Productivity looks good on paper. It’s measurable and visible. And in many organizations, it’s worshipped. Here’s the problem though: Productivity isn’t the same as progress — and it’s progress that keeps your practice viable and vibrant in the future.
Many cultures confuse motion with momentum. We celebrate packed calendars, rapid responses and efficiency hacks, but often fail to ask whether all that movement is taking us somewhere that matters. That’s why visionaries think differently. They think in terms of possibility, not just productivity.
Creative thinking doesn’t thrive in a culture obsessed with output. It requires permission and, most of all, it requires a culture that rewards curiosity as much as completion.
Let’s be clear: This isn’t an anti-productivity argument. High-functioning organizations absolutely need discipline, systems and execution. When you reward possibility, though, you get transformation. In cultures built around possibility, it’s normal to wonder out loud. It’s normal to challenge what’s always worked. It’s normal to say, “Let’s try something completely different,” without needing a spreadsheet to justify it.
Here’s how vision shapes cultures that elevate possibility without sacrificing performance:
Track curiosity, not just completion. Most cultures track deliverables and deadlines but never measure how often someone asks a provocative question, reframes a challenge or proposes a completely unexpected solution.
Model curiosity in public. When leaders ask questions they don’t have answers to, and do so visibly, they send a signal that exploration isn’t a weakness; it’s a strength. Possibility thrives when leaders say, “I don’t know, but I’d love to find out,” or “What haven’t we tried yet?” That posture becomes contagious. And when it’s reinforced by real follow-through, not just rhetoric, it creates lasting cultural permission.
Slow down on purpose. Fast isn’t always better. Often, the most valuable ideas surface when no one is overtly trying to be productive.
Spotlight exploration, not just execution. In most organizations, the person who gets the most done wins. Also, though, notice and acknowledge the person who asked the question that surfaced a bold new idea. Recognition isn’t just about what got finished. It’s about what got imagined.
Design the culture, don’t just describe it. Cultures aren’t changed by willpower. They’re changed by structure. This might mean fewer status meetings and more divergent thinking sessions, for example. Or it might mean swapping “What’s the update?” for “What are we learning?” Remove friction for reflection and clear a path for creativity.
Build creativity into the workflow. Embed creative thinking into how work gets done. That might mean starting meetings with generative questions instead of status updates. It might mean using tools that prompt reframing before problem-solving. When creative thinking is built into the actual flow of work, it becomes a natural reflex, not a separate event.
The result is a more adaptive, resilient and future-ready firm. One where innovation isn’t a one-time event but a cultural norm. One where people aren’t just moving fast, they’re moving forward. And it sets you apart from the competition.
If your culture only rewards productivity, don’t be surprised when people stop imagining what else is possible. Visionaries don’t just get more done; they get more done because they think differently first.
Susan Robertson is a creative thinking expert with more than 20 years of experience speaking and coaching in Fortune 500 companies. As an instructor on applied creativity at Harvard University, she brings a scientific foundation to enhancing human creativity. To learn more, visit susanrobertsonspeaker.com.
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