Every team needs creativity. It is not something just for artists, designers or planners – it is important for all kinds of jobs, since it improves productivity and helps to find alternative solutions for problems. But sometimes it is hard to think outside the box: there are too many things happening on a regular day, with tasks, meetings, sheets and due dates.
How to make a team more creative
When you need to unleash some new ideas, it may be a good idea to use some tactics to increase creativity. There are easy ways to do that – and today we brought five ways to make your team more creative:
Invite them for a creative space
If you are looking for different ideas from your team, try to put them in a different space. Your regular office is the place where they do their regular jobs – it will rarely be the place of big innovations and creativity. If possible, take your staff out of the building. Or at least book a meeting room and create a different atmosphere than the usual – try some music or snacks. It is important that they feel that they are not in their regular spaces so they can step out of their regular ideas.
Improve your brainstorm session
Now that you and your team are already in a more creative place, it is time to brainstorm. But forget about the usual ways you start a meeting: this is too common or sometimes even boring. If you want to inspire different ideas, start it in a different way. Try some games to warm up and encourage all professionals to engage – this will make them more comfortable to share their thoughts later.
Break some rules
“Tell me an idea that would make you get fired” is a question that would make your team think a lot about. Try to encourage your team to forget about the company rules and come up with disruptive ideas. After all, creativity is about thinking differently. When listening to your staff’s ideas, don’t judge or tell them that something is not possible because the board would never accept it or it does not match your brand approach; just listen, take notes and later you can discuss how to make this idea more appropriate for the company’s scenario.
Don’t be their boss
If you are experimenting ways on how to make your team more creative, also forget that you are their boss and that you already know some topics that they can bring to the table. By telling them “I know” or “I already tried that” when they come up with an idea, you can make them uncomfortable. When listening to ideas, forget that you probably know the industry better them your staff and focus on listening and unleashing their creativity. Maybe you already had some of their ideas, but the team can give you different perspectives or put together their thoughts to create something new and exciting.
Give your team autonomy
Autonomy and flexibility relate with creativity. If you would like to see your team “thinking outside of the box”, let them choose how to do that. By allowing them to scape the 9-to-5 schedule, you will be permitting them to work at their bests. It is important for the professionals to have some time and flexibility for their personal tasks – taking a class, driving their kids to school, going to appointments, etc. If they can do that, they will be more motivated and happier – and more creative. Don’t forget to encourage them to make some breaks during their jobs: it increases productivity and satisfaction.
Also, here is an extra tip: it is always a good idea to reward your team’s creativity. It could be from a simple “nice work folks, great ideas today” in the end of the session or by providing them with a coffee break with some snacks to fraternize, for example. It is important to keep your team motivated to keep their creativity flowing, even outside the brainstorm session, so they can be productive and improve their daily work.
