We’re not just rethinking where and how we work, we’re also having to work smarter, faster, and more efficiently. There’s no doubt that efficiency can come from technology, AI and process reengineering, but true progress also requires innovation.
Unlocking innovation and bringing together diversity of thought requires a level of engagement and alignment that’s still aspirational for most businesses. But that alignment could come faster if organisations start to think more creatively.
Creativity can be the ticket to innovation and problem solving, but it can also be the difference in truly inspiring and engaging your people in a way that is meaningful and prompts action.
Here are two things to think about when it comes to engaging, and aligning your people so they, and in turn your business, can really thrive.
1. Think like a designer
Creativity isn’t just about aesthetics – it’s about thinking differently, and often a creative process can help that.
To perform at their best, employees require space and time for creative thinking. It won’t just happen. Businesses need to be intentional about creating experiences that enable people to look at things from different perspectives, get under the skin of their customer needs, or solve challenges.
Design thinking is an iterative process that’s used to understand the target audience, challenge assumptions, redefine and explore problems, and create solutions. It’s used every day by the creative industry and is increasingly used by corporates to help them think differently about everything from product development to addressing customer problems.
It can also be used by companies to help their people explore strategy and goals, and identify their role in driving change and making a difference.
Outlining the goal and giving your people a creative process to help them develop solutions enables a couple of things. It’ll allow your people to think creatively about how you get from where you are today, to where you want to be.Bringing together the broad range of perspectives will, without a doubt, unearth innovation.
But it’ll also allow your people to take ownership and accountability for the journey you are on. The collective understanding of your ambitions and ability to shape the ‘how’ is a game changer in terms of engagement and alignment.
2. Unlock your creative storytelling
The best stories are authentic and human. They draw their audiences in and take them on a journey of discovery.
But to unlock the stories that will resonate with your people you need to really understand them, be targeted, creative and multi-layered in your approach. One story will not resonate with everyone. Think about books, not everyone likes a thriller or romantic novel.
So, if you want your people to connect with your corporate story, you need to start to get creative about how you bring it to life. To get that right you need to get under the skin of what makes your people tick and create an overall narrative that has multiple story lines which are targeted to different populations within your business.
People want to make their mark at the organisations they work for. So, they need to be given autonomy and accountability for working out how they achieve the company’s goals and their own, and live the purpose. To do that successfully you need to enable an environment where creativity and experimentation are the norm, and failures and learnings are openly discussed and learnt from.
If you're looking for different ways to unlock creativity within your business, drive growth, alignment or spark innovation get in touch at hello@unitedcultureco.com.
