The vital side of Creativity in Today's Corporate Environment

Let's be honest creativity has emerged as a crucial asset for organizations striving to stay competitive and innovative. Like it is, right? It also gives humongous pressure on employees to be more creative, and especially, more initiative at work. Where are the days when your predictable approach to business and Your work were enough to thrive? In order to navigate the complexities of the modern corporate environment successfully, companies need to nurture creativity in their workforce. But where to start?

The prons:

Encouragement. Be brave! I was lucky enough that in my job experience, I had only twice really pressured delivery on being creative non-stop. Even though I do understand that creativity is the foundation of innovation.

I totally get how companies are pressured to adapt quite fast and create unique solutions., while the market is shifting. No one is waiting for you. So, encouraging creative thinking allows employees to generate fresh ideas, develop innovative products, services, etc.

In other words, a company that is creative is probably more adaptable to market changes and reacts more calmly.

Problem Solving and Adaptability: As mentioned above adaptability is a second name for creativity. It requires out-of-the-box thinking. Would You agree that 'out-of-the-box' sometimes drives us crazy? .... Though I do agree that creativity equips employees with the ability to approach problems from various angles, think critically, and develop unconventional solutions.

A creative mindset fosters resilience and enables organisations to overcome obstacles effectively. Though what does it mean to have a creative mindset when You are pressured to deliver numbers?

This is why I always repeat in the workshops for students that experience You can train and learn but Your adaptability - the most valued skill you will ever need at this moment - and for that You need nurture Your creativity.

So what should You do with Your employees? First of all, sad news BUT invest. Sometimes it might be just Your time or also financial investment. Nurturing creativity in the workplace builds employee engagement and, if it is done correctly - job satisfaction. When people are encouraged to bring their unique perspectives and ideas, they feel valued and motivated.

Creativity taps into employee's empowerment, which gets them to contribute meaningfully to their work. Engaged employees are more likely to be productive, loyal, and invested in the success of the company. You see - You Invest - and it goes back!

But as mentioned it also means that, as an Employer, you need to find a way to help employees who are struggling with a creative mindset. It's not only about the lead it is also about how much time you invest to grow your employee's personal and professional skills.

Future-Proofing the Organisation: The rapidly evolving digital world demands organisations to adapt and innovate continuously. Creativity plays a pivotal role in future-proofing businesses by nurturing a culture of experimentation and continuous learning. It's not an easy road, especially in tradiotional companies or those who are pivoting their intercultural strategies. It seems that companies that prioritise creativity are better positioned to adapt to emerging trends, technologies, and market shifts. By encouraging employees to embrace change and think creatively.

One mistake I noticed while working with companies, is that sometimes we push so much to adapt to technologies that it takes a lot of time to actually run an organisation. Make sure that the tools You are giving ARE needed before you fully implement them in companies daily life routine.

Though to all the pros there are cons that involve creativity pressure in the workplace.

This is the hard reality of Corporate Environment changes. We ask so much from employees that we forget we need to give the same.

Welcome to the burnout land! When employees are constantly under pressure to be creative, it can lead to increased stress levels and the risk of burnout. The expectation to generate innovative ideas on demand can be mentally exhausting, particularly for individuals who may not naturally thrive in creative roles. I will be honest, I thrive in creative tasks. Give me a pen and I will create the whole campaign about it, posters, and storyline. But even I got burnout. That was because of the leadership I was under. Everything was changing so fast and I always heard the same that it's crucial to do because if we are not trying we are going down. So it was not only that I needed to lead project development and implementation, I was also responsible for the failure. And we did. Not because of me, but because the whole team had the same pressure. So all problems were just growing and there was no time to reflect on the problem and get into a solution.

The relentless pursuit of creativity can create an environment where employees feel overwhelmed and constantly on edge.

As an employee, I am afraid to fail. After my big journey of burnout, I developed a fear of failure. I also noticed that other team members took a role of safe play rather than suggesting anything new - because at the end of the day, we were the reasons for our company bankruptcy.

And that was the reality for a while. When creativity is treated as a mandatory requirement, employees may become reluctant to take risks or suggest ideas that they perceive as unconventional or potentially unsuccessful. This fear of failure stops experimentation and exploration of new and potentially valuable solutions.

It took me almost half of the year to gain my confidence back.

Eventually, with constant ideas and pressure our focus narrows on results: Creativity requires time, experimentation, and the freedom to explore different possibilities. It's crucial to have that breathing period of time. However, when employees are solely evaluated based on measurable outcomes, the process can be compromised. You do just to do, not to get it right. How do You help Your employees with their creativity? What tools do you use?