One of the most interesting recent books for businesswomen is Richard Florida's The Rise of the Creative Class. It proposes a parallel change currently underway in the economy and in society. In the economy, value is produced by creative work, not just the efficient production of goods or delivery of services. In society, a new creative class is evolving and making its power felt. The creative class has different tastes, ambitions and values from the white-collar middle class from which it has emerged.

Managerial Implications
This has implications for us, as managers, in two areas. One is in how we attract and retain talent. Members of the creative class - whether they be graphic artists or accountants - want to be treated as individuals. They want to be valued for who they are. They want to make a contribution. The deal you need to offer them is not, "I'll give you a good salary and opportunities for promotion" but "I'll give you an environment that is supportive of who you want to be."

The second implication, less obvious but ultimately more far reaching, has to do with how we create something of economic value. If value comes from creative ideas, not just efficient production, then we will manage our workforce differently. A wonderful example of what this means comes from how GM and Toyota managed their blue-collar work force. GM saw value coming from efficiency and drove their workers to be as efficient as possible. Toyota knew workers had to be efficient but also believed value was created by creativity. Toyota invested time and energy in getting its workers involved in a continuous improvement process. It was a different way of managing the workforce, and it dramatically outperformed the GM model.

What the Young Creative Class Wants
The rise of the creative class also has implications for our personal life, largely in terms of what we see as valid and as possible. As part of Richard Florida's research team, Sarah Gross is both an expert on the emerging creative class and a member of it herself. She says that what the data shows, and what her personal experience confirms, is that what people want from their employers is best described as "flexibility"

The most obvious side of flexibility is flexible hours and flexible place (the ability to work from home.) However, the cultural underpinnings are more important than the formal policies. According to Ms. Gross, people want a workplace where it is "understood that you ought to go to see your kid play in the championship soccer game." This requires not just acceptance from management but tolerance from co-workers who may have to pick up the slack.

Many companies have come a long way in offering flexible hours and place, although the culture often remains a sticking point. However, Ms. Gross says there is a bigger aspect to the desire for flexibility than just these work-life benefits. Members of the creative class "also want their roles to be flexible; they don't just want to be a cog in the machine."

This is where the desires of the workforce mesh with the demands of the economy. If value comes from creativity, then the kinds of work people do will be less well-defined. It puts the burden on management to generate value by organizing around the talents and desires of the workforce, not by driving people to optimally follow the specifications on a job description.

What It Means to Individuals
For years parents have told their kids, "That artistic work is very nice, honey; now go study accounting so you can get a real job." Ms. Gross argues that with creative work becoming more important in the economy, creative jobs are now seen as real jobs. The person who designs the look of a toaster is now more important than the engineer who designs the internal workings.

There are two other aspects of the role of the creative in the economy, aspects beyond the data showing that there are more "artsy" jobs available. One is that all jobs have a creative component (even blue-collar jobs as Toyota demonstrated), and as individuals we will have an opportunity to bring more of our selves to work. The second is that the rise of the creative class increases the social acceptance of creative work. Ms. Gross says, "It validates those who have chosen a life in the arts or in non-traditional fields." Young people are questioning the paradigm that the thing to do in life is to choose a career that will maximize lifetime earnings. Instead they are asking, "How much money is enough, and given that constraint, what work will be most fulfilling for me?"

Women and Men
The emergence of the creative class is a big event, but Ms. Gross warns that it is not like someone flipped a switch and changed the world. There is a good deal of ignorance and sexism even in this emerging class. However, one of the characteristics of the creative class is tolerance and openness. These workers value diversity and are curious about different ideas, cultures and ways of thinking. The challenge for women trying to create an inclusive culture will not be lack of goodwill, only lack of insight. Barbara Annis, author of Same Words, Different Language, has shown gender problems in the workplace often arise not because of outright sexism, but because male-dominated management teams are blissfully unaware of how they create an environment unfriendly to women.

Ms. Gross challenges her generation to go beyond just tolerance. "Tolerance is the bare minimum of what we'd expect in a great society. For the old world, tolerance was a big step; the next generation needs to embrace others, so we don't just put up with one another but appreciate the contributions of people different from ourselves."

The changing nature of work and cultural values offers a great opportunity for women to make the working world a better place. Recognizing the nature of these changes is important in guiding any gender equity initiatives.

You Are Not Alone
Perhaps the main lesson from Florida's work is the illuminating idea that, "Hey, it's not just me!" There is a large emerging class with values that are dramatically different from old corporate norms. This class matters because creative work is what drives the creation of value. How we retain talent, how we manage our companies, and how we live our lives are all being altered by the rise of the creative class.

What is your point of view? Please post your thoughts on the discussion board.

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