Book Summary: Orbiting the Giant Hairball by Gordon MacKenzie

Introduction
Orbiting the Giant Hairball by Gordon MacKenzie is a highly engaging and unconventional manual on fostering creativity within the often stifling structures of the corporate world. Through anecdotes from his three-decade tenure at Hallmark Cards, MacKenzie sheds light on how one can remain creative without becoming entangled in the bureaucratic “hairball” of corporate life.

1. The Corporate Hairball
MacKenzie describes the corporate environment as a “giant hairball” – a tangled mass of rules, processes, and traditions that can stifle creativity. He distinguishes between necessary structure (which guides) and oppressive structure (which inhibits).

Action:
Take inventory of your workplace processes. Identify which ones are genuinely adding value and which ones are simply traditions that no longer serve a purpose. Aim to streamline the latter to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy.

2. The Concept of Orbiting
Orbiting, as MacKenzie explains, is about maintaining a healthy distance from the hairball. It involves leveraging the system’s resources without getting entangled in its counterproductive elements. Essentially, it’s about finding a balance between innovation and conformity.

Action:
Create a position in your team or department designed explicitly to pursue creative or experimental projects. This position should have some autonomy from the usual constraints, fostering a more flexible environment for innovation.

3. The Power of Play
MacKenzie emphasizes the importance of play in maintaining creativity. He recalls initiating activities like “play days” at Hallmark, which fostered an environment where employees could engage in activities outside their usual work tasks, lowering stress and sparking creativity.

Action:
Organize regular play days or creative retreats for your team. Encourage them to engage in activities completely unrelated to their work. This could be anything from painting to building models, helping to refresh their minds and spark new ideas.

4. The Importance of Self-Expression
One key takeaway from MacKenzie’s perspective is that every individual has a unique creative voice that needs to be expressed. He illustrates this with a story about allowing Hallmark artists to diversify their design styles rather than conforming to a single company aesthetic.

Action:
Encourage team members to work on passion projects and exploration of individual styles. Provide platforms (like regular showcases or team meetings) where they can present and discuss their personal creative endeavors.

5. Embracing Risk and Failure
MacKenzie shares numerous anecdotes about risks at Hallmark, emphasizing the importance of embracing failure as a learning process. One memorable story is of a colleague who made a massive mistake in producing holiday cards, which ultimately led to an innovative line of products.

Action:
Create an “Innovation Fund,” a pool of resources dedicated to high-risk, high-reward projects. Ensure that failure from these projects is seen as a learning opportunity rather than a point of criticism.

6. Permission to Be Creative
According to MacKenzie, many employees feel they need permission to be creative. He discusses how he often gave “blank checks” of creative freedom to his team members, encouraging them to take bold steps and experiment without waiting for explicit approval.

Action:
Implement a policy of “creative time” where employees can devote a certain percentage of their work hours to projects of their choosing, without needing managerial approval.

7. Avoiding the “Corporate Tentacles”
MacKenzie warns against the “tentacles” of corporate life that can drain creative energy, such as unnecessary meetings and excessive data analysis. He narrates how he minimized bureaucracy by advocating for shorter meetings with clear action points and by trusting intuition over exhaustive data scrutiny.

Action:
Audit the number and length of meetings in your department. Aim to cut down or streamline those which do not directly contribute to productivity. Encourage team members to propose actionable items before meetings to keep discussions focused and purposeful.

8. Wild Ideas and Brainstorming
MacKenzie holds that nurturing wild, out-of-the-box ideas is crucial to innovation. He recounts brainstorming sessions at Hallmark where no idea was immediately dismissed, no matter how unfeasible it initially seemed.

Action:
Adopt the practice of “Yes, and…” during brainstorming sessions. Instead of dismissing unconventional ideas, build on them. This helps in creating a safe space for creative suggestions, boosting overall team innovation.

9. Personal Creativity Practices
Throughout the book, MacKenzie illustrates how personal creativity practices outside of work can enrich professional life. For instance, he speaks about personal art projects and how they kept his creative juices flowing.

Action:
Encourage employees to pursue hobbies that spark joy and creativity outside of work. You might consider offering subsidized classes or workshops in various creative arts fields.

10. Leadership and Creativity
Effective leaders, MacKenzie asserts, should foster an environment where creativity can thrive. One example from the book is a leader at Hallmark who trusted his team enough to let them take creative risks without micromanaging them.

Action:
Focus on building a trust-based leadership style. Mentor your team to take creative risks, and resist the urge to micromanage their processes. Encourage a culture of open communication and feedback.

11. The Role of Environment
MacKenzie discusses the impact of physical work environments on creativity. He famously transformed a dull office space with vibrant and whimsical decor, which he found significantly boosted morale and productivity.

Action:
Revamp your workspace to make it more inspiring. Add elements such as colorful walls, comfortable seating, and art installations. Tailor the environment to spark joy and creativity among employees.

12. Creativity in Crisis
In crisis situations, MacKenzie narrates, creativity often emerges as a critical problem-solving tool. He tells the story of how a broken snow globe shipment led to a unique marketing campaign for Hallmark.

Action:
In times of crisis, set up rapid-response teams that focus on creative problem solving. Encourage brainstorming sessions aimed specifically at turning challenges into opportunities.

13. Storytelling as a Creative Tool
MacKenzie emphasizes the power of storytelling in both conveying ideas and inspiring creativity. He relayed numerous stories at Hallmark to illustrate complex concepts and galvanize his team.

Action:
In meetings and presentations, employ storytelling to make your points more impactful. Share real-life examples to illustrate the potential impact of creative ideas.

14. Continuous Learning
The author stresses the importance of continuous learning and keeping one’s curiosity alive. He cites his own practice of reading extensively outside his field and attending workshops as ways to stimulate creative thinking.

Action:
Create and promote a learning and development program within your organization. Encourage employees to take courses, read widely, and attend seminars that interest them, even if they seem unrelated to their current roles.

Conclusion
Orbiting the Giant Hairball is a refreshing and insightful guide for anyone looking to foster creativity within a bureaucratic environment. Gordon MacKenzie’s anecdotes and practical advice serve as a roadmap to balance structure and innovation, making it possible to “orbit” the corporate hairball without getting ensnared in it.

Implementing these strategies, from setting up creative time and organizing play days to encouraging continuous learning and cultivating a more inspiring environment, can significantly enhance creative output while maintaining necessary organizational structure.