arts & business council

MetLife Foundation National Arts Forums Series

Regional Arts & Culture Council
Northwest Business for Culture and Arts
Portland, Oregon

The Innovator Next Door: How Arts, Creativity, and Ideas Build a Strong Workforce
03/08/2007

Moderator: Kira Higgs, Associate Vice President, Corporate Communications,The Standard

Panelists:

• Carole Morse, President, PGE Foundation
• Sam Adams, Commissioner, Arts and Culture, City of Portland
• Andrew McGough, Executive Director, Worksystems, Inc.
• Lani Hayward, Executive Vice President, Creative Strategies, Umpqua Bank
• Mark Edlen, Principal, Gerding Edlen Development
• Claudia Knotek, Community Relations Manager, New Seasons Markets
• Anne Schopf, Principal, Mahlum Architects
• Nanci Werts, Assistant Vice President, Special Projects, The Standard

One hundred and twenty local business leaders, nonprofit arts administrators, public officials, and creative industry entrepreneurs came together to highlight the role that innovation plays in Portland's organizations and community. Carole Morse, president of the PGE Foundation and Sam Adams, Portland’s commissioner for arts and culture opened the forum with a brief overview of the diversity of the region’s innovators and the importance in using creativity to stay competitive in a global market.

Andrew McGough, executive director of Worksystems, Inc., a nonprofit organization that funds career placement and training services in Portland, Multnomah, and Washington counties, discussed the findings of a recent "innovation survey" which describes how local businesses are fostering innovation and sharing best practices for attracting creative workers. The survey revealed that one important attribute of Portland’s economic base is the diversity within its industries and the number of entrepreneurs located there. McGough offered that companies are now realizing that their most important assets are their employees and their biggest obstacle will be in seeking “talent.” This corroborates the identifiable concerns of current skill gaps, the difficulty of finding qualified workers, and the large wave of baby boomers soon to retire. 

There is an opportunity for the Portland metropolitan area to capitalize on a key competitive advantage: Portland is experiencing one of the highest domestic in-migration rates among 25 to 34 year olds nationally. Research conducted by local economist Joseph Cortright of Impresa Consulting has demonstrated that these workers choose to live in communities that protect their natural resources, are easy to travel in, are culturally diverse, and are artistically vibrant. The creative community that exists in Portland and the influx of young creative workers and artists has helped provide important evolutionary tools that encourage and stimulate economic development in our region.

Panelists from local businesses provided ample evidence of this dynamic at work. Lani Hayward discussed the unique marketing strategy of Umpqua Bank. At a time when most people are doing their banking online, Umpqua has developed banking sites where customers can gather, have coffee, surf the internet, and listen to music that was composed by local artists to reflect the bank's brand. Lani also says that they operate within a customer service-centered culture and involve themselves in multilayered community projects. They have transcended banking to become a retailer whose hip space lends well to both banking and living.

Mark Edlen, an architect and developer, believes in the value of art in the workplace and art integrated into architecture because the spark of creative interest or confusion can manifest into innovative thought and work. He offered that the most important step in innovation is taking a leap of faith and letting the decision-making come from within the ranks, while garnering creativity at the top level. To fully incorporate innovative ideas, upper management must be fully engaged in that effort and encourage all levels of employees to participate.

Claudia Knotek develops opportunities for New Seasons, “The Friendliest Store in Town,” to get involved in its neighborhoods. New Seasons dedicates 10 percent of its after-tax profits to supporting nonprofit organizations and schools. New Seasons is also able to attract and retain a creative workforce because they offer part-time employees health insurance. This appeals to artists and people with other creative passions who need regular day-to-day income and access to benefits like health care. New Seasons is proactive about crafting opportunities for their employees to show off their artistic talents through demonstrations and art fairs where they can exhibit and sell their work.

Anne Schopf shared her philosophy of architecture having a deep commitment to the physical context of their landscape. At Mahlum, she has crafted a design practice founded on discussion and integration, creating a culture of curiosity and collaboration that unifies the work of the firm.

Nanci Werts advocates that innovation lives at the heart of business success, whether defined in terms of continuous growth, dramatic game-changing invention, or process improvement. Nanci shared key findings from local author Cindy Rabe, whose book, The Innovation Killer is subtitled “How What We Know Limits What We Can Imagine, and What Smart Companies Are Doing About It.” The book stresses the importance of bringing in fresh ideas that are unencumbered by the idea of "this is how we do it around here."

The following themes emerged from Portland's March 8 forum:

• Management really matters; if innovation is going to occur it relies on upper-level management to create the appropriate environment.
• In a related way, innovation manifests where upper-level management makes a genuine and strategic commitment to employee-informed process. Empowering employees with personal decision-making will allow for innovation and creativity, and in turn, a more effective organization. 
• Encouraging employees’ creative passions will not only benefit the employee but the organization as well. Employees should be encouraged to bring their personal creative interests to work as a way to keep them interested in their job and to encourage other employees to learn from shared creative experiences.
• In that vein, even companies that are not part of the creative services sector can attract young creative workers by providing work environments that support both individual and collective creativity.
• Sustainability plays an increasingly important role in innovation. Economic sustainability and environmental sustainability are key elements that contribute to strong organizations and strong communities.

It is clear that as cities move increasingly to the knowledge-based economy, attracting a talented workforce becomes more essential than ever. Portland's businesses and community organizations clearly understand the challenge and are coming up with innovative solutions.