Creativity and originality often go hand in hand. Coming up with new ideas can be challenging.
So how can organizations encourage employee creativity in the workplace? In this article, we will highlight a few techniques organizations are using to strengthen their teams and encourage creative thinking. We’ll also give you some ideas for gifts to inspire creativity.
Encourage breaks
Allowing breaks in the workplace has been shown to improve employees’ productivity, job satisfaction and creative thinking. Employees who have the freedom to casually think about the task at hand and come up with a creative solution typically demonstrate higher productivity. Some organizations have a “quiet room” for employees that is designated for short breaks.
What can team members do in these quiet rooms? Some simply sit quietly, read for pleasure or even knit. Others enjoy adult colouring books—an activity growing in popularity as a way to reduce stress. A stress-busting adult colouring book with pencils is a creative way to encourage screen breaks for employees to better focus, relax and reset.
Appeal to all 5 senses
Employees are more engaged when all five senses are stimulated. Sensory elements—colours, lighting, sounds, textures and smells—can help enhance the work environment and increase productivity. Creating a stimulating work environment and encouraging employees to personalize their workspace can trigger new ideas and inspire creative thinking.
Stimulate the senses with gifts to inspire creativity, like essential oils. Essential oils are known to provide a wide variety of benefits, including stress reduction, increased energy and improved overall well-being. You may even want to pick up an essential oil diffuser for each department or floor.
Adopt mindfulness meditation
The practice of meditation has been around for centuries. Mindfulness meditation is becoming an increasingly popular way to foster creativity in the workplace. Meditation can help improve productivity in the workplace by progressively relaxing the mind, reducing stress and lowering blood pressure. Google®, General Mills® and Apple® are among many leading firms that have introduced meditation and other mindfulness practices to their employees.
Provide employees with a list of meditation apps, along with a pair of headphones and a yoga mat. They’ll enjoy listening to guided meditation or music as a way to feel calm and balanced.
Foster team unity
Sometimes the best ideas come from a team. Giving your employees opportunities to get to know each other through team-building exercises can boost trust and, in turn, bring new ideas to life. Trust allows you to use humour in meetings—which science proves helps increase creativity.
These are just a few techniques organizations use to strengthen their teams and encourage creative thinking. Trying these tips and supporting your employees with various gifts to inspire creativity may prove to be a win-win for your company culture and employee morale. Plus, you’ll likely discover new and innovative ideas!