Fostering Innovation: Encouraging Creative Thinking among Your Team
Wanjiru Muriithi
When Nashipae finished her computer science degree, she was sure that her heroic mission was to create a digital marketing tool that would directly compensate farmers for their labour, thereby replacing the current system of intermediaries and merchants. Nevertheless, Nashipae required employment to sustain herself. She was fortunate to secure employment., renowned for its innovative and supportive work environment.
The company maintained a psychologically safe environment by allowing team members to freely express their ideas, thoughts, and feelings without fear of ridicule or punishment. Furthermore, the company rewarded teamwork without suppressing dissent and conflict, recognized and valued creativity, and fostered open communication. Nashipae consistently achieved and surpassed her performance objectives. Her creative contributions not only resulted in the innovation of new software features that were highly beneficial to the company, but they also assured her she would pursue her heroic mission of creating a digital marketing tool for the rural agricultural community. Her enthusiasm and eagerness to go the extra mile showed how much she enjoyed and was invested in her work.
Nashipae’s story is an illustration of when creativity meets innovation. Creativity involves utilizing one's imagination to generate fresh and novel ideas. Creativity is essential for innovation and includes developing and implementing new ideas to improve a situation (Burkus, 2014). To innovate is to use the output of creativity to address challenges or enhance value. It requires a blend of imaginative thinking, analytical abilities, and the knack for executing fresh concepts effectively (Anthony, 2016). A psychologically safe environment fosters creativity and innovation by empowering individuals to freely share ideas, explore without fear of failure, and question the status quo (Shalley & Gilson, 2004).
Embracing creativity is critical for driving innovation, but an organization must build a culture that recognizes and encourages creative thought to avoid obstacles in its pursuit of innovation. However, Burkus, (2014) believes that focusing solely on creativity without a disciplined approach to innovation may result in unrealized ideas. Contrary to popular belief, the genesis of innovation is not wholly dependent on a single person's brilliance. On the contrary, it is most effective when practiced in a group context, when many different ideas and perspectives can mingle to produce unexpected results (Kaufman & Sternberg, 2010). Harmoniously attuned to innovation, a team becomes a dynamic force capable of reshaping industries and redefining what is possible (Burkus, 2014). As illustrated in Nashipae’s case, creating such a productive environment necessitates a careful balance of visionary leadership, a vibrant, innovative culture, and empowering individuals to reach their full potential.
The importance of leadership in fostering innovative teams cannot be overstated. Leaders play a crucial role in nurturing creative thinking, driving innovation, and guiding their teams toward revolutionary ideas and solutions. In addition, according to Mokhber et al. (2018), influential leaders should possess the ability to inspire their team members to think outside the box and question conventional norms, fostering a culture of innovation and forward-thinking. Moreover, effective leadership is a crucial factor in creating psychologically safe environments. Creating an atmosphere of psychological safety is critical in nurturing creativity and innovation. Psychological safety is the idea that people can freely be themselves without fear of negative consequences. The environment promotes open expression of diverse perspectives and encourages individuals to freely share their thoughts and opinions, regardless of their uniqueness or nonconformity. Timothy Clark presents a framework for psychological safety that consists of four stages and considers the natural development of human needs in social environments.
The four stages include assurance of safety in different forms of participation, including security that comes from a sense of belonging and reassurance as a learner, contributor, and challenger (Clark, 2020). An environment that values and appreciates individuals fosters a sense of belonging, which is crucial for creativity to thrive. The setting captures their imagination and shows their contribution in a manner that fulfills a need beyond themselves. Learners' safety is essential when assimilating new team members into the work environment. Such certainty facilitates the ease of asking questions without fear of being labelled ignorant, incompetent, or belligerent. It fosters an environment that allows for the expression of vulnerability and a continuous growth orientation. Contributor safety will enable people to share ideas freely, no matter how outrageous they may sound, without worrying about criticism, judgment, or ridicule. Challenger safety, on the other hand, allows for dissent and healthy conflict resolution that allows the best ideas to carry the day (Clark, 2020).
Frequently, there is a prevailing belief that leaders should embody emotional distance and avoid showing signs of vulnerability. Clark (2020) argues that creating psychological safety among teams requires open leadership, willing to take responsibility for mistakes, and demonstrating vulnerability. When leaders embrace vulnerability, they foster an environment of trust and openness within the team. This, in turn, promotes an atmosphere of psychological safety, where individuals feel at ease expressing their thoughts without any concerns of criticism or mockery. Cultivating a culture of honouring vulnerability nurtures environments that see failure as an opportunity for growth rather than punishment. Rewarding vulnerability reinforces psychological safety and fosters a mindset of continuous improvement and innovation.
There are numerous advantages to fostering psychological safety in the workplace. Furthermore, endorsing a conducive team atmosphere promotes effective collaboration and productivity, even when differing viewpoints and conflicts arise from competing ideas. This, in turn, promotes the success of the most profound ideas and the implementation of innovative solutions. In addition, environments that limit individuals' ability to think in unique ways or question established norms can hinder the development of creativity (Kelley et al., 2001). In a psychologically safe environment, individuals can freely express their ideas and explore new concepts without the fear of being mocked or facing negative consequences for their failures. When the consequences of failure do not burden team members, they gain the confidence to explore new territories and embrace challenges. After all, innovation often stems from those who choose to explore uncharted territories.
How can a leader foster innovation and encourage creative thinking among the teams?
Be a vision carrier: articulate a clear, inspiring vision that captures your team's imagination.
Create a psychologically safe space that nurtures:
● Sense of belonging: Let members feel appreciated, valued, and respected, regardless of their position or experience.
● Growth orientation: Let them ask questions and express confusion and doubt without fear of judgment.
● Contribution: Give your team the freedom to share ideas and implement concepts without fear of ridicule or retribution.
● Questioning: Challenge the status quo to allow novelty
Model and reward vulnerability to promote a culture of openness and willingness to share one's thoughts, feelings, and ideas, even when perceived as weaknesses or mistakes.
Avoid succumbing to the cohesive myth. The cohesive myth is that the most creative ideas and products come from teams that suspend criticism and focus on consensus. Not so. Establishing a structure of dissent and conflict fosters healthy competition and enables the best idea to prevail.
Create a nurturing atmosphere where team members support and inspire one another to embrace risks and explore new possibilities.
Avoid the constraint myth that constraints dampen. On the contrary, research shows creativity and innovation are fired by constraints. After all, remember that “necessity is the mother of all invention.”
References
Anthony, S. (2016). Lead with purpose: How to create a culture of innovation and growth. Harvard Business Review Press.
Burkus, D. (2014). Myths of creativity: The truth about how innovative companies and people generate great ideas. Jossey-Bass. https://www.pdfdrive.com/
Clark, T. R. (2020). 4 stages of psychological safety: Defining the path to inclusion and innovation. Porchlight Book Company. https://www.porchlightbooks.com/product/4-stages-of-psychological-safety-defining-the-path-to-inclusion-and-innovation--timothy-r-clark
Kaufman, J. C., & Sternberg, R. J. (Eds.). (2010). The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity. Cambridge University Press.
Kelley, T., Littman, J., & Peters, T. (2001). The art of innovation: Lessons in creativity from IDEO, America’s Leading Design Firm (Hardcover Edition). Currency.
Mokhber, M., Khairuzzaman, W., & Vakilbashi, A. (2018). Leadership and innovation: The moderator role of organization support for innovative behaviors. Journal of Management & Organization, 24,108–128. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2017.26
Shalley, G. E., & Gilson, L. L. (2004). What leaders need to know: A review of social and
contextual factors that can foster or hinder creativity. The Leadership Quarterly, 15, 33-53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2003.12.004.
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