6 in 10 people admit creativity is valuable to their company. Yet, there are many barriers to innovative ideas. From lack of communication to lack of involvement, an employee won’t share their creative resources unless they feel invested in the company.
Many organizations demand creativity in the workplace but do not like the risk of exploring the idea. They are comfortable in their set, and it keeps them from achieving their full potential as an organization.
Is there a solution? Yes. Innovation training.
Even though the word was coined only recently, the idea has been around for a while now. People would subtly include innovation training in their regular employee training camps and sessions. But today it needs a session of its own.
Not only does it help each individual discover their creative voice but also entertains team innovation. Many innovation consulting firms and innovation courses have come up to help make innovation training as engaging and fun as possible. They instil habits that encourage creativity and out-of-the-box thinking in the employees.
Team and innovation
Although it is true, creativity drives innovation. Innovation is much deeper than thinking creatively. It is a mindset, a headspace that triggers transformation.
How do we hone our creative abilities and harness them? Organizations need to form a pure give and take relationship with the employees. They give the employees the resources they need to adopt creative thinking and, in return, get ideas that form major breakthroughs for them.
1. Foster bonds
It’s not easy for a newbie to make a suggestion, let alone share an idea with the team. Hierarchies interrupt idea sharing at almost every company unless it’s Google.
Encourage your team to be open and hold regular idea generation sessions where anyone and everyone can freely share their opinions. Build a supportive atmosphere. Give constructive criticism to the presenter and help them furnish their ideas and skills.
2. Share responsibility
Autonomy to the members tells them you trust them with your company. It gives them a sense of being part of something bigger. It encourages them to do better and be better.
It doesn’t necessarily mean you must give them authority. But you should consider giving them the space to make decisions and/or be part of various businesses process where they can learn how things work before they make decisions on their own.
3. Put value in new ideas
Don’t discard ideas if you think they are not good enough. Maybe today it doesn’t have any use, but you don’t know about tomorrow.
Explore ideas; give them a chance to prove their worth. If a suggestion seems incomplete, ask the team to polish it. Or keep it in the pile of ideas that can be used later in the future.
Not only does it help build creative thinking, but it also broadens the perspective of your team. It strengthens their bond and produces a feeling of trust in each other.
4. Identify the cause of hindrance in the creative process
A lot of times, companies don’t understand what could be causing the problem because they overlook the fact that certain internal processes could be behind it.
Assess your methods and processes thoroughly. They may be creating a restrictive environment for your employees.
5. Use competition
Some friendly competition never hurts anybody. Conducting regular competitions would increase the competency of your employees.
But try to avoid conflicts within the team due to competition. Encourage team competitions and promote collaboration. Develop a team-first atmosphere and seek open communication.
6. Promote flexibility
Google advocates flexibility and free time in workplaces. Its culture thrives on giving its employees the freedom to think and time to play.
Scheduled free time could be a great way to incorporate flexibility in your organization. Another idea could be providing a space for the same. A place where they can play around and write their own views on boards or make additions to ideas written by others.
7. Avoid burn out
With the increasing pace of work, it’s difficult to avoid encountering a burnout. People don’t get the time to breathe, let alone relax with the amount of work that’s put on their desks every day.
Occasional company outings or extra holidays could give them the time they need to rejuvenate themselves. If these can’t be arranged, you can always try to provide them with workless weekends. Many companies make their employees work on the weekends, and it isn’t healthy in the long run.
8. Be an example
Similar to how a child learns from his parents, the employees learn from their leaders. Set an example by becoming creative and sharing those ideas with your team. Ask for feedback and suggestions, and pay attention to what they have to say.
Showing them you care and you wish for an open environment. Tell them they can share ideas openly and collaborate. Allow self-learning.
9. Recognize hard work
Recognition feels good. It tells the person that all of their hard work was noticed and appreciated. It gives them the motivation to do more.
It creates an incentive for innovative ideas.
Takeaways
Gradually build a habit of coming up with at least one idea every day. It shouldn’t be compulsion but the freedom to think without restrictions. Turning those drafts into a product can be taught afterwards.
If you use the tips suggested above, you can quickly build an innovative mindset in your team. The sooner you start, the better results you’ll achieve. But remember, value the process. For more ideas on how you can further leverage your business visit our website.
