How to Promote Creativity and Innovation at Work – Skybound Coaching

For many people, going to work is an experience they dread. Unfortunately, lots of organizations focus more on routines and standardization than on creating a dynamic culture of engagement and experimentation. While processes and standards are certainly important, today’s companies won’t survive if they don’t figure out how to promote creativity and innovation in the workplace.

Employees who are encouraged to explore, experiment, and even have fun at work will not only be happier and more engaged, but they’ll come up with better solutions and competition-busting ideas. This ultimately leads to a more profitable bottom line.

The question is: how can leaders foster more creativity and innovation in the workplace? The strategies can be as comprehensive as reshaping core cultural norms, but all it takes is a simple first step to get started.

Employees who are encouraged to explore, experiment, and even have fun at work will be happier and will generate better ideas.

So What Might More Creativity and Innovation at Work Look Like?

Before you can create a more dynamic work environment, it’s helpful to clarify what this might look like on a practical day-to-day level.

So if you showed up at a creative and innovative company, what would you notice?

What Are the Benefits of This Type of Work Environment?

You might be wondering—is the effort required to create a more dynamic workplace worthwhile? I’d say a resounding “yes!”

I see four main areas of benefit: Boosted employee morale, higher staff retention, better work output, and a healthier bottom line.

First, consider the impact on your employees’ experience of work. When you foster a dynamic environment infused with creativity and innovation, employees will be more likely to enjoy what they’re doing. Why? Well, think about your own professional experiences. Would you rather be in an organization with silos, unhealthy competition, repetitive work, and burdensome red tape? Or an organization characterized by collaboration, lively discussions, experimentation, flexibility, and a bit of fun?

A company with strong employee morale will naturally experience lower staff turnover. The more uniquely positive their experience is on the team, the more loyal your employees will be. And this translates to significant savings in time and money.

Additionally, as employees find more satisfaction, the quality of their work increases. A more dynamic and collaborative environment yields better ideas and more novel solutions. This allows the company to improve outcomes for clients and customers. This kind of improvement doesn’t go unnoticed. A creative workforce that’s steeped in innovation will stay ahead of the competition. The end result is an improved bottom line.

What Barriers Keep Companies from Fostering this Sort of Culture?

The benefits speak for themselves. However, if the positives are indeed so clear, then why aren’t more companies reshaping their workplace environments accordingly? There are still real barriers that discourage organizations from moving towards a more creative and innovative culture.

For one thing, change is not easy. For lots of companies, the existing work culture has been baked-in for years. In this case, it’ll take a concerted and thoughtful change management plan to bring people along from one set of norms to another.

If employees are not psychologically ready to make the leap, this could also be a barrier. Shifting to a culture of increased flexibility and collaboration requires vulnerability, and not all employees are ready for this. In short, employees may initially fear having a “bad idea” or facing ridicule for sharing too much. These obstacles must be addressed in order to help employees feel safe enough to get on board.

On a company-wide level, the investment of time and resources in a culture-change initiative can feel like a hurdle. After all, as the old adage states, “time is money” in business. Not all companies feel comfortable devoting that time. This can cause them to put efficiency first instead of focusing on ensuring long-term success. In addition to that, the fear of failure is very real, and companies often prefer to keep the status quo instead of venturing into unproven territory.

These barriers are real concerns that have to be considered. Only by understanding these potential roadblocks can a leader strategize about how to work around them.

Tips for Fostering More Creativity and Innovation

Ok, so what can you do to cultivate more creativity and innovation in your workplace? Here are some strategies you can begin implementing today.