What do you do if your team needs a boost of creative thinking?

To keep creatives engaged, we would take breaks during office hours for team bonding. My team responded well to a go-cart outing, injected excitement and friendly competition, recharging us after months of creative grind. As leaders, it's vital to address any doubts about long hours, emphasizing emotional connection and our investment in them as individuals. The next day, I would hold a fun brainstorming session, productive yet refreshing. It's crucial to show we care about them beyond just work goals and want to foster their creativity.

The first step I would take is to change their perspective and break the vicious cycle of conventional thinking. Sometimes, giving team members space to think - a chance to recharge their minds and come back with new ideas will make them feel more involved. I would also stress bringing diverse people together for the project and setting a level field for everyone to throw in their thoughts and perspectives. You never know which might spark those wild, out-of-the-box ideas that turn heads. Additionally, breaking the hierarchy, and ensuring the vibe in the workspace is buzzing with energy, free from any roadblocks is crucial. That might be the secret sauce to sparking creativity, boosting productivity, and igniting their passion.

Get them out of the office. I find that the best ideas come from doing autonomous tasks. I’d say get them out of the office doing something completely unrelated to the work. Hiking, cycling, boating on a lake, anything that allows their mind to wander! If they’re naturally creative people you don’t need to force it. Even Einstein used to wander around the grounds of Princeton when stuck and in need of inspiration.

I find it helpful to step away from the digital world. We are so conditioned to look for inspiration online but by it's very nature if it's online that's because someone else "discovered it" first. Go to used book stores, browse old magazines, pay attention to nature or just the rhythms and designs that are literally all over an urban landscape.

Once at work, we decided to go to an amusement park together. It was wonderful to see the adrenaline rush of designers, community managers, copywriters, etc. Learning about history is also a good start, and there's always a good museum nearby. I also advise doing things that break stereotypes. The same actions will always yield the same results, including when it comes to seeking inspiration.

Today you can also ask your favorite AI creative co-pilot to help you see additional options you may not of considered. You can ask AI to explain the idea like a persona or an opposing option to help you see the gaps or conversely overcome objection.

¿Existe algo más creativo que hacer un brainstorming con un compañero de trabajo que forme parte de un equipo totalmente diferente? Probad! Sacad ideas con alguien del equipo de ventas, o de RRHH. Ellos darán opiniones que no están cegadas y desde un punto de vista que puede ser el de un consumidor final de un producto. Es muy interesante y divertido.

Ask them to do completely different from what they doing and distract the mind. Suggest movies to watch, books to read Travel

I've implemented and run different initiatives to spark inspiration: - Build a team of people who are willing to think of activities you can run with or without budget in the office. Sometimes we went to galleries and art shows, we set up a zoom call for 1h every week where one person prepares a spotify list as DJ inspiring everyone with new artists and styles,... - For the management team, I've created a space to meet and discuss topics that are business related but conversations are sparked by having external professional invited to talk about their work, challenges and creative solutions to solve those challenges. It can be run in the office or as offsite. Offer some food and it will turn out a success.

A safe space starts by showing how imperfect you are yourself, especially if you're the leader of a team. Don't be afraid to tell stories where you've failed in the past, what you learned and how it made you a better person and/or professional. Laugh openly about it (usually those stories are great anecdotes, not in the moment they happened, but after a while).

I can't think of a specific story, but I think the flip side of safe spaces also matters. Sure, you want people to feel free to share their ideas, but you also need to allow civil, maybe even slightly blunt criticism. The Beatles didn't create their best work through pleasant agreement and encouragement.

Let each member of your team express themselves as they are, encourage honesty so that everything flows smoothly in your team. Involve them in decisions and in the possibilities of doing things in their own style. Allowing them to change the rules is permitted as long as it is for mutual benefit.

The go-to answers seem to favour retreats, team building and other ideas that cost money and or time. Of course these are all valid, when working for a well resourced company as I did at Facebook. These aren’t always realistic when working for a small business or startup. This is where building a discipline is important and this needs to be done as an individual and as a team. A morning run, dog walk, time away from a screen are great ways to process thoughts ahead of the working day before the chaos ensues. This will be different for everyone. Following an individual discipline with a quick team unstructured standup meeting allows people to start the day in a positive way sharing, honing ideas and having their voices heard.

Let staff think... put the pen and pencil away and let the creativity present itself. Give everyone time to let it happen. It always works!

Great ideas always arise outside the office; let's understand that. The office is only there to execute that idea and make it worthwhile. Creativity is stimulated outside the usual environment. Give your team different experiences.

As mentioned under section 6, there's a great opportunity in just blocking a big chunk of time (with the whole team) quite in advance. Previous experience has shown that a clearly communicated time box on your agenda helps each member to plan ahead, get prepared and be really focused on the task at hand: exploring individually, brainstorming together. My experience is that short meetings never gets you to the place of radical innovation. You usually run out of time with a sensation of not having reached your goal. Set aside half a day or full-day and you'll see how productive and satisfying this time will result in your and your team's performance and well-being.

Las ideas no surgen dando a un botón. Es un falso mito. Requiere tiempo, dedicación, apuntar ideas, escuchar opiniones y nutrirse de información externa para llegar a la meta: briefing_final_12_OK 😬 Ten paciencia para trabajar en cada paso hasta llegar a ella. Las ideas no nacen, se cocinan a fuego lento 😉

One day, I asked the designers to work on content, and the content managers to design. They swapped roles, and the outcome was positive in many aspects. Every mind is a wonderful universe.

Según mi experiencia personal y trabajando con en equipo, cuando nos sentimos saturadxs, recomiendo dejar el proyecto un rato, tomarse un respiro, caminar un poco y despejar la mente. De igual modo me gusta invitar a mi equipo a salirse de su zona de confort, cambiándoles de proyectos constantemente para que se reten a sí mismxs y continúen innovando y mejorando su trabajo.

Plan for non-essential creative challenges and treat them with the importance you treat “required” projects. Some ideas: Choose a random pop culture reference and design a series of posters or illustrations reinterpreted through your team's design style. Design a coloring book. Collaborate on a new typographic font. Great greeting cards for unusual holidays. One of my favorites: Pick a cause the team jointly agrees on and create designs for that cause (i.e., a series of posters with an environmental message). These can be displayed in the office or even turned into a local charity fundraiser. Choose a complex topic and research it as a team. Then, collaborate on creating a visually engaging infographic to explain the information.

As a people manager myself, I've been many times in the situation of being one or two steps ahead of a team member, before they express that "they want to work on something else". One thing that I have experienced is the ongoing task of being very well informed of what the regional or global vision for your business is about, be sensible to any kind of project opportunity or internal initiative that could fit with someone's both personal and professional interest. Frequent communication with your team members about their current challenges and interests (besides goal-setting or end of year conversations) while knowing their strengths and areas of improvement is your strategic tool. And don't shy away from proposing "stretch assignments".

Synergy. Once, we faced a surge in demand for designing landing page layouts. To manage this, I helped the team by organizing the page structure collaboratively with all involved. We made creative decisions and concessions together. Then, I partnered with a colleague on the actual construction of the project. I started from the end, and he from the beginning, and we worked towards the middle. After meeting in the middle to finalize the product, we could review each other's work. This method not only expedited the process but also enhanced the creative quality of our work by incorporating diverse perspectives and feedback throughout the development phase.

I had an amazing experience with my team when I switched from siloed work around product offering design (by vertical) to a group dynamic that let them share with their peers from other areas their ideas. This sparked not only meaningful conversations of giving each other constructive feedback on how to improve their own offering but helped them see how offerings from different verticals could become even more interesting to clients and, consequently, more valuable for the business. I had done this exercise during lockdown, and it became a quality time for the team, while we were all working remotely. Today you can easily run it in the office or during an offsite, with the plus of strengthen interpersonal bonds.

Some things I do with my teams to boost creative thinking: Leverage the power of Humor and Improv Exercises: Watch a stand-up comedy or invite an improv expert to conduct exercises, tapping into the creative power of humor. Collaborative Workshops on Problem-Reframing: Use different perspectives to unlock new ideas. Engage with resources like deckofbrilliance.com during group sessions. Inspiration Breaks: Encourage the team to seek inspiration from diverse activities, such as walks, art exhibits, or concerts. Use Analogies and Metaphors: Prompt your team to describe problems and solutions using analogies or metaphors, fostering unexpected insights.

Encourage and support pro bono work. You can’t go crazy or you just might go broke but let your people know it’s okay if they pursue passion projects and allow them to use internal resources to get things done. When I led a creative department I did not think this way. I viewed passion projects as nothing more than costly distraction. I was wrong.

Consider organizing a brainstorming session where team members are encouraged to share ideas without judgment. To set the stage, create an inspiring atmosphere with engaging visuals, music, or even a change of venue, such as a nearby park or creative coworking space. Incorporate techniques like mind mapping or role-playing to generate diverse perspectives. You can also invite an external guest speaker or industry expert to bring fresh insights and stimulate thought-provoking discussions. Additionally, encourage cross-functional collaboration by including team members from different departments, as this can lead to unique combinations of ideas.

Hire a freelancer. I can’t tell you the number of times I was personally contracted to add some “blue sky” thinking at various agencies. “If you could do anything under the sky, what would you do?” Many of the ideas I came up with never saw the light of day. However, clients like Microsoft wanted never-been-done before ideas in their presentation. agencies that stand out understand this. Many Teams get stuck in group think mentality. They sell things they know their client will buy and The work gets safe and stale. You need someone with a contrarian position who will challenge the status quo thinking. That person must have a strong personality, be willing to take the lead, and not be afraid of being unpopular.

RUN FOR BIG IDEAS. Aerobic exercise has been proven in studies to speed up simultaneous cognition (multitasking), while rigorous training can boost memory performance and creativity. So, invite team members to swap their sneakers for running shoes. Jogging in the nearby park will provide energy for office brainstorming.