Lots of people think about creativity and innovation in their businesses. Many books have been written about being more creative, finding innovation, and changing organizations.
Creativity and innovation in families are not talked about as much. The family unit has largely gone unaffected by innovation and creativity. We go about our days the same as we always have.
Yet, many people find dissatisfaction in their family life. They wonder why their life seems so mundane. It could be because they’re not looking for ways to be creative with their family in the same way they’re being creative and innovative with their business.
Let’s look at how you can encourage innovation and creativity in your organization and, more importantly, your home.
5 Ways To Encourage Creativity And Innovation In Your Organization And Home
1. Create a creativity area:
Something interesting that you can do in your home and organization to foster creativity is to create a creativity area. This area is a place your employees or family can go to be creative. They can work on pet projects, painting projects, or work on hobbies.
As your family or coworkers work on these things, they foster their creative sides by doing something outside their normal scope of work or by focusing on the arts.
Think about developing a safe space where your people or family can work on something that draws on their creative side.
2. Allow for brainstorming sessions:
We frequently have brainstorming sessions in the office. These are times when you and your coworkers come together to discuss projects and find solutions.
Have you ever done this with your family? If not, why not?
Imagine brainstorming solutions with your family. You are able to talk out issues that need a resolution. Your family is able to come together and figure out creative solutions to your current problems.
Think about allowing time and space for brainstorming sessions for your family.
3. Get outside:
Getting outside can free up much-needed mental space. I know I feel better when I’m outside. However, we often find ourselves trapped inside, whether it’s in the office or at home.
Encourage not only your employees to get outside for a quick brainstorming session but encourage your family to do so as well.
Ask your kids to go outside to play a game of catch, to walk down to a nearby stream, or Geocache. By getting outside, you’re breathing in fresh, clean air, basking in the sunlight, and more.
It’s healthy to get outside. It also stimulates your mind with all the new sights and sounds you hear. Your brain will kick into overdrive with the experiences you have outdoors.
4. Encourage kitchen experiments:
Many offices have a small kitchen for employees to warm up or cook lunchtime meals. Your home also has a kitchen where you or your family cook and prep meals to eat.
What if you hosted a kitchen experiment experience?
You can encourage creativity and innovation through this culinary experience. In the office, encourage your employees to bring in their favorite ingredients. At home, ask your family members what ingredients they would like to use.
Gather these ingredients and then have a cook-off or cook-out where these unique ingredients are used to create culinary deliciousness.
Not only will you get to eat good, the minds of your family and employees will be stimulated to think of new and creative ways to put the ingredients together.
5. Incentivize creativity:
Sometimes, incentives work well. If you’re struggling to get your employees or family members to be more creative or innovative, think about ways that you can incentivize those you work and live with to get creative.
Maybe you run a contest at work to see who can come up with the most creative way to make a sales call. You may find someone who thinks outside of the box and comes up with a wildly effective way to make sales calls. Or, at your home, create a contest where the person who finds the most innovative way to clean the house gets to go out to eat at their favorite restaurant.
You’ll see their creativity skyrocket when there’s a reward attached to the results!
