Is constant distraction killing creativity?

That was the argument made this past weekend in a Wall Street Journal column by Scott Adams, better known as the creator of the popular comic strip Dilbert, who warns we might be in “dangerous territory” as a result.

“Lately I’ve started worrying that I’m not getting enough boredom in my life,” Adams writes. “If I’m watching TV, I can fast-forward through commercials. If I’m standing in line at the store, I can check email or play ‘Angry Birds.’ When I run on the treadmill, I listen to my iPod while reading the closed captions on the TV.”

Drawing upon his childhood in the “tiny mountain town of Windham, N.Y.,” Adams credits his creativity to the “soul-sucking boredom” that came from growing up with the same 40 kids, a limited set of toys in his toy box and a rabbit-eared TV set that offered only one channel.

(He also says his greatest period of creative output came during his corporate life – not surprising considering Dilbert’s success has been humour capitalizing on the colourless world of cubicles.)  

But what’s worrisome for Adams is what this “lack of boredom” is doing to the economy, describing a self-imagined “what if” world that is clearly is mirrored on our own. Pointing to the prevalence of sequels and unscripted television programming, a rise in dogmatic thinking and, the most problematic, a lack of “industry-changing innovation” leading to economic flat-lining.

Creativity is key to everything we do at High Road: From the people we hire and our day-to-day culture, to our diverse roster of clients and the amazing ideas we bring to life.

And while our work is filled with digital elements – the excessive “stimulation” referred to by Adams – we pride ourselves on never forgetting the basics: To challenge yourself every day; to embrace growth; to never settle for ordinary when extraordinary is within grasp; to work with integrity and, perhaps most importantly, to put people first.

Perhaps the constant distraction to which Adams refers is less about killing creativity and more about spreading ourselves too thin. Or accepting the mundane when only the marvellous should do.

“I’ve noticed that my best ideas always bubble up when the outside world fails in its primary job of frightening, wounding or entertaining me,” writes Adams.

He adds: “it’s worth keeping an eye on the link between our vanishing boredom and our lack of innovation. It’s the sort of trend that could literally destroy the world without anyone realizing what the root problem is.”

While High Road is a strong believer in taking the time to step back and think, we believe creativity has no cap. So if Adams is issuing a creative call to action, we’re here to answer.

We encourage you to do the same. After all, a little boredom never hurt anyone.

Read the rest of Scott Adams’ article, “The Heady Thrill of Having Nothing to Do,” here.

A Microsoft Canada survey conducted by Harris/Decima recently revealed that a large majority of Canadians believe business leaders need to take more intelligent risks, and Microsoft Canada President Eric Gales has made it his mission to engage Canada’s future and current business leaders and address this important trend.

The January 2011 survey polled senior and junior/mid-level Canadian and U.S. office workers to better understand their views about technology and innovation in the workplace. The results were clear: 84 per cent of Canadians believe business leaders need to take more risks to create innovation, while only 53 per cent of Canadians feel the company they work for is already driving innovation.

This is a topic Mr. Gales is very passionate about.

“Canadian business leaders must embrace an appetite for intelligent risk instead of shying away from it to stay within the comfort of status quo,” he says. “Now is the time to create organizational cultures where risk is not a dirty four-letter word, but is encouraged as a valuable ingredient in fueling learning, creativity and inspiring innovation.”

Starting with an event at McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business, about two dozen students joined Eric Gales and DeGroote’s Dr. Benson Honig to discuss risk-taking in business. 

The McMaster MBA students certainly had something to say about the state of Canada’s innovation and how risk plays a role. Check it out:

On March 31^st, Microsoft Canada then hosted a media event where Mr. Gales, Peter Aceto, President and CEO of ING Direct Canada, and Dr. Honig, participated in a panel on the very same topic.

The lively exchange, which received coverage in the Financial Post, IT World Canada and IT Business, inspired all of us to take intelligent risks in both our personal and professional lives, but also encouraged Canada’s business leaders to lead the path by creating organizational cultures that encourage teams to take a chance on a great idea.

You’ve no doubt heard the news that High Road has had a few changes this week.

As my arrival and my new role as president of High Road is one of these changes, I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce myself on our blog.

In a nutshell, here are a few of the reasons I’m excited to work with High Road:

• The stereotype is true: Canadians are really nice. The welcome I’ve received from the High Road team (as well as those in our U.S. office) in a very hectic week has been warm and genuine.
• I am an engineer by training, and absolutely cannot wait to work with High Road’s amazing roster of tech clients.
• I have a passion for working on lifestyle programs—everything from global launches to bingo halls. Let’s just say that in my past, I’ve broken up brawls over who yelled “Bingo!” first.  
• I love winter sports. Moving to Toronto from Dubai means that I’ll actually be able to ski on a mountain that hasn’t been constructed inside of a mall.
• I love Canadian beer. What’s not to love?
• I’m a Brit who’s lived in London, San Francisco, Oslo, Denver and Dubai, so I think I’ll fit quite nicely into the Canadian cultural mosaic.
• I’ve been a huge fan of High Road for years. There are few agencies in North America that have the kind of reputation that High Road has built for excellent programs and creativity. I’m thrilled to be a part of the strongest team in the industry.

I’m excited to be here, and look forward to your input and feedback as High Road starts a new chapter.

Annalise.Coady@highroad.com