Tips to Boost Creativity in Your Office
Creativity and innovation go hand in hand, so if your business is struggling to come up with new and fresh ideas, it might be time for a few changes. Creativity is one of the most important aspects of business success. Whether you're trying to fire up your team of employees to produce new ideas or you want to bring a more creative atmosphere to your own office, here are some tips that can help.
Go green
Studies show that being exposed to the color green can boost your creativity in as little as two seconds. While you may not want an all-green office space, adding bursts of the color throughout your decor could have some merit. In fact, the more colorful and cheerful your office space is, the more likely you'll be to enjoy it. Boring beige walls make look "professional," but they don't do much to inspire creativity. Surrounding yourself with color can boost your creativity and spur you on to be more productive, so if your office is drab, it's time for a makeover.
Encourage collaboration
If you work in an office filled with cubicles, it could be limiting the overall creativity of your employees. While it's important that every employee has their own work space, it's also important that they are encouraged to collaborate and share ideas. One simple spark from such a collaboration could produce "the next big idea" in your business, but only if your employees feel comfortable enough to share. Set up relaxing communal areas with comfy alternatives to traditional office furniture. The more relaxed your employees can feel, the more likely they'll be to come up with great new ideas.
Clear the clutter
A messy work space isn't conducive to creativity, so when it comes to your office design, keep clutter at bay with adequate filing and storage solutions. You don't have to opt for a minimalist look, but wide open spaces could just be the thing to get your creative juices flowing in the office. Choose simple but comfortable office furniture with smooth, sleek lines. These don't demand much of your senses, freeing up your brain for more creative tasks.
Encourage playtime
There's a reason why successful tech companies have things like Foosball tables and basketball courts onsite. Playtime can be just as beneficial for adults as it is for kids. According to mental health studies, being allowed to relax and play games can stimulate creativity and help you brainstorm new ideas. Whether you put video games or board games into your workplace, the benefits could be tremendous, but only if you can control yourself enough to get back to work after a short break. There's definitely a fine line between play for creativity's sake and play for procrastination's sake, so tread carefully.
Encourage diversity
When you have a diverse group of employees with different backgrounds and different experiences, you have the potential for lots of new and different ideas to be formed. Let your employees all share their ideas and they may combine them to come up with something completely new and unique. Diversity breeds creativity, so if you work by yourself, remember to make time each day to speak with others from different backgrounds to avoid getting stuck in a rut of always thinking the same way about your work.
Creativity isn't something you're born with. You can definitely grow and nurture it in your office by making a few changes and keeping an open mind. Whether you work with others or alone, you can make a few simple changes to your environment and your activities and get your creative juices flowing every day. Embrace new ideas and surround yourself with inspiration for a greater creative flow that could just give rise the next big idea for your business.