Creativity is a very common requirement in many jobs today, and many companies are proud to announce their focus on innovation and promoting new ideas. However, according to a recent UK survey, 81% of companies are unable to work with new ideas and innovations, and nearly a sixth of their employees believe company management discourages them from new ideas. You can build a creative environment open to new ideas in your company through appropriate internal communication, support for openness, ensuring an inspiring environment, or providing flexible working hours.
A 2017 UK survey of employees in thousands of workplaces showed that 8 out of 10 companies are unable to work with new ideas and innovations, and 15% of them believe company management discourages them from new ideas. However, fresh perspective, creativity and innovation are the driving force of business. How do you establish and maintain a pro-innovation creative environment in the company?
Keep communication channels open
Excellent internal communication is an essential component of a well-functioning company. It improves company culture, increases employee motivation, maintains awareness of company vision and mission, and above all, promotes trust and openness. “It is extremely important to maintain two-way internal communication. If the management provides its team constantly with valuable information and feedback without hearing their opinions, ideas and knowledge, it will lead to nothing.” Jerry Gemilka, ICU Director for Companies that provides activation and interim management for small and medium-sized enterprises. So, establish an open door policy, and encourage your employees to share their experiences with everyone, including their leaders. “Especially in a small company, there is no need to develop tactical diplomacy or any political correction. Instead, encourage honesty and objective criticism.” Recommended by Jerry Gemilka.
Focus on the environment
In the corporate sphere, the debate over the years has been whether employees’ performance and creativity are captured in closed or separate offices or, on the contrary, open spaces are better. Today, experts tend to combine the two: to give people a chance to work in the privacy of the office, but to give them enough open space where they can meet other colleagues – whether for joint work or just simple chatting -, brainstorm, or meet. To support creative thinking and creativity, experts recommend equipping the space not only with comfortable furniture or fun accessories, but also with a number of billboards and whiteboards, with which your employees can “scribble” their ideas, mind maps, and the like at any time. It is also advisable to allow employees to adapt their workplaces according to their needs or habits: they brought small items from home, chose a desk and chair themselves, or quietly took their animal friend to their desks.
Flexible working hours and extra holidays
Flexible work hours are appreciated not only by parents or students, but by all those whose biological rhythms are set to other than “eight to four”. Do some of the people on your team say “owls” and not perform well until late in the afternoon while looking like zombies all morning? Or are they, on the contrary, the “larks” who go for more authentic ideas after breakfast at 5:30 in the morning? “Circadian rhythms, or biological clocks, have an undeniable effect on people’s performance and creativity. Of course, it might not be realistic for all companies to give their owl-type employees the opportunity to work late at night, but at least the more flexible work hours can be) It helps greatly in enhancing the creativity of the team. “ Jerry Gemilka says. You can also raise and maintain team creativity with a generous holiday approach. Nothing refreshes the mind after an arduous period like a few days of rest. Not only are employees renewed mentally, but if they fail in routine, they can also find new perspectives on inspiration for their work. On a smaller scale, so-called cooling zones work well in this regard. Give your team the opportunity to take a little longer break during the workday with a cup of coffee, a table football or even a sports bike ride and you will see that it will boost their performance and creativity.
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