Stimulate Creativity and Learning
by Wendy Hearn

What does cultivating creativity add to the workplace and your business? The benefits are huge but are often underestimated by most people. Companies who wish to progress quickly and stay ahead need to stimulate creativity and learning among their employees. This goes beyond just being a desirable thing to do; it's imperative to the success of your business.

"In a two-year study for the Economic and Social Research Council, Professor Richard Scase of Kent University concluded that straitjacketed management attitudes were 'the major barrier to Britain becoming a high-performing creative economy'. Corporate Britain is still in the grip of low-trust, low-commitment, command-and-control management styles that kill innovation and creativity, says Scase" - Management Today, November, 2000. Lack of creativity costs companies their leading place in the market. It inhibits invention and innovation, which form the backbone of a thriving business. Companies which fail to develop a culture of creativity will soon find themselves left behind. People now realise that working for a company which cultivates creativity is much more rewarding and as employees are becoming more discerning in their choice of employers, this may be one factor they insist upon. Cultivating an environment of creativity allows you to get more out of your employees, instead of stifling their ideas or vision for the company. Creativity encourages them to ask questions and give feedback on how things can be improved or changed. It develops their desire for improvement and their risk-taking ability. It enables employees to enjoy the process and be rewarded for their efforts.

Creativity engenders new ideas, which lead to innovation. The critical part is to put these ideas into action. Coaching cultivates creativity and encourages people to act. It stretches employees to go beyond their usual way of going things, preventing them from becoming stuck in a rut. In today's economy it isn't enough to say you believe in creativity; you must prove it by putting it into practice.

Benefits for the company:

• Being at the forefront of your profession or industry
• New products, new services, new ways of doing things
• Flexibility to change
• The conversion of new ideas into actions
• New markets and improved processes
• Retained workforce
• Effective use of all resources available

When creativity is lacking in a company, the inevitable consequence is that employees rely on management for continuous direction and do not benefit from a structured system of feedback. Possibly there are no regular staff meetings to allow for sharing of ideas, or perhaps management don't use coaches to encourage their employees to reach their full potential.

Companies which don't encourage creativity are often unaware of what this is costing them. They may have no vision, mission or purpose which are well communicated to all their employees. Perhaps you've always operated your company this way, so you feel there's no need to change. However, the world economy is changing rapidly and you need to either keep up with this or get ahead of the game. A look at the chain of communication in a company gives a good idea of its creativity level. A structured system of feedback is necessary to implement ideas fully. Remember some of the best ideas, even money-savers, originate at the foot of the ladder.

What can companies do to cultivate creativity? A combination of things are needed. Time and space to develop ideas, a structure for those ideas to be acted upon, full two-way communication throughout the company, regular meetings, employees being heard, coaching for individual employees, teams and management. Creativity, like coaching, is a springboard for action and this is where the real results lie, not just by talking.