Discovering imagination as a tool for good management

From an editorial and educational point of view, it represents a hitherto unrealised exercise, namely that of making creative processes into a story to be told and a science to be applied. "The Big Book of Imagination" (edizioni il Saggiatore) by Massimo Gerardo Carrese, a 'fantasist' by profession and (always by trade) a great observer of the scientific, humanistic, playful and artistic aspects of imagination and creativity, is a good read for several reasons. Among these, perhaps the most stimulating is the possibility of 'reading' this element from a corporate and management perspective, analysing how imagination can be a decisive factor for an organisation and a leader, how to apply it and how to train it.

To speak of fantasy, as the author explains to Il Sole 24 Ore, is to enter the world of Plato's Dialogues as well as Bruno Munari's works and cross the centuries to arrive at the challenges of artificial intelligence: an irrepressible subject such as fantasy, this is the assumption, unfolds beginning with the study of the first glimpses of the world and ending with the technologies that erase the boundaries between reality and fiction, revealing a game that is thousands of years long and whose rules remain largely mysterious. The issue of AI, in particular, is specifically addressed in the last chapter of the book, and the positive aspects that this technology (as a tool) can generate as a collaborator (and not a substitute) of a process are described.

The full awareness of the technical-scientific meaning of fantasy is, according to the author, a good key to analysing various insights. "Fantasy," Carrese points out, "is often considered an attribute reserved for artists and creative people, but it also plays a crucial role in the corporate world and in managerial activities. This faculty, for example, allows one to see beyond the ordinary and bring to life new products or services that do not yet exist on the market, and in this sense represents a fundamental contribution to innovation, since companies must constantly seek new ways to distinguish themselves from their competitors and satisfy the changing needs of their customers'.

The indication that emerges for managers is in essence the following: complex problems often require creative solutions and imagination can help them think outside the box, finding solutions that would not have emerged through traditional logical thinking. Imagination, with respect to this view, is thus also an invitation to dialogue with a logic (explored at length in the book) that can be defined as 'lateral thinking' and 'divergent thinking', as an 'alternative component' that can be demonstrated in technical and practical terms.

Imagination, the author went on to suggest, is also fundamental to strategy planning and allows one to foresee possible obstacles and opportunities, preparing the organisation to respond in an agile manner: the ability to think about future scenarios can therefore help the company's top management to make more informed decisions. Nonetheless, imagination is a factor that should not be underestimated in a motivational and leadership context: leaders can create an exciting vision of the future and transfer this vision in an engaging way to their team, and this attitude increases employee engagement, aligning everyone's efforts towards common goals. Imagination also plays a major role in product design, packaging or even advertising campaigns: creative and visually appealing communication can differentiate the brand and attract customers more effectively.