Creativity is an extremely important factor for businesses, since, among other things, creativity is responsible for making the company improve its method of operations and, consequently, reach a higher level.
However, to become more creative, it is essential for leaders to be able to implement this culture of innovation within the corporate environment, influencing and directing the teams towards this goal.
Knowing the importance of this topic, in this post, we will talk about creativity in companies, as well as how to stimulate the creative and innovative potential in an effective way.
What is Creativity in Companies?
Basically, creativity is the ability that an individual has to create and invent original ideas, thought out in a unique and singular way.
As we know, due to strong competition in all sectors of the economy, it is essential for institutions to achieve some kind of competitive advantage in order to attract more customers.
That said, creativity in companies is extremely important for new ideas to emerge frequently, stimulating leaders and their teams to think differently and seek new solutions on a daily basis.
By encouraging your teams to think of unconventional methods and processes, a disruptive environment is created in your company, where sometimes employees begin to apply their entrepreneurial skills within the company (intrapreneurship), thus collaborating with the increase in revenue.
What is the Relationship between Innovation and Creativity?
Creativity and innovation in companies go hand in hand, one being a result of the other. Thus, in one side we have creativity, responsible for bringing new ideas in order to improve and refine processes, on the other side we have innovation, responsible for putting into practice everything that was thought during the creative process.
Thus, it is essential that these two concepts are part of the routine of everyone who works in the company. Therefore it will be possible to explore new ideas and sustain the competitiveness and wealth generation of your company.
How Do You Stimulate Creativity in Companies?
Now that you understand the importance of creativity and innovation in companies, check out some steps to help you stimulate these two concepts within your organization:
Give Your Employees Autonomy
It is very common to see companies with defined processes that do not allow room for new ideas. However, this kind of behavior goes completely against innovation, since employees have no autonomy to try something different.
Therefore, try to give your team the freedom to put into practice solutions that can optimize the processes developed in the company and keep the teams integrated. Thus, creativity and innovation are no longer mere concepts and start to take over the work environment, causing more and more ideas to emerge.
Approach Your Team in a Different Way
To encourage creativity in companies, try to change the way your employees are approached. In other words, by discussing ideas in a different and less conventional way, you are making room for your employees not to be afraid to make their suggestions and points of view explicit. There are innovation management software programs available for free such as Teams Ideas, and this provides a quick-start structure and a way for employees to share their thoughts without the fear of being judged.
Propose Challenges
An excellent tip to encourage creativity in companies is to propose challenges to employees, forcing them out of their comfort zone. The concepts of creativity and innovation will remain only in the theoretical part if you, as a manager, do not make your team think “out of the box”.
Finally, it is worth reinforcing that every effort needs to be considered. Thus, showing that every idea is welcome and, above all, valued, is also part of the process.
Provide Periodic Feedback
Tell your employees what they are doing right but also what they could do better, so that they can correct these mistakes and develop professionally. Coming up with new insights and disruptive ideas is not an easy task, so having the right direction from the team leaders is very important. This way you can also keep your team motivated.
4 Examples of Companies that Promote Creativity and Innovation
As discussed in the text, creativity in companies is a determining factor for their growth and scalability. So, for you to feel even more inspired to create and innovate, we have separated 4 companies that usually take these two concepts very seriously. Check them out:
Amazon
One of Amazon’s great ideas, responsible for the emergence of new ideas related to its marketplace, is called “working backward”. Basically, this initiative has as its main objective to encourage employees to foster new ideas.
In addition to the conception of the idea, the initiative promotes the plan in the press and to the consumer. This way, the impact can be analyzed in the various areas of the business.
Natura
When we talk about creativity in companies, Natura is certainly a great example. This is because, in 2014, the company launched the Natura Startups Program, which promoted the emergence of solutions to customer demands. This program brought many ideas to Natura and several startups were favored by the initiative.
Magazine Luiza
A great example is Magazine Luiza’s initiative to encourage creativity and innovation, Luizalabs. In short, it is the company’s innovation lab, launched in 2012. In this way, Magazine Luiza is always keeping an eye on market trends, creating various innovative products.
Nubank
Founded in 2013, Nubank has become a sensation among Brazilians, besides bringing a lot of creativity and innovation to the financial market.
So, if the subject is creativity in business, Nubank could not be left out, since, among other improvements, its ideas brought reduced fees to customers and the use of the account by app. In fact, it was one of the businesses that revolutionized this market in Brazil.
If you enjoyed reading this, don’t forget to leave your opinion in the comments section below, and keep following Prosperi’s blog!