Different types of businesses thrive on different types of qualities and characteristics. Some businesses flourish on the back of efficient systems while others prosper on innovation. As is obvious, if the needs of businesses differ, their structure, style, operations, principles, and policies all need to differ too. For instance, businesses that rely on efficiency need their operations to be streamlined on the basis of carefully gathered metrics. In contrast, businesses that rely on innovation need to inspire creativity at work and in the hearts and minds of their workforce.
Needless to say, most entrepreneurs find the latter scenario far harder to cope with than the former one. The reason is obvious. The former scenario is empirical or quantifiable in nature where you can test, measure, review performance statistics, and implement the recommended changes. The latter scenario, however, is too fluid and the requisite qualities too intangible to be measured. The latter scenario, thus, needs qualitative analyses and qualitative measures.
Since qualitative improvement needs to be defined, inspiring creativity at work is significantly tougher than improving efficiency. Fortunately, we’re here to help. To inspire creativity at work, all you need to do is implement measures that have been known to yield the right results i.e. free your workforce’s mind and creative abilities. Here’s a list of our suggestions.
1. Inspire Creativity at Work with Open Workspaces
A lot of people create a clear demarcation between the material and the immaterial. The material is the physical space and items around an individual while the immaterial has to do with everything spiritual and mental.
For these people, the material has no effect on the spiritual or the mental. However, these are also individuals who are committing a gross error. There is a sure shot connection between the material surroundings of an individual and his spiritual and mental state.
For instance, it is a proven fact that creativity and innovation become stunted when the individual is put in a uniform, segmented, and dull environment. In contrast, if the individual is given open, cosy, well-lit, and inviting workspaces, then his creativity is boosted considerably.
In addition to this, it is also important for your employees to have access to tools and instruments that promote creativity and innovation. The most basic types of creativity encouraging tools are whiteboards and coloured markers. There are even some software programmes that help creativity in the digital world.
2. Inspire Creativity at Work through Flexible Schedules
Creativity and innovation are directly opposed to strict regime and routine. They need flexibility to truly flourish and become evident in an individual. For example, artists work at the oddest of times. Even developers and writers have a tendency to require quiet and serene environments to work in.
This specific need results in after-hour schedules, which allows them to let their imagination loose without interruptions and distractions. By offering flexible hours to your employees, you would not only be encouraging creativity amongst your existing employees but you’ll also be attracting a more creative talent.
Creative individuals, as explained, prefer flexible work hours and schedules. This means that they look for organisations where the schedules aren’t strict and the system isn’t militaristic in nature. Effectively, you get more creative people and encourage their creative sides.
3. Inspire Creativity at Work by Encouraging Travelling
Creativity and innovation are dynamic qualities. They mostly inhabit those souls that have a wide array of experiences. So, it can be said that dynamism is a key ingredient in the recipe that results in a creative dish. Effectively, when you encourage dynamism amongst your employees, you also encourage their creativity.
It is very much possible to encourage dynamism in your employees. All you need to do is encourage them to travel. This could be in the form of staycations, vacation, or remote working arrangements. What this will do is expose your employees to worldly experiences that will only result in broader minds and, hence, a greater imagination.
4. Inspire Creativity at Work via Diversity and Individualism
Individualism is one of the most significant elements when it comes to creativity and innovation. People who are unique tend to create unique ideas, concepts, products, and services. More importantly, when unique individuals interact, they end up creating something far greater than they would have managed individually.
If everyone in your workforce is similar, then you can kiss any kind of creativity goodbye. To promote a creative environment and innovative attitude amongst your employees, the first thing you need to do is get individualistic people. Further, you need these individuals to retain their individualism while still operating in collaboration with each other. In effect, you need a group consisting of diverse personalities, which can cooperate.
5. Inspire Creativity at Work with a Valued Team
All the points to inspire creativity at work listed till now should show you one thing. Creativity cannot be forced. You will also never see creativity in high-pressure situations. True creativity is achieved passively. In practical terms, this means that if you put pressure on your teams, then the pressure will prevent them from innovating.
Instead, if you make your employees and teams feel valued, then they’ll be more relaxed. Since they won’t be worried about their jobs or their impressions on you, they’ll be able to explore uncharted territories without any fear and this is when they’ll be able to create magic for you.
6. Inspire Creativity at Work with Brainstorming Sessions
Typically, creativity at work is a result of ideas being thrown around with abandon. These random ideas usually tend to fuel even more ideas until something truly valuable is created. For this to happen, however, you need to create a brainstorming culture i.e. you need people to have a certain level of autonomy so that they can get together and thrash ideas out.
Brainstorming sessions are almost never forced. They can happen at the water cooler, in the parking lot, in the pantry, or even in the washroom. In fact, many creative geniuses attribute many of their best ideas to a particularly productive time on the pot. Resultantly, if you want to encourage creativity at work, you need to encourage autonomy and impromptu brainstorming sessions.
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