Managing Research and Development Takes a Little Finesse

It should be noted to maximize creativity orstress to perform. We see this in sports, military,
innovation, or to solve problems for that matter, thatpolitics and we also see it in the R&D
it makes sense to alleviate as much stress asdepartments of the largest corporations.
possible on the individuals that are doing the creativeWhat do I mean by stress? Well, in a research and
genius work. This is why managing a research anddevelopment department they are under stress to
development division of a large corporation is a lotperform and if they don't perform the project is
harder than it looks, and it takes a little Finesse.sacked and everyone is sent back to another division.
It all sounds easy, after all, we have all sorts of sixIt's not that you don't want results it is that you
Sigma project management groups that tell us howhave to be careful how you get to those results and
to do these with the ultimate efficiency. Everything isthe strategic management methods that you used to
logical and reality-based and they can quantify theirproduce the desired outcome.
results thus, appease the executive management ofIf the project manager is constantly micromanaging
the corporation.the inventors, innovators, and creative geniuses it will
Still, you must be very careful with the human mind,cause them to turn their minds off and away from
and if you overload it with stress, you will find ittheir work, the exact opposite of what the
cannot cope with complex problem solving, andmanagement intends. Please consider all this.
important innovation exploits, while under extreme