No organization can stay longer in this fast paced hypercompetitive world with a mediocre product and service. There are always plenty in the race who offers more or less similar type of services with much affordable cost and desperately wait for the arrival of their ‘good times’.
The one thing thus any organization needs to do in order to stay relevant in the race ‘is an environment and actions that can boost creativity’ at workplace. Only the creative thought process has the potential to boost innovation which in turn assists companies in crafting alluring products for which people can die for. Thus, we are highlighting few methods which can augment nurturing creativity within an organization.
Stimulating Seating Arrangement:
Does a big office which hires diverse individuals with unique talents provide enough opportunities to share idea among colleagues? May be not, most of the employees if not encouraged, hesitate to mingle among most of their co-workers. Since most believe in completing their task and go home while living under the company of few likeminded individuals.
While, bonhomie between compatible persons are good but it limits the creative thought process in any individual. But when a person starts living or working in the close surroundings of dis-similar but skilled peoples, probabilities of learning new things get high. It can make transformational changes in one’s thought process and personality. Since surrounding affects and makes a deep impression on human soul, more you get involved in a company of talented individuals with diverse mindset, more will be your chances to get inspire and grow the innovative instinct in yourself.
Liking, disliking, way of doing work, techniques to solve a similar problem with various methods, varied personalities traits, and more a person can learn from other. But what is the solution? Are the employees going to make friendship with all other dissimilar personnel? Chances of such things to happen voluntarily on large scale seems impossible but if the top management of company decides on rearranging seating arrangement on a periodic basis then it can truly turnout as a gift not only for the organization but for the individual as well. For example, if product engineer who knows all the nitty-gritty of company’s product sits with a customer care executive who many times faces customers wraths for all the shortcomings of the products then it gives vital exposure to product engineer for understanding the shortcomings of company’s product at a very minute level which ultimately help company in crafting a much better version of that product in near future that too as per client’s needs.
Similarly, if sales executives sit with customer care executives, it assists them to pitch the product on all the positive aspects in future sales meetings which a customer genuinely likes. But the first thing needed to accomplish this is a “rotational seating arrangement on periodic basis” among all employees that too at a cross departmental level. Ultimately, when thoughts flow, ideas nourish, and when ideas nurture, creative thought process takes a boost.
Offer Time, Let them ‘Fail’ and Reward the Risk Taker
Every employee has some sort of hidden talent. Each employee comes from a diverse community, have different economic strata, different linguistic identity and more which makes them unique in their own sense. Employees also have different types of schooling; upbringing, and culture, but one common thread which assembles all of them in a single line, is their unique and individual “TALENT”. But are their talent got notified?
Most employees even after having some thoughts, idea and even a technique that can incrementally contribute in solving some of the complex problems does not openly come forward. The fear of failure and the anxiety of ‘what others would say’ if it did not work properly, never allow their idea to become a reality. It is thus the job of a manager to let ideas’ flourish. No one knows whose idea will work better; even a junior sub-ordinate can come up with a much more innovative and enthralling idea than their seniors. Contention here is: will it work? Managers have to understand one truth that a great idea does not create ‘on-demand’. Employees needs time to nurture it and when it’s ready, managers have to show empathy if their Idea ‘FAIL’ rather than expressing wrath.
The right messaging help promoting a culture that celebrates failures by recognizing that each one offers a lesson that can help move the organization in upward trajectory. For example, the technology industry often weeds out unsuccessful ideas through what it calls “beta testing.” The messaging behind the term is brilliant; it lets creative thinkers know their ideas will be given a shot and that they won’t be stigmatized. This gesture is definitely not easy for any manager but expressing this at the times of failures will encourage their teammates and that will only turn fruitful in longer run.
Despite having risk if an employee who is talented and have a good track record comes up with an innovative idea, the first and the most common problem such employees face are the resistance and ignorance from their own team and management. Sometimes it extends into creating a mockery scene as well. Management thus have to take cognizance of the fact that if an employee is putting their prestige on risk, which every employee values the most, then there should be some value in employees idea. Management thus needs to take some counter measure to promote such traditions, of taking risk. If the management offers financial incentives or special recognitions in terms of awards to an employee when it comes with a realistic and innovative idea then true innovation will sprout inside the organization and employees can explore their true potential since: life is not about finding yourself, it is about creating yourself.
Creativity Encourages Innovation, Innovation Triggers Revolution
