10 Moves To Unleash Creativity At Work For Better Output

Creative thinking is not a talent; it is a skill that can be learned. It empowers people by adding strength to their natural abilities which improve teamwork and productivity.

Creativity and innovation are no longer options for workplaces. In order to unlock endless results in your everyday work life, you must ignite the spark of creativity with ideas and inspirations.

As kids, we had endless opportunities to explore, play and develop creativity. But in the workplace, things are different and comparatively complex. Being creative at work goes far beyond colorful presentations and pretty notice boards. Employers have to look out for newer ways to keep it up with the needs and desires of their diverse employees. Let’s know how we can unleash creativity at work with the best possible efforts.

Here’s How You Can Spark Creativity At Work For Unending Benefits

1. Let Friendships Happen

While working on different projects, employers should bring the employee in together, irrespective of their departments. With this, they get the opportunity to share different points of view, without the fear of being neglected, which goes on into forming some special bonds. A LinkedIn study reveals friendship at work makes them happier at the office, which in turn, boosts creativity at work and productivity.

Professor Teresa Amabile of Harvard Business School said, “People are more creative and productive when they experience more positive inner work life, including more positive emotions, stronger motivation toward the work itself and more positive perceptions of the organization. And one of the things that contribute to positive inner work life is a sense of camaraderie with teammates and close co-workers – a sense of bonding and mutual trust.”

Most workplace friendships happen quickly. More than half forms within weeks of colleagues meeting, and 22% establishes after a few months.

2. Encourage Creative Expression

If you don’t allow your employees to express their creativity at work, you will kill their desire to contribute to your organization. Offer them programs that test their wings! That may include drawing, painting, singing, acting or anything that encourages creative expressions.

Although at the beginning your employees will be reluctant to be a part of all these, soon they will realize their inner talents and be thankful! In the process, you will earn a more energized, activated and engaged workforce.

3. Give Time To Side Projects

To spark the creative process, every team should get the chance to invest time in some side projects. It encourages more free-thinking and innovation in the business.

Google, one of the most innovative companies in the world, encourages its employees to be a part of side projects. It gives them one full day per week (20 percent of their time) to work on a Google-related passion project of their own choice or creation. It empowers the employees, builds trust, and helps them with a blow of new ideas to be innovative at work.

This side project idea is in effect and works wonders in many other top companies of the world. You can try too!

4. Employ Brainstorming Techniques

Stimulating creativity at work is not easy. It’s all about brainstorming fresh ideas and energizing the workers to be more creative and focused.

Make brainstorming a must in every group activity which urges you to shout out ideas, because that is a real challenge. Also, this will likely find out some creative ways to solve problems that are unchecked as it will get your people to express.

Now, there will be multiple reasons your employees may not wish to open up. It includes their fear of not being supported for their ideas or the panic of being wrong. To avoid these, guide your people to cultivate the culture of creative risk-taking. Be receptive to innovative ideas and don’t forget to recognize the risk-takers.

5. Improve Your Office Design

Now that we know the importance of brainstorming, we should also understand the role played by a perfect workplace design. Employees generally prefer open spaces to discuss and collaborate. At the same time, some others might prefer some personal areas or their own cubicle space to express themselves.

While some might like to play light music to lift their mood up, some might need silence to concentrate. Similar factors will determine how you would like to design your office.

However, you can proceed with the following basic elements that surely improves your office space to encourage creativity at work:

• Using the right colors and vibes that are easier to eyes, that can create feelings of relaxation.
• Keeping the room temperature in the right range to be comfortable for all.
• Maintaining the ambient noises at moderate levels.
• Choosing the proper lighting that enhance the creative thought process

6. Play Games To Get The Creative Juices Flowing

At certain intervals, you need to prepare a list of the most loved office games, that do not require a lot of resources and time.

The whole point of playing games in offices is to improve interpersonal relationships, expose and address issues. In fact, it’s the best way to enhance productivity, performance and the creativity process within the teams. At the same time, games are the real booster in promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Here is a list of activities that can help your team think out of the box.

7. Engage In Physical Activities

The Creativity Research Journal, in a 2005 study revealed that moderate physical exercise results in a significant increase in cognitive creativity. This also seems undeniably true to workplaces.

Physical exercises have been scientifically proven to get the best solutions to problems, divergent thinking, with open-ended, original ideas.

Here is a list of office exercises that makes sure you stay fit, fostering creativity by adding another level of interest among the employees.

When we talk about physical activities, office wellness programs are rightly being the talk of the town. It includes interesting activity-based goals or group activities with incentives.

• In this domain, Vantage Fit leads the market with excellent features like step tracker, calorie tracker, heart rate tracker and much more. And all of these with the fun elements of gamification and tempting rewards.

8. Praise Success With Rewards And Recognition

Keep in mind that every creative idea needs to be recognized and rewarded. This helps to refresh and come up with a better version of themselves.

Rewards do not necessarily have to be expensive. You can honor your staff by giving an off, taking them on lunch, or appreciating them in a staff meeting. These easy tactics will be much fruitful in turning your employees productive, passionate and profitable.

9. Create Trust In The Workplace

Creativity at work comes with trust. Employees can give their best only when you trust them and at the same time, they trust you too.

Mutual trust spur inspiration, which allows employees to develop their personal goals, with a strong sense of pride, ownership, and attachment to the organization. It also ensures honest criticism, which is known as the best food for creativity.

10. Recommend Self Reflection Practices

Reflection gives the brain an opportunity to pause amidst the chaos, untangle and sort through observations and experiences, consider multiple possible interpretations, and create meaning.

Reflection is a creativity empowering process. Help your employees conduct self-reflection exercises. This helps them to reflect on what they have achieved and what they have not. This will inspire and guide them in all future endeavors, pushing them beyond their perceived limits of creativity.

In what ways do you promote innovation and creativity at work? Let us know in the comments below.

This article is written by Susmita Sarma, a digital marketer at Vantage Circle. She was involved with media relations before shifting her interest in research and creative writing. Apart from being a classical music buff, she keeps a keen interest in anchoring and cooking. For any related queries, contact editor@vantagecircle.com