At Davison, we really enjoy creative people. It’s just great fun to see what creative people can do when given the opportunity.

Turning away from conventional practices and fostering creativity in our employees has been a hallmark of this company since its beginning. The magic that can happen as a result always makes me smile.

The people who work here were encouraged to have some fun with their imaginations on Halloween. It was an event to remember.

Our people challenged themselves to see who could create the most fun costume. Coworkers smiled as they looked for clues to figure out who was inside a clever disguise. Other costumes delighted with their hand-crafted originality. A free-wheeling spirit transformed himself into a BikeBoard, one of our signature products, and an artistic individual became a famous painting, “The Scream.” The throng also included an authentic-looking Tin Man wielding an axe and wearing his heart on a string and a large wheel who looked like he was about to roll around the room. The setting also was the height of creativity with fanciful decorations everywhere, even in the mouth of “Balzer” the shark, who appeared to have found a pirate’s missing leg.

Several employees actually had photos of themselves in full costume on their name badges for the day with new monikers, such as “Mad Inventionman,” printed under creepy or silly photos. Conversation and laughter filled the building, as members of all our various departments mingled and got to know each other a little better.

The experience reinforced a lesson I learned long ago as the leader of this company – let creative people have their fun; it will reward you. Let their spirit come out as often as you can. Not only do they gain creative freedom, but also a greater sense of camaraderie.

I don’t have to worry about such fun activities at work inhibiting productivity, not at all. If that were the case, we wouldn’t be riding BikeBoards around the curved walkways of Inventionland to get from one design set to another.

If I don’t see increased productivity the day of the party, I know I’ll see it next week. How do you free up the creative mind? I’ll tell you how you don’t – You don’t put a ball and chain on that person. I don’t tell them what to do; I don’t have to. They know what to do.

I really think the rest of the world has it wrong. Sometimes, the hardest thing for companies to do is to ‘let go.’ They are often too restrictive because they’re run by bean counters or second generation owners trying to guide somebody else’s dream.

Companies should allow creative types to be creative. When experimenting on inventions, I think our designers get it right quicker when they’re in their creative mode. So long as you make the goal and mission of the company clear, they’re going to get you there faster.

Sometimes, you’ve got to ‘shake it loose’ and break out of the conventional way of doing things. When your mind lets go, the answers start to flow. And when you free up creative people, you are rewarded with renewed energy, imagination and dedication from employees, which are essentials in growing a company.

In order to build a dream you need a lot of people to build it with you. And that’s what we do – We build dreams all day long.