People Strategy with Gloria: 3 Tips for Intentionally Cultivating Creativity in the Workplace
Sure, some people seem like they have creativity and innovative ideas bursting out of their fingertips... but there's actually no such thing as someone who's just "not creative." Creativity can be developed just like any other skill, and it's important in the workplace. Read on for a few tips from Gloria that will help you cultivate a mindset and a workplace that supports creative thinking and innovative ideas.
Our consultants are sharing People Strategy tips designed to help you Grow Leaders, Build Teams, and Drive Results at your organization. Today Gloria McConnell is diving into how to build Creativity & Innovation.
Seek Broad Experiences
Intentionally remove yourself from the rut of working in the same place, with the same people, day after day (if that describes your typical work day.) Visit with mentors and peers who work in different roles or industries. Go to conferences. Take a field trip with your team. Pursuing experiences outside of your day-to-day will naturally foster new ideas, resources, and relationships.
Encourage & Reward Creativity — In Yourself & Others
Resist the urge to skepticism or doubt on the reception of a new idea. Judgment kills creativity! Encourage your team to offer creative solutions to problems, acknowledge all ideas, and avoid "shutting down" ideas that don't seem practical. Pursue your own ideas, even if they seem crazy at first! Develop a system for rewarding ideas or solutions that are implemented.
Create a "Smooth Path" for New Ideas to Flow
Don't let a creative idea die out of the gate by running into barriers to implementation. Think about how to present a good business case for the idea, and get early buy-in by proposing viable solutions to barriers. This will reduce potential resistance to new ideas and innovation, and engenders a culture of bold, creative thinking on your team. Contact Gloria today to talk more about how to build a team that thinks creatively, pursues innovative ideas, and achieves awesome results for your organization.
Success Labs is a leadership development and management consulting firm in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. For more than 25 years, our expert team of consultants has worked with hundreds of companies to grow leaders, build teams and drive results through great people strategy. Contact us to get proactive about expanding your company’s potential, and stay up-to-date with our latest news and leadership development updates here.