For businesses that thrive on the creative spirit, the phrase ‘improve team creativity’ is one that’s constantly on the tip of everyone’s tongues.
Yet, moving beyond short-term strategies like team outings, games, and sporadic breaks can be difficult, especially because we forget to realize that honing creativity is a long-term effort.
Whether you’re trying to help writers stave off a writing block or help your developers think more creatively about tech-based solutions, here are a few tried and tested strategies that may prove transformative!
According to certain business leaders like Ilissa Miller or IMiller Public Relations, professional development in the form of professional coaching “Provides a safe place for employees to challenge themselves and the way they think and approach solutions.”
Needless to say, providing employees with the resources to refine their skills and adapt their attitudes to the needs of the workplace is likely to invigorate them with greater motivation.
In many cases, a sense of motivation is likely to lead to higher levels of team creativity. Just make sure that you’re helping your teams progress along trajectories of self-improvement – that’s the key!
Spatial design and the very notion of having actual, physical space, as a team, is more important to team creativity than we think. Imagine it yourself: Where would you be happier and more productive?
The issue with asking this question is that the answer will differ from person to person. According to a study conducted in 2017 by the University of Minnesota, ‘creative geniuses’, so to speak, prefer a cluttered and busy workplace.
As such, it’s important to give your teams the freedom to design spaces in a way they believe would complement their working style. Not only is decision-making power a tantalizing way to increase their motivation, but it also gives them more control and satisfaction in the work environment.
After all, a happy mind can do wonders for team creativity.
While this probably should have been a point to start with, one thing many team leaders forget to do is build teams of people that not only mesh well together, but whose working styles complement each others’ too.
In the age of psychometric testing, this effort is no longer just guesswork. With the right platforms, you can now mix and match individuals based on their inherent attitudes, skills and behaviors.
This doesn’t mean pairing the best with the best or mixing high-performers with poor performers. This has to do with how different skills can be combined to provide the best, most creative outcomes.
At a time where more and more people are part of the gig economy, offering team members flexible working arrangements is a move likely to improve, both, team creativity and productivity.
With numerous studies demonstrating that shorter working hours and flexible work arrangements are more conducive for greater satisfaction and happiness among employees, many businesses are now considering shifting to this model.
If you have faith that your employees have the ability to deliver, consider offering them the choice to pick where they work from and the way they fulfill minimum work hours.
Another trend that’s blazing through workplaces is the wellness movement, where employees are encouraged to undertake activities and tasks that improve their mental and physical health.
Certain companies are now offering their employees credits to purchase items or undertake activities that bring them joy and meaning and improve their personal and professional development.
Team creativity is a force that drives an organization’s output. If your teams are feeling uninspired, that’s exactly what you’re going to be delivering to your clients or customers.
By giving each unit the space to be themselves, to grow, and to make their own decisions, you create a culture that’s unmatchable. At a time where financial compensation, alone, isn’t enough to make someone stay, inspiring your teams through a few easy steps can go a long way.
