How do creativity and innovation resonate with you?
As someone with an undergraduate degree in fine arts, creativity resonates deeply with me. The ability to express oneself creatively through visual art, dance, theater, music, writing, innovation – or other ways – is intrinsic to what makes us human.
Why is it important to promote creativity and innovation in the workplace?
We are not machines; thinking that we should turn off part of our brains when we’re in the workplace does a disservice not only to ourselves, but also to the work we do. Encouraging creativity will lead to innovation, which leads to improvements not only to the bottom line, but also to the product or service being created.
How can we encourage our peers/teams to embrace new ideas/ways of thinking? How do you set an example of this for your teams?
The adage that the best “eureka!” ideas come when you’re in the shower is because your brain is free at that moment to think creatively. One way we can encourage our peers and teams to embrace new ways of thinking is to take time during the day to sit or walk outside and look at something green (this has been shown to boost creativity and lower stress). Another way to encourage new ideas is through intentionally learning about an area outside of the industry; I really enjoy listening to the Freakonomics Radio or Hidden Brain podcasts – they always teach me something new and it sparks creative thinking!