Creativity at Work

New ideas help businesses stay ahead of competitors. Therefore,

creating an environment which allows creativity to fl ourish is essential.

It does not mean that you need to fi ll your offi ce with wild eccentrics,

but you will have to keep an open mind and welcome change.

Innovation does not necessarily always come in the form of ground-

breaking products. It can also be found in new ways of running the

business itself, such as the better management of workloads or

different ways of relating to customers. Nor is creativity limited only

to the wildest ideas; it may simply be a new twist on an old way of

working.

Research shows that the benefits of creativity are not limited to

innovation – creative companies tend to have happier, more productive

employees, a lower staff turnover and are increased fl exibility.

This helpsheet is aimed at giving you the advice you need to set your

business on the path to becoming an innovative organisation.

“ Insanity is trying the same thing again and again and expecting a different result”

Albert Einstein, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics (1879-1955)

“ Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower”

Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple (born 1955)

“ Creativity often consists of merely turning up what is already there. Did you know that right and left shoes were thought up only a little more than a century ago?”

Bernice Fitz-Gibbon, retail advertising pioneer (1894-1982)

Creativity at Work 1Workforce Development Specialists ...Increasing Profits, Performance and Reducing Sickness AbsenceW. www.fullyfocusedsolutions.co.uk

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Barriers to creativity

The main barrier to creative thinking is the belief that you do

not have enough time to engage in it. In reality the smallest

of changes can have a huge impact on your business and you

can do as much or as little as you have time for.

In addition, it is vital to watch out for the fear of failure that

often comes with suggesting ideas. If a person is worried

about having their ideas shot down when they put them

forward then they are unlikely to do so. One way to avoid this

is to think carefully about whom you invite to brainstorming

sessions – avoid aggressive employees who are likely to

reject suggestions before they are fully formed.

Similarly, be careful not to brand any notion as a ‘bad idea’.

There are no right or wrong answers in the creative process

and any plan can be altered to become more practical.

Employees may be nervous about being creative at first,

but with some encouragement they will fi nd that innovation

begins to come naturally.

Never assume who is and is not creative. The most

imaginative people are not necessarily going to be found at

management level. Make sure that you give everybody the

chance to give some input – you never know who ideas will

come from.

Your environment also plays a major role in encouraging

or discouraging creativ i t y. Something as s imple as

decorating the offi ce can make all the difference. Conversely

a predictable, dreary environment will have the opposite

effect.

Finally, physical discomfort such as tiredness or thirst will

distract you from the task in hand. Look after yourself and

make sure that you drink enough water and try to get the

right amount of sleep.

Creativity at Work 2

Becoming more creative

Encouraging creativity in the workplace

Everyone has a spark of creativity inside them; the trick is

knowing how to bring it to life.

• If you take part in an imaginative activity outside of work,

such as cooking, drawing or dancing, then try and put a

little extra time into it. Maybe take up something new to

learn how to be creative in different ways.

• Broaden your horizons by buying a magazine or looking at

a specialist website that you would not normally read.

• Relax by reading a book, listening to music or having a

massage – being stressed makes it harder to use your

imagination.

Creativity cannot be forced, it can only come spontaneously.

There are, however, many ways to inspire creativity in your

employees.

• Stick up sheets of paper on walls, where people can write

their ideas, and organise regular brainstorming sessions.

Even if there is no specific problem to be tackled, you

can ask your employees to come up with a wish-list of

improvements.

• Communication between departments is also essential.

This does not have to happen in a formal meeting ;

sometimes a quick chat around a desk or water-cooler

can turn out to be far more productive. At the BBC World

Service, for example, some brainstorming meetings are

held in the lunchroom in order to make them more relaxed.

• For managers, it is crucial to give employees some control

over the way in which they undertake their everyday tasks.

People cannot be innovative if they feel that they are being

constantly monitored.

• Put some fun into your workplace – people who enjoy

where they work will be more stimulated. You do not

have to go overboard, but create an air of spontaneity.

In a competitive “us and them” environment people will

concentrate only on the struggle against competitors and

inspiration will be stifl ed.

• Enjoy yourself – if creativity feels like a chore you are not

going about it in the right way.

• Spend about five minutes each day sitting down and

writing whatever comes to mind. This is a good way of

getting used to using the right-hand side of your brain,

which deals with the more imaginative aspects of life, such

as colour and music.

• When presented with a problem try and think of more than

one way of solving it. Get a notebook to jot down all your

ideas in.

Creativity at Work 3

The process of creativity

Running a creative workshop

Idea generation exercisesSpider diagrams

• Split into small groups of no more than four or fi ve people.

• Provide each group with a sheet of paper and some

coloured pens.

• Write your challenge in the middle of the sheet.

• Think of solutions and for each one draw a line leading

from it to the centre. Then draw more off your original

ideas as they lead to new ones.

Superman

• In small groups, think about your challenge and imagine

what you would do to solve it were you superman and

could do literally anything, with unlimited amounts of

money and time.

• Write down your ideas and once you have a list of about

ten, think about how you would apply them to the real

world. With some changes to bring it around to reality, one

of those ideas could prove to be the solution.

Post-Its

• These are an ideal way to solve a complicated problem

which could have multiple solutions.

• In groups spend two or three minutes writing ideas on

Post-It notes how to solve the challenge you face, using

one Post-It per idea.

• Then step back and read the notes. Try and group the ideas

into themes.

• These themes will provide a detailed view of the different

solutions to your problem. As a group discuss the pros and

cons of each and work out which would be the best way

forward.

Creative ideas are formed in three stages. First, sit and think

about the problem in hand. Is there another way around it?

If there were no boundaries, how would you solve the issue?

Write down any ideas that spring to mind.

The next step is to relax and take time out from the issue. It

has been proven that sleeping on an idea is a key part of the

creative process. You will fi nd that ideas will come to you

when you least expect them. If you’re at work, even a short

walk will help to refresh your mind.

Once you have an idea in your mind, refi ne it. Have a think

about which aspects of it may need to be changed. Then

develop the concept by getting feedback from other people,

before setting some practical goals for putting your plan into

action.

Creative workshops can be a good way to ease employees

into using their imaginations. Remember to keep the

meetings relaxed and enjoyable – people work better when

they are having fun.

Introducing the workshop. Start by explaining what you

intend to do in the workshop and how you think it will benefi t

the participants. Identify a specific problem or challenge

that needs to be solved. Make sure that everyone is aware of

every aspect of the problem so that they can come up with

the best solution. Ask participants to switch off their mobile

phones so that they can focus completely on the task.

Icebreakers. As with exercising regular muscles, it is

necessary to start by warming up using an ice-breaker. This

will help to relax your employees, making it easier for them to

focus on using their imaginations. Once this is done then you

are free to start on generating ideas. One simple icebreaker

is to get everyone to introduce themselves one after the

other by giving one interesting fact about themselves or by

answering a question such as “which country would you

most like to visit” or “what’s your greatest achievement”?

Creativity at Work 4

Books

The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working: The Four

Forgotten Needs That Energize Great Performance

by Tony Schwartz, Catherine McCarthy, and Jean Gomes

The Artist’s Way at Work: Riding the Dragon

by Mark Bryan, Julia Cameron, and Catherine Allen

Brilliant Business Creativity: What the Best Business

Creatives Know, Do and Say

by Richard Hall

Running a creative workshop (cont’d)

Evaluation

At the end of the workshop ask everyone what they thought

or provide each attendee with an evaluation sheet. Ask them

what they expected to gain from the workshop, whether

or not it lived up to their expectations and how they would

improve it. Learn from any mistakes you made and adjust the

next session accordingly. Try not to use the same activities

every time – mix them around to make it less predictable.

Finally, keep up the momentum. Hold regular brainstorming

session and reap the rewards of new and creative thinking.

(This helpsheet is intended for informational purposes only and does not represent any form of clinical diagnosis. While every effort has been made to ensure that the content is accurate, relevant and current, Fully Focused Solutions accepts no liability for any errors or omissions contained herein. The list of books is provided for interest only and Fully Focused Solutions is not responsible for their availability, accuracy, or content).

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