Core Value Series: Increase Creativity in Your Team

 “Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.”

-Mary Lou Cook

Are your team members experiencing high levels of burnout? Do only a few team members speak up at meetings? These problems can arise due to a lack of creative engagement in the workplace. People tend to lose passion for their work when creativity is not encouraged. However, if you want your company to continue its success, you need a highly engaged team that challenges the status quo. 

Learn how to increase creativity in your business.

01| HIRE INNOVATIVE PEOPLE WITH DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES 

Hire people with diverse perspectives to promote learning and innovation. If you fill all of your seats with people who have the same perspectives, new ideas won’t be generated. Having a diverse team also brings in new skills and increases overall productivity. Creativity begins when we allow ourselves to understand and value different points of view.

02| DON'T JUST ENCOURAGE CREATIVITY, REWARD IT

Creativity can be daunting to your team members. Fear of failure is one of the biggest hurdles to overcome in the business world. When your team members get over that fear and take a creative risk, stand by them. If their creative efforts turn out successful, reward them and encourage them to keep up the good work. If a team member is struggling creatively, have a meaningful talk with them. Rewarding creativity creates a safe environment for your team.

03| COME UP WITH A CREATIVE EXERCISE FOR MEETINGS 

Contrary to popular belief, meetings are a great place to increase creativity and engagement. Collaborative sketching is one exercise you can try out in your next meeting. When you have a problem, bring it up to your team and let them sketch away some ideas. After a couple minutes, have everyone pass their paper to another team member so they can add on their ideas. At the end of the exercise, sit back and be proud of your team’s collaborative ideas!

04| UPDATE YOUR RETAIL DECOR 

How long has it been since you’ve added new decor to your space? If it’s difficult for you to answer that question, it’s time to change things up. People tend to get bored when their surroundings never change. Invest in creative artwork and add a few plants to your space. Even small changes in scenery can eliminate boredom, improve productivity, and increase creativity.

05| OFFER TRAININGS TO YOUR TEAM MEMBERS 

Cross-training your team members is the perfect way to increase their skills. Encourage team members to step out of their comfort zone and explore other disciplines. Your team members may just discover a new passion! As Amy Poehlor once said, “Creativity is connected to passion- that light inside that drives you.” Increase passion in the workplace and you increase creativity.

06| CREATE A TEAM MEMBER SURVEY

Since diversity increases creativity, why not get input from your team? Come up with a anonymous survey that asks questions related to creativity in the workplace. Some possible questions to ask include: Do you feel that your ideas are encouraged and valued? What are some ways our company can increase creativity? Do you feel safe and comfortable to express your creativity? 

Here at Rainbow Sign & Design, creativity is one of our core values for a reason. It’s a little known fact that creative problem-solvers are happier overall. Happy team members bring passion and collaboration to the workplace. When your team is encouraged to expand their creativity, your business will turn into a collaborative success.

Elevate Your Creative Space Today.