Do You Have Time For Creativity?

Do you feel your employees are creative? Do you feel you are creative? Every person has the potential to be creative. It happens naturally in the right environment. Before we start, let’s provide a definition of ‘create’:

Create – to bring into existence; to invest with a new form, office, or rank; to produce or bring about by a course of action or behavior. To produce through imaginative skill; to make or bring into existence something new.

Most people resist the notion that they are creative. Mainly because we have a limited definition of creativity. Artists, musicians, writers, dancers are all creative. An employee doing administrative work is not creative. Yet, every situation we are in affords us the opportunity to create.

Many managers feel their employees resist taking initiative and wait for the manager to direct them. Do you feel that way?

Managers feel they need to direct employees in order to get the work done. Is this true? Yes and No. The ‘yes’ is when managing employees your responsibility is to provide direction for them. The ‘no’ is once you have provided direction allow them to create the solutions to complete the work. They provide the details on how they would complete the work and take ownership of their work. They can seek feedback from you. How does that thought sit with you?

If your concern is you will lose control and they will create solutions that will add havoc to your business, don’t worry about that. You always have the ability to manage what employees are doing. What you are trying to do is create a working environment that employees want to contribute. Your intention here as a manager is to provide an environment that supports creativity. One way to do this is to ask yourself ‘how can I see this situation differently?’

What if you were to assume that all employees want to create, can create and are willing to take responsibility? Just play with me now…don’t react with all your different examples on how employees just don’t want to step up to the plate and participate at a higher level. I know that employees can act that way. For now, let’s put those reactions aside and try to create a different scenario for yourself.

Just sit with the thought that all employees want to create. Can you hold on to that thought long enough, to start brainstorming on ways that you could provide a work environment for them to become creative. What would that environment look like for you? What could you accomplish in such an environment? Here is where your potential to create surfaces.

As a manager, you have choices on how you interact with your employees. You decide what type of environment to create for your employees. Employees want to create. It makes their time at work enjoyable and they feel they are contributing.

Is there time within the workday or week for employees to come together to brainstorm? Do your employees feel safe coming to you with ideas? Take the time to think about your current work environment and how your employees express their creativity.

Even if your employees are resistant to change, or about taking responsibility and look to you for the answers, you can still take the time to reflect on the situation differently. Build in some small way for your employees to be creative.

Assume that all people want to express their creativity…no matter what they are doing. Affirm their ability, as well as your own, to be creative. It’s an ongoing effort, showing up each day with the intention to create an environment that allows all individuals to be creative, no matter what they are doing.

How do your team members contribute creatively to the business? Share with the rest of this community.

Pat

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Books

Creating with Others: The Practice of Imagination in Life, Art, and the Workplace by Shaun Mcniff. The author offers ideas around creating an environment that nurtures creative thinking.

Fired Up or Burned Out: How to Reignite Your Team’s Passion, Creativity, and Productivity

by Michael L. Stallard (Author), Carolyn Dewing-Hommes (Contributor), Jason Pankau (Contributor)

Think about how you inspire your team member’s passion, creativity for the overall goal of increasing productivity within your business. Do you know how to do this? Why not take the time to read a book that offers different perception as well as tools to generate the creativity within your teams.

The Houdini Solution by Ernie Schenck

The author focuses on creating ideas while in the box. A different approach to the everyday belief that we need to create outside of the box. An interesting perception with great ideas.