Creativity is essential for a thriving workplace. It’s so important that seven in ten people believe that it’s the cornerstone of a healthy economy.Even though so many consider creativity the engine that drives their company, you might find inspiration striking less and less.If you’re seeing a lack of creativity in your team, there are many reasons why it could be happening.
The first step in solving a problem is realising it’s there. Do you recognise any of these symptoms for your team’s loss of inspiration?
Have you ever had a nagging memory in your mind of a moment you were humiliated? Maybe it even kept you up at night?That feeling is what keeps people from expressing themselves at work.It’s different when you’re creating on your own. When you’re in a group project, you risk being the one who drags everyone down.
How to overcome that? Make sure your team knows there’s a safety net to get them to think outside the box.
Give them resources and make them feel valued. You’ll see that lack of creativity vanish.
If something’s not broken, why fix it? That’s what gets you stuck in a rut.Sure, you might be chugging along just fine, doing what’s always worked. That’s not innovative, that’s a set up for failure.If you think your company’s lack of creativity is because of a boring routine, there’s an easy cure.
Get your group out of their comfort zone. Do a fun activity to break up the humdrum of everyday life.Ask them questions that have nothing to do with work and then see how they re-calibrate and come back with sparkling new concepts.
Watch your employees. Do they come in, maybe chat at the coffee machine, then go to their cubicles and work, head down, till quitting time?
The lack of creativity you’re noticing in your workplace might be due to everyone keeping to themselves.
Help your employees collaborate more often.Some places solved this by redoing their entire office. They open up the entire space, abolishing cubicles and go with an open-floor model.You don’t have to be as drastic. Try installing chat software, like Slack, so that employees can communicate more with each other.Give them a side project to work on and see what unfolds.
Sadly, only one in four people think they’re living up to their creative potential, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
There’s a lot of ways to shake up your team to get them into an innovative place.If you’re looking to get the creative juices flowing, check out some of the workshops and online tools available through our website.
Don’t let a lack of creativity poison your productivity – start thinking differently today!