Nowadays, with the constant change and evolution of everything around us, creativity and innovation stands as two major pillars of any company. These two elements, often confused with each other, can make the difference and keep your business growing. This is why more and more companies are betting on boosting these two soft skills in their employees.
At La Lonja de la Innovación we are aware of the importance creativity has in any company, that is why our team of mentors tries to promote it in the accelerated startups. And so that you can also promote it in your team, in this post we bring you some pieces of advice.
Creativity and innovation
Many people believe that creativity and innovation are synonyms and, although they are two concepts that go hand in hand, they are not the same. On one hand, creativity is the ability people have to generate new and original ideas, while innovation is bringing those ideas to reality. That is, to implement them and take action. They work together and both act as a fuel that makes the company progress properly.
It is evident that at the beginning of an entrepreneurial project you must be creative to come up with a different business idea that can have a future. Everyone is aware of the important role creativity plays in that first stage. However, this must not be left behind once your company launches, because it is essential to keep it afloat.
But why are these skills so important? First of all, they are two key elements when it comes to differentiating from the competition in an increasingly saturated market. Coming up with creative ideas allows you to offer different solutions with an added value that the rest of the companies don't have. On the other hand, they bring benefits such as adapting to change, increasing brand recognition, boosting teamwork and improving communication.
How to promote creativity
All of the above evidences the importance creativity and innovation have in a company. Now we bring you some pieces of advice that helps to promote them in your team:
- Environment of trust. Employees should feel free to express their ideas without being judged by anyone. Open communication and active listening must be encouraged, and this is achieved through an environment of trust, collaboration and respect.
- Diversity in the team. Finding the people who will bring your team to life is a fundamental step. When doing it, your main objective should be to form a diverse team. Look for people with different profiles, skills, backgrounds, experiences, etc. This way, when everyone comes together each one will bring a different perspective and ideas. It is this heterogeneity that can lead to unique and revolutionary solutions.
- Leave room for the creative impulse. Your employees can’t come up with creative ideas if they don’t have time for that. That’s why it is interesting to leave part of the day to work on these skills and hold meetings where ideas can be exchanged. Challenge your employees to think out of the box and explore new perspectives, stimulate their creativity and have everyone share their ideas with the rest of the members in a space where they feel safe and respected.
- Offer training on creativity and innovation. Everyone is creative, it is not a skill that you can have or not, it is innate to all of us. However, some people have their creativity more developed than others. Therefore, offering training to employees to improve these soft skills can be a great option to encourage them in your company.
- Welcoming environment. The workplace also influences these skills. You must achieve a cozy and illuminated environment that inspires and welcomes, a space where your employees can feel comfortable, since the workplace plays a crucial role in creativity. These spaces must motivate, relax and stimulate the senses.
If until now you hadn't thought about the importance that these skills can have in your company, it is time to put them into practice and to find new ideas.