When Leading Creative Teams, Think Cultivation Not Control

Creativity is important to teams — even when they aren’t doing traditionally creative work or innovating. It takes creativity to solve problems and develop a vision for the future. But when leaders take steps to control the creative process, it can sometimes backfire and fail to get the best out of their team members. Successful leaders understand that allowing employees their own outlets to openly express creative ideas can help with overall productivity and produce results.3 Ways Leaders Accidentally Undermine Their Teams’ Creativity. Harvard Business Review: “There’s an ever-growing body of literature on the benefits and drawbacks of brainstorming, and experts on both sides arguing that it does or doesn’t work. Most of these arguments miss the true point: brainstorming as commonly practiced represents just one step in the large creative process, a step often referred to as divergent thinking. Researchers have developed a variety of different models of creativity, from the Osborn-Parnes creative problem-solving method to design thinking. What all of these methods share are some common stages, of which brainstorming is only one. Before divergent thinking can have any benefit, your team needs to have thoroughly researched the problem and be sure that their brainstorming answers the right question.”Senior Leaders Suffocate Creativity by Trying to Control it. The Guardian: “The most dangerous thing senior leaders do is to start to believe they should have all the answers. This is obviously impossible and encourages people to panic and make anything up in order to appear in control. Instead we should try to be more honest. Visibly mess up and everyone breathes more deeply as they realise they can stop pretending and be themselves. Our work is stronger when we work through the ambiguity together. This means not relying upon research, numbers, data and facts but valuing the things that cannot be counted. There was supposedly a sign outside Albert Einstein’s door that said: ‘Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that is counted, counts.’”The Paradoxes of Creative Leadership. Innovation Management: “...there is an inherent tension between being driven by passion and purpose and having an open, explorative mind. Both are important attributes of a creative leader and yet fundamentally oppose one another. Passion and purpose frequently surface from the inside; an explorative mindset requires an engagement with the outside. Passion and purpose can be all consuming, leaving scarce time for free exploration; by contrast, an explorative mindset requires ring-fencing time for exploration of and play with the outside world. The paradox is having a sense of a path from within and being open to new discoveries from without, knowing what to go for and why, while remaining curious and critical.”3 Tips for Managing a Creative Team. Situation Management Systems: “A project or everyday manager has the difficult task of creating an environment where employees feel free to be creative and open-minded. A good way to build this trust between people is to hold team-building exercises, as these are usually a good use of time. However, the Harvard Business Review warned that in some cases, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. Some people may not respond well to group activities, as they may stunt their imagination and make them feel boxed-in creatively, which would be very unhelpful when these people are usually the ones who are asked to think outside of the box. Instead, managers should see conflicts as a vehicle for growth and recognize that visionary partnerships don't need to be, and aren't always, ones that translate to outside friendships.”Creativity in the Workplace: A Factor of Motivation and Sense of Belonging. Stockwell Bretton: “...the opportunity to see processes and problems in new ways and produce new solutions is the opportunity for creative and innovative thinking. So, are there communication channels in place for the open discussion of new ideas? Is your organisation willing to consider new methods of production? Not every idea has to be implemented, however a system that operates as it always has will only ever achieve what it always does. Establishing this ‘suggestion box’ of sorts – a direct line of communication between employees and management – allows the option for thoughts and ideas to be heard. To be heard is to be valued. There are few things that motivate an individual more than knowing their contributions are both noticed and appreciated.”Need help fostering creativity at your organization? Contact us; we’re happy to assist.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 explore their business potential and improve their company and cultural performance. Contact us to get proactive about your people strategy.