Color Change Theory and Leadership Approaches

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Introduction

When it comes to promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in the workplace, the main problem leaders face is how to achieve harmony and positivity in the face of change. Many different theories abound to the extent that a leader can feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of possible approaches to use. De Caluwe and Vermaak (2004) have simplified the situation by providing the color change theory. For leaders interested in innovation, green-print thinking and white-print thinking, according to De Caluwe and Vermaak (2004), are going to have the most utility for leaders. Green-print thinking fosters a collaborative environment in which people learn from one another; white-print thinking fosters initiatives and exploration. To keep the workplace environment functioning well, humor can also be applied, as it strengthens relationships (Charman, 2013). For the purpose of this paper, leadership is defined as the ability to “empower others” (Conger, 1989, p. 17). This paper shows that to encourage innovative change, managers can apply the color change theory of De Caluwe and Vermaak, while incorporating humor to create a welcoming atmosphere in which new ideas can be generated for the organization. First it describes the color change theory and how it works in harmony with the humor aspect of leadership. Second, it discusses the leadership implications regarding creating a culture of innovation. Third, it addresses how to recruit and retain innovative personnel. Finally, it discusses how ideas learned about start-up organizations can inform how to reinvent aspects of any organization. The conclusion describes the impact of these findings on leadership philosophy, culture, and critical thinking.

Color Change Theory and How It Works in Harmony with Humor

Color change theory is a distillation of the various theories about how to manage others; the various colors (yellow, blue, red, white, green) are labels that designate groups of thought, such as the scientific management approach of Taylor (blue-print thinking), or how people change their behaviors when they know they are being observed as in the Hawthorne experiments of Mayo (red-print thinking) (De Caluwe & Vermaak, 2004). Color change theory provides leaders with an easy way to approach change in the workplace. As all innovative and entrepreneurial ambitions are rooted in the need for change, color change theory is helpful in giving a framework for how leaders might best like to approach change. However, when it comes to fostering collaboration and giving workers the freedom to explore and experiment, green-print thinking and white-print thinking have the most utility.

Humor comes into play with green- and white-print thinking because both groups depend upon communication and good relationships for new ideas to be welcomed, shared, examined, reviewed and pursued. Martin and Ford (2018) define humor as a “social phenomenon” that affects emotion, cognition and behavior in a positive and mirthful manner (p. 3). Humor brings joy to people’s lives and can make heavy situations seem light. It can revitalize and renew the spirit and displace feelings of anxiety. Humor “functions across occupational divides” by uniting people who may not even be in the same departments or working on the same issues but who can feel that they are on the same team because they all share a sense of humor, allowing them to connect and relate to one another on a human level (Charman, 2013). When workers are able to relate to one another on a basic human level, through humor, it fosters joy in the workplace and encourages everyone to be respectful, appreciative, resilient, and focused on the meaning and purpose of their work (Carder, 2019). The humor aspect of leadership is an empowering tool that gives people a sense of solidarity, unity, and security so that strong leader-followership relationships are developed and strategies to promote change can be pursued without fear or prejudice (Gowdy, n.d.).

Leadership Implications Regarding Creating a Culture of Innovation

The leadership implications regarding creating a culture of innovation are that the leader must be ready to overcome obstacles related to change. Resistance to change is often a problem in leadership because people grow used to the old way of doing things. While an organization may welcome change and seek innovative solutions, creating a culture of innovation requires a leader who can motivate, inspire, and support followers who buy-in to the vision he presents to them. Applying leadership theories and approaches as well as humor in the workplace are relevant ways to help leaders create the right kind of culture in which new ideas can be welcomed and fostered. However, the leader must know what approaches and theories work best and how humor can be applied in diverse settings.

This is where green-print thinking can be particularly relevant: it helps the leader put other people’s ideas to work so that they and the organization can grow in a positive way (De Caluwe & Vermaak, 2004). White-print thinking is equally applicable because it focuses the leader’s attention on what is happening and why it is working so that new meaning and perspectives can be obtained and obstacles overcome (De Caluwe & Vermaak, 2004). Humor can be applied as the glue that keeps everyone together and on the same page, humanly speaking (Carder, 2019). The more that people feel they are united, in spite of cultural or ideological differences, the more likely they are to want to share ideas, welcome others, and participate in the innovative process.

How to Recruit and Retain Innovative Personnel

Recruiting innovative personnel requires a leader to clarify and define the job role that he is seeking to fill. It also requires him to be able to promise the potential hire that he will be given freedom and support to pursue original ideas and experiment (white-print thinking) (De Caluwe & Vermaak, 2004). A leader must clear the path for potential hires so that a recruit sees it as a great opportunity to develop his own skills while furthering his career. If the job is not well-defined, it creates problems in terms of not meeting expectations.

Retaining innovative personnel requires satisfying the new hire’s needs and expectations. If a hire does not feel supported in the workplace or finds that the workplace culture is antithetical to true innovative research, he will look for work elsewhere. Benefits, wages, and job satisfaction all play a part in determining the extent to which the worker will want to continue on with the organization. Empowering workers by satisfying their needs and giving them free rein to pursue objectives is a core aspect of white-print thinking (De Caluwe & Vermaak, 2004). However, humor can be applied to foster joy in the workplace so that even people of different departments can find a common ground (Charman, 2013).

How Ideas Learned About Start-Up Organizations Can Inform How to Reinvent Aspects of Any Organization

Start-up organizations offer great insight about change and innovative because these are organizations that are beginning from scratch and building up from the ground floor. They often create new models that successfully enable leaders and followers to come together in meaningful and new ways. These models can be applied in existing organizations so as to reinvent the ways in which leaders approach and manage change, collaboration, communication and innovation. Start-ups offer a unique window into what others are doing in the field of leadership to bring innovative solutions to market, so it is really a matter of leaders networking with entrepreneurs to understand their tactics and strategies.