headquarters. “Your energy is just what we need to inject life into our organisation,” says the courier. “Imagine what we can achieve with your creativity and our resources. We can conquer the world. Can you come and help us to be successful?” The creative person turns down the offer, saying they want to remain independent. “Just think about it,” advises the messenger.

Two months pass, then another messenger arrives. Higher in the chain of command, he also waves a big cheque. “We really need your creativity,” he says. “Just think of the resources at your disposal.” Another refusal: but this is followed by another visit and a bigger cheque. Feeling it is worth giving it a go, the creative person finally accepts the offer to work in the castle. (They may also have a back-up plan, however, which involves having an escape route.)

Can you think of a time when you worked in a ‘cottage’? You may have been working as a freelancer, in a small team, on a pioneering project or whatever. What did it feel like in that situation? Try completing the following sentences.

The time when I worked in a ‘cottage’ was:

*

The things that were happening – and
the things I experienced – then were:

*

*

*

2) The castle and the cathedral.

The creative person is welcomed with open arms. It’s great to be lauded as a potential saviour. Time passes. They learn the ways of the castle –but things go slowly. Two months after their arrival, the creative person feels impatient. Planning to get the show on the road, they aim to present their first imaginative idea at the next departmental meeting. Politeness decrees they test it out with the person who invited them into the castle, so they run it past him in a one-to-one session.

“Great work. This is exactly why we brought you into the organisation,” says their boss. “Before introducing the idea, however, there are some key players you need to get on-side. They are busy people, but you can get into their diaries within the next 3 months. Looking at your suggestion, I also believe a working party on the other side of the castle is studying something similar. You can get your voice heard by sitting on their committee. As I said at the beginning, though, this is just the sort of energy we want you to bring to the organisation.”

Kafka’s castle rules. After 2 years of following the rules of court, the person feels drained. Some individuals stay on, hoping to one day reach the inner sanctum. Some join the castle’s ‘process police’ when they visit the cottages to enforce decrees from the centre. Some retire to the ‘cathedral’ - or Academia - to write about the theory of success. Some decide to return to their roots.

Can you think of a time when you worked in a ‘castle’? What did it feel like in that situation? Try completing the following sentences.

The time when I worked in a ‘castle’ was:

*

The things that were happening – and
the things I experienced – then were:

*

*

*

3) The return to the cottage.

Creative people often return to the cottage. Oxygen is vital. They return to running their own business or finding a stimulating project where they can breathe. Decision-makers by nature, they want to feel in charge of their lives. Revisiting customers fires their imagination and re-engages their brain. Regaining their zest for life, they help the customers to succeed. Happy in their work, they get the right balance between innovation, implementation and impact. Life is good and they enjoy the country air. Then one day a courier arrives from another castle, saying:

“The dynamic company you have built fits perfectly with our strategy for becoming the world’s Number 1. The problem is that we do not have your kind of creativity in our business. How much would it cost for you to join us in the castle?”

Some people accept the big cheque. Some accept a deal in principle, but retain their autonomy. They protect their culture by insisting on staying in the cottage - and later getting a huge cheque for producing great results. But they are not stupid. They insist on appointing a trusted guardian as the interface between the cottage and the castle. They also build-in a get-out clause so they can walk. Some send the courier back to the castle pursued by a hail of arrows. Some politely say, “Thanks for your interest, but we are happy working in our own small company.” Feeling at home in the cottage, they continue doing creative work.

Can you think of a time when you returned to the ‘cottage’? What did it feel like in that situation? Try completing the following sentences.

The time when I returned to
working in a ‘cottage’ was:

*

The things that were happening – and
the things I experienced – then were:

*

*

*

Some leaders say, “We want to act like a big company, but maintain the spirit of a small company.” Is it possible? Yes, but it calls for getting the right balance between the ‘global and the local’. Great companies communicate a compelling purpose and outline the guiding principles. They then encourage their people to put these principles into practice in their own way – within parameters – and deliver results. The employees also have a responsibility. They must show how what they are doing is pursuing the principles and contributing to the purpose. The organisations that achieve this balance will reap the benefits. Those that don’t will drive creative people back to the cottage where they can breathe oxygen.

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