Stagnation and a lack of inspiration have been known to happen in the workplace from time to time. While it’s great to have a productive staff, if there is no creativity and innovation happening, your business will ultimately fail. If your staff has been feeling a bit unimaginative, take some time to harness their creative potential by applying a few new tactics into the office.
Inject some color. Liven up the place with splashes of color such as a new coat of paint as an accent wall or new artwork. Create an ambience with dim lighting by incorporating a dimmer feature or the strategic use of lamps. Dimmer lighting not only aids those tired overworked eyes, but according to a study from the Journal of Environmental Psychology, dim illumination improves creative performance. “Darkness elicits a feeling of being free from constraints and triggers a risky, explorative processing style.”
Make failure ok. Cultivate a safe environment that allows for your employees to take risks and show off their originality. To be completely honest, not every idea is going to be gold – let’s just be real – but make sure lines of communication are open. Be receptive. Have brainstorming sessions and allow outside-the-box thinking. Make your team feel comfortable with shooting out ideas without fear of criticism.
Hot Desking. The idea of freeing yourselves from the shackles of your desk or cubicle has really begun to take root. The point of Hot Desking is to allow employees the option to sit wherever they want in the office, allowing for new environments to get the creative juices flowing which ultimately leads to increased collaboration and efficiency. Sit on a couch and work? Sure. Take a desk over in the Advertising department for the day? Why not?! While this may not necessarily work for every employee, giving staff the option to choose his or her day-to-day workspace can make a world of difference to some. Here are a few examples of how other offices implemented this new trend.
Take advantage of summer. Another way to break free of a stale office atmosphere is by conducting meetings in a variety of settings. It’s officially July! Go for a walk with your team, meet at a nearby café, have field trips that still cover the content of your team meeting while allowing everyone a breath of fresh air. New settings can beget new ideas – which could truly take your brand to the next level.
Letting your team know that you value their minds and one-of-a-kind viewpoints is crucial. Coax out the creativity. Provide them with space and freedom to think for themselves and develop an office culture that breeds and rewards the imaginative flow of consciousness. You never know what you could inspire.