How to promote creativity in the workplace for better productivity and higher quality work
With technology continually evolving new ways to attract our attention, being creative in a business environment helps keep business competitive. Encouraging creativity internally not only boosts morale but also inspires employees to discover innovative ways to approach projects and roadblocks—and even scale company growth. To keep your business bright and thriving, here are five tips and tricks on how to actively increase creativity in the workplace.
5 Tips to Inspire Creativity in the Workplace
- Schedule collaborative team brainstorms. Some projects require a little extra innovation, for instance, when a company does a full branding refresh or brings on a new client. To tackle these, get the whole team together for a brainstorming session where everyone can contribute.
- Plan a creative day. Pulling the team out of the day-to-day hustle and bustle of the job helps keep them on their creative toes. At Yakkety Yak, we schedule creative days that start with an activity, such as arts and crafts, journaling or cooking, and end with a brainstorming session. Quarterly, the company comes together to dedicate half a day to a creative project. Allotting these days to jumpstart new ideas helps refresh our creative energies and leads to a more productive week.
- Put all ideas on the table—even the ones you think are too out-there. Even the most out-of-the-box ideas can lead to a solid project plan. And who knows? An idea you’re not so sure about could inspire someone else on your team.
- Listen to what everyone is saying—and not saying. Encourage and ask questions at every opportunity during a brainstorm or when discussing a project. If the team is moving quickly to meet a deadline, the first idea isn’t always the right one but may be a safe option just to get to the finish line. By asking questions and digging deeper, you can push the team beyond their comfort zone and land on an even better option.
- Connect the dots. Sometimes the best idea isn’t one idea but a combination of several. If your team likes more than one proposed option, see if you can connect them through a structured plan.
3 Ways to Increase Daily Creativity in the Workplace:
Creative processes change all the time and vary depending on the task. One person may find that having a jam session or dancing off some excess energy helps them overcome a block. Another may feel refreshed and ready to tackle a project after taking a moment to scroll through their Instagram feed. The goal is to find what motivates each individual to get through a task in the most efficient way possible—even if that means actively taking a break. The Yak Pak believes in sharpening the saw, i.e. taking a break, a breather or a step back to come back better than ever.
These three simple actions help you pass over a creative roadblock:
- Read. Keep up with the latest and greatest in whatever topics you’re most interested in. This will keep your mind sharp and your thoughts churning!
- Chat with your coworkers about the things that excite you. The exchange of ideas and information may be exactly what’s needed in your next brainstorm.
- Rest. Creative blocks are real! If it’s not working, it’s not working. Don’t force yourself through a project—just take a break, clear your mind and schedule a different time to come back to it with fresh eyes and more focus.
A final creative cheat code: Learn and label your optimal work hours to maximize your time. For example, if you’re most creative and productive from the beginning of the day to noon and more effective at completing administrative tasks from noon to the end of the day, work with that. Limit morning meetings so you can focus on creative projects and save email answering for the afternoon.
Promoting creativity in the workplace has helped Yakkety Yak stick to our core values and heighten the quality of our work. We would love to brainstorm ideas for your next marketing campaign. Get in touch to put our team of innovators at your fingertips.
