Employees are more inspired to be creative when they are offered a stimulating environment and a diverse group of colleagues who bring knowledge and experience to the table. Creativity is a skill that can be fostered and developed in an optimal work environment. A good, motivated and committed employee possesses creativity and ingenuity.
Creative employees can contribute to the growth of your company by providing better solutions to problems, expanding opportunities for expansion and sales. And, above all, by differentiating your products and services from those of your competitors. That is why creativity should not be undervalued as an employee skill. However, to foster a creative work environment, you must first help to awaken the ingenious thinking of your employees. Many people forget how to unleash their minds and come up with innovative ideas; as a good leader you must help them by fostering the right mindset.
So why is creativity at work important?
- Creativity is essential for solving complex problems, especially in our fast-paced world.
- This skill is contagious and inspiring, fostering teamwork and collaboration.
- On the other hand, it motivates employees who feel ownership of their roles.
- Workplaces where creativity is prevalent are more likely to attract and retain the best talent.
Recall that approximately 56% of HR managers are concerned that their employees will leave the company. Without a doubt, if an employee does not feel recognized and encouraged, he or she is quite likely to look for other work alternatives that motivate or challenge him or her in multiple aspects. Encouraging creativity in employees is a sure way to help them find motivation in their professional career.
Taking creativity seriously is key…
In the midst of the pandemic, creativity was more important than ever. Because, companies changed course and developed solutions for unforeseen setbacks. To retain value as a worker, therefore, it became imperative to exercise and nurture creativity. The possibilities of having a creative mind are endless, and the guarantees you will discover through inventiveness and originality will make any career more rewarding. Employers like workers who think outside the box, and employees respect leaders who lead with imagination.
In the words of José L. Meléndez, a Couch with more than 20 years of experience, “The secret of a great achievement is not in the talent of the person, but in the structure on which he or she has relied to achieve it”. Of course, possessing powerful and effective creativity requires a lot of training. However, if employees within an organization are presented with the right tools to foster habits such as creativity, the team can more easily achieve its personal and professional goals.
So, to motivate and encourage creativity in employees, here is a surefire tool that you, as a leader or business owner, can try to make a creative culture flourish in your work environment.
ChVmpion Mind offers you the best way to encourage creativity at work.
There are many ways to encourage creative thinking in your employees. It is important to try several strategies, as everyone responds differently when asked to think differently than they are used to. With ChVmpion Mind, you’ll find several practical ways to encourage creativity. Whether in the personal or professional life of people who decide to accept the challenge that this platform invites you to be part of.
ChVmpion Mind offers coaching processes, without paying for a coach. Through a 21-week work plan where day by day the person must fulfill tasks and objectives under the supervision of real specialists. ChVmpion Mind, among other things, helps your employees to think creatively and facilitate a culture of innovation at work.
Strategies to enhance creativity within the work environment.
1.Set the stage for brainstorming
When employees have an open whiteboard to work with, you never know what ideas may come up. When they have an empty whiteboard, with plenty of markers and opportunities to brainstorm, your company can reap the rewards. Instead of whiteboards, consider placing sheets of white paper on break room tables and scattering various writing utensils. This will give employees a place to scribble down an idea when they’re not being asked to, which is often the setting in which great ideas are incubated and creativity is tapped.
2.Encourage individuality
Let your employees know that you value their ideas. It sounds simple, but employees get used to feeling part of the group and sometimes think it’s better to keep up with their workload, blend in and not become a rusty, obsolete wheel. Employers should take extra steps to let employees know that their individuality and especially their creativity is appreciated. Make it clear to them that you see them as unique and interesting people and not simply as your workers. Employees respond well to these gestures and will reward you with their views and ideas.
3.Facilitate anonymous suggestions
Not all your employees are outspoken and risk-taking, so be aware when you intend to encourage creativity. Sometimes employees feel too intimidated to make suggestions in public. Even when employees are encouraged to unleash their creativity, fear of embarrassment, general anxiety or something else may prevent some from freely expressing their thoughts. To combat these obstacles, remove social barriers by offering employees the ability to share their ideas anonymously. Place suggestion boxes throughout the workplace, distribute online identity protection forms, and be sure to show that, even when provided anonymously, employee suggestions are listened to.
4.Act on good ideas
Taking creativity into account is necessary but, taking into account good ideas that arise from it is elementary. Employees are more likely to offer suggestions if they believe their ideas will be implemented. Employees may stop contributing their ideas altogether if they believe nothing will be done with them. Let employees know when you are going to implement a new creative idea. Once you have determined that the idea is a success, let staff know how this great new idea came about. Don’t make a public announcement about whose idea it was until you have great results to show. This will encourage creativity in the workplace by increasing your employees’ motivation to contribute.
5.Encourage and continue to hire diverse talent.
Diversity helps create an atmosphere of creative thinking. It’s good for companies to have employees from different fields, different schools and different backgrounds. Employees with too many similarities in backgrounds and experience can often come up with ideas that start to sound repetitive after a while. To increase diversity in your workplace, start looking at resumes for differences that could benefit your company, rather than choosing new staff members because they are similar to employees you already have.
Remember…
- Creativity is an aspect that can get you on the right track to achieving your goals in record time, but, it is not a job that should be up to business leaders alone. Employees must be creative and creativity is a skill that will allow the resolution of complicated tasks and the application of new ideas. Any executive who expects to achieve a goal will know how to value the creativity of his or her work team.
- Neuroscience has discovered that creativity at work is related to a series of complex cognitive processes involving the activity of multiple brain regions.
- In addition, neuroscience has shown that mood can also play an important role in creativity. When people feel happy and relaxed, they are more likely to be open to new ideas and approaches.
- Neuroscience, too, has found that practice and experience can increase creativity at work. As people become more expert in their field, they are able to make more sophisticated connections between different ideas and concepts, leading to more innovative and creative solutions.