creativity in the workplace

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© 2013, Todaymade

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HOW TO ENCOURAGE CREATIVITY IN THE WORKPLACE

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Make The Space For CreativityCreative Spaces

Idea Centers

Make It Safe For CreativityBeing With And Without

Safety In Numbers

Many Voices, Many Volumes

Make Creativity GrowCreativity Killer Myths

The Creative Power Of Individuals and Teams

CONTENTS


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MAKE THE SPACE FOR CREATIVITYCreativity isn’t just for artists.

Creativity is for every business, whether we sell tires or advertising. It is the foundation for all success. It is about the ability to think, work with what’s available, and identify and solve problems. What could be more important in the workplace than that?

Exchanging creativity for unquestioning obedience, towing the company line, and a “that’s not my job” mentality is a losing situation. We must actively encourage creativity to make sure that doesn’t happen.

CREATIVE SPACESCreativity happens in different “places”, some more obvious than others.

Physical SpaceA designated location where brainstorming and creativity occur helps us switch gears and have permission to set aside


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usual work for a time. Maybe it’s around a conference table, or in front of a whiteboard. Gathering here is a clear signal to everyone that creativity will commence.

Personal SpaceWe each need space that we feel is ours. Within reason (i.e. no Jacuzzi installed in the cubicle), being given the freedom to feel safe and “at home” where we work is vital.

Mental SpaceSometimes we need to be given permission to think, to be silent, to join in, or to not answer in favor of processing a request. Introverts and people who aren’t impulsive, especially, need ample mental space.

Clock SpaceIf no time is set aside for being creative, we tend to leave it until an emergency demands solutions. Regular creative meetings, especially in the scope of a specific project, keep everyone informed and help spawn solutions to problems we didn’t know existed.

Exploratory SpaceField trips aren’t just for school kids. Exposing people to something unfamiliar and is a great way to jump-start creativity, whether that’s a field trip or in-house education or event. Unfamiliar territory is where new ideas and the discovery of new interests come from.

Is there room for creativity where we work, or has it been squeezed out in favor of being “productive”? Creativity is what ensures long-lasting productivity. Without it, productivity dwindles into nothing more than mere clocking in and out.

IDEA CENTERSIdea centers fall into the category of actual physical spaces, even if they are online in a protected website accessible only


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to a select group. They are more than just a break room or social network. They are designated as a “dumping” ground for ideas with very few boundaries, allowing many forms (writing, drawing, found objects, clippings, etc.) and allowing anonymity (as long as things remain appropriate and do not contain personal attacks).

Idea centers may consist of (whether actual or online):

WhiteboardsTheir strength is their immediacy and simplicity. They can be erased, so old ideas don’t drag down tomorrow’s fresh idea. We can make a photo of a whiteboard before erasing if we want to reference any content created on it, since they are transitory in nature.

Bulletin BoardsThese allow for additive collaboration, pinning things of interest like a collage, building on what others have shared. At some point they, too, will have to be cleaned off, so a picture may be warranted.

Idea BookHaving a blank book where people can write, draw, tape, clip, staple, and glue whatever they want to creates a fine reference tool, a creative release for employees, and a simple way for people to feel like they, as a team, made it. It could be as simple as a notebook, or something more elaborate. Once a book is full, it can be added to the company library or bookshelf.

These are just a few possibilities. Having an outlet makes it easy for us to find something interesting and think “this is a perfect idea at work, I think I’ll share it.” Having a place and the tools to do that makes sense.

We should be able to use these creative spaces without fear of reprisal. It might even mean asking everyone to put in 20


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minutes a week to get the habit of creativity started.

Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re a creative company. Be honest and become one.

DO IT NOWReady to make space for creativity in your workplace? There’s no time like the present. This week, do at least one of the activities below:

1) ChooseChoose two or more Creative Spaces and incorporate them into your workplace.

2) AllotAllot time for employees to take a 15 minute break to just brainstorm and be creative without an need to be realistic or connected to a proj-ect at work. Have them do this in a designated Idea Center if you have one.

3) OrganizeOrganize an office “Field Trip” somewhere. Take your employees to the zoo, for example, and give them the assignment to come up with three new ideas based on what they see there.


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MAKE IT SAFE FOR CREATIVITYCreativity is for the rabble-rouser. The boat-shaker. The status-quo decimator. And above all, the truth-teller. Creativity takes courage because it brings about change and it tells the truth. Most of us don’t always want these things.

We say we want creativity in the workplace, but whether we’re aware of it or not, we quietly quell creativity with an insistence on being reasonable, realistic, down-to-earth, having common sense or being polite. Creatives are either quieted down or they quietly leave.

BEING WITH AND WITHOUTPeople are generally afraid of two things, both at the same time:

1. They are part of a group. 2. They are not part of a group.

Creatives, in particular, intensely need to feel like they — and subsequently, their ideas — are unique. That they stand out from


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the crowd. However, even the most individualistic of us likes to know someone has our back when we take a deep breath and say “I have an idea on how to change everything.” Fear makes creativity stay silent. How can we encourage creativity and meet the need for individuality while fostering solidarity and quieting those fears?

We answer that question in one way: making it safe for creativity to exist.

Management’s job is not to prevent risk but to build the capability to recover when failures occur. It must be safe to tell the truth. — Ed Catmull, Pixar Co-founder

SAFETY IN NUMBERSWe’re not looking for safe ideas. We’re looking to make it safe to have ideas. To do that, we want to avoid these scenarios that commonly develop during brainstorming or creativity sessions with groups:

The Laugh DownNo one laughs at an idea no matter how ridiculous it seems. An idea might be from way out in left field, but perhaps just a few feet away from where it is out there, lies a solution. Ideas can be fragile; even light teasing can cause serious damage to future group efforts depending upon the personality of the person.

The Patronized PlayOut-right disagreement or ridicule at least has the side-effect of emotional push-back and energy. Being overly patronizing when responding to an idea you don’t like makes someone feel like a child. If you don’t like an idea, that can be worked out in discussion. Pretending to like an idea but subtly indicating to the group that you think it’s flawed silences creativity quickly.


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CEThe Invisible Idea

Brainstorms are all or nothing. If people are throwing ideas out and they’re being documented, such as on a whiteboard, don’t be an editor. Put all ideas on the board. What’s written quickly leads the group on the path. This is not the time to determine what is relevant enough to make it on the board. Write it down. The group’s brainstorming will handle the editing naturally. Let everyone participate.

No More Questions Some people present creative ideas not in the form of solutions, but as questions. The gift of asking the right question is as valuable as the person who has the gift of finding answers. Every group needs those who ask questions, and those who provide answers. Let people ask questions without silencing them by saying “we’re looking for answers, not questions, right now.”

The trick to remember about ideas is that even the “bad” ideas are necessary. They help us work past roadblocks. They help us see the good ones for what they are by comparison. The kick open the doors to amazing ideas we wouldn’t have found otherwise. In that way, there are no bad ideas.

MANY VOICES, MANY VOLUMESA leader makes it safe to be creative and tell the truth. Group members go about this in different ways, depending on their personality.

Be careful that the loudest voices in the group don’t drown out the quietest. Watch for anyone who may consistently come up with strange ideas that routinely get shot down. It is too easy for someone to learn to keep quiet when facing an unhearing group. Above all, build a culture of creativity. Let it be clear that change and ideas are welcome. Terror doesn’t inspire creativity.


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DO IT NOWReady to make it safe for creativity in your workplace? There’s no time like the present. This week, do at least one of the activities below:

1) BrainstormAlready have regular staff meetings? Add brainstorming or creative problem-solving to it. Every time. Don’t let staff meetings turn into a dry listing of updates and in-office events. Turn your next staff meeting into a brainstorming session for a project you’re in the middle of right now.

2) ProvideProvide journals or notebooks (either real paper or online) for each person in the group, and let it be their own “safe” place to work through ideas. Have the group bring them to the next brainstorming session and discuss.

3) QuestionCan’t think of a problem that needs solving? Maybe it’s time to find one. Have the group come up with five questions. Pool the questions and work through some of them as a group. Encourage questions that start with “what if.”


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MAKE CREATIVITY GROWCreativity can be killed.

It might happen on purpose (let’s hope not!) or it might happen slowly through lack of nurturing. Starting a culture of creativity, and helping it thrive, are both purposeful decisions. Otherwise, creativity loses its momentum and the workplace reverts back to a kind of lowest-common-denominator of existence, the bare minimum required to get the job done.

How do you help creativity grow in your workplace? How do you keep it from dying?

CREATIVITY KILLER MYTHSStereotypes and myths surround creativity, and letting these take root will kill any creativity that is trying to grow, no matter what stage it is in.

Creativity is messy Clutter isn’t good. It keeps you from finding things you need, wastes time, and increases procrastination. Keeping control


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of things is directly connected to freeing up the mind. The absent-minded professor or eclectic artsy stereotype aside, clutter will create a roadblock at some point.

Creativity can’t be scheduled. Being able to schedule creativity is a strength and a must. We each still get great ideas at off times, and should take advantage of that, but training ourselves to be creative when necessary can be done. Sometimes we need solutions at 3:15 p.m. on a Tuesday afternoon.

Creativity is for artists. Creativity isn’t synonymous with ‘artistic’, yet people will often respond to a request for being creative with “I can’t even draw a straight line.” Most artists can’t draw straight lines, either. Everyone can be creative in their own way. Creative thinking is for everyone, every job, every day.

Creativity isn’t measurable Businesses want proof that what they invest in, whether it’s time or people, has value. They want to know the return on the investment (ROI). Creativity is tough to measure because it manifests itself in different ways. It might be responsible for an amazing solution and satisfied client. But those regular creative events and activities that weren’t project-specific, that might seem like a waste of time? They were the foundation for that amazing solution. They made it possible for the team to come together and create that solution.

Creativity comes naturallyFor some people, being creative comes naturally, sure. But creativity is something to be practiced by everyone. Sooner or later there will be time when it won’t be ‘easy’ and that’s where having practiced comes in handy. Practice methods for working through blocks, for working as a team, for setting aside distractions, for creating on a schedule. Natural


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abilities still need refinement through practice. Creativity is no different. Make it a regular practice. Don’t let these myths to take hold. They will kill creativity in their own subtle way.

THE CREATIVE POWER OF INDIVIDUALS AND TEAMS

If you want to be original, you have to accept the uncertainty, even when it’s uncomfortable, and have the capability to recover when your organization takes a big risk and fails. What’s the key to being able to recover? Talented people! — Ed Catmull, Co-founder of Pixar

Individuals lose objectivity with their own ideas, or make them too precious. Teams easily slip into group-think and make consensus and compromise more important than a creative solution. Understand these tendencies, and consider:

Individuals come up with ideas. Teams refine them.

Keeping creativity alive and growing means using both the individual and the team, and not one over the other. It means knowing how they work together best, and when to bring people together to work or to split them apart for new ideas. Having a team helps when it comes time to schedule creativity. Some in the team might be on, some off, but together they function as a creative whole and can bounce and generate ideas off of each other. Making use of individual creativity is good when the ideas seem to be stuck in a rut.

How do you help creativity grow?

Don’t fall for the myths. Then, see the power of the individual creator, and the strength of the team. Use them both. Regularly.


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DO IT NOWReady to make creativity grow in your workplace? This week, do at least one of the activities below:

1) StudyObserve how other companies foster creativity. As a start, learn about IDEO and how they approach creativity for problem solving. Watch the video “The Deep Dive” on YouTube (there are several related vid-eos there – be sure to watch them).

2) ScheduleSet up a regular schedule for creative activities. If creativity strikes out-side of the schedule, by all means, go with it. Stick with the schedule and work through it when you feel creatively dry.

3) ChallengeMake a creative challenge for the team. Provide a problem, and the boundaries for the solution. Use this technique regularly, as part of practicing creativity.

4) MakeMake something. If a team seems fragmented, ask: what can the team make together? Have a “make something” time set aside, whether each week or each month.


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