ABSTRACT
Organizations, teams, and individuals can heighten the imaginative force of their work climate. The key is trust, that critical attitude among people that climbs from skeptical to quizzical to confident to trusting. A restrictive environment causes us to easily slip back down toward distrust. Unfortunately, many organizations have a skeptical, quizzical atmosphere, snuffing out much creative thought before it can be kindled. Evidence continues to accumulate regarding principles, programs, and actions that build dynamic climates in which imagination is contagious. The vignette is indicative of the type of disruptive climate in which individuals and teams sometimes try to be creative. Sound ideas may even result, but the imaginative flair is absent. The preparation of people to create an excellent, innovative climate is crucial. Often the skeptical are so because of a stereotype or perceived slight or put-down by another. In many work cultures, individuals are expected to receive criticism without flinching, to blurt out their judgments and probe for flaws.
