In this time of rapid industry growth, it is important for you as an employer to tend to the needs of your employees. Adding a few simple initiatives can improve organizational culture, further the overall vision and mission, and retain happy, openminded employees.
Here are three ways to integrate creativity and innovation into your organizational culture:
Acknowledge impact | As children, we knew that we were excelling in our classwork when we received our report cards. The same can be true in the workplace, especially when taking a look at Peter Senge’s concept of learning organization. Particularly in regards to a shared vision, “members act in concert because they share a common organizational vision and understand how their own work helps build on that shared vision” (Eisenberg, Tretheway, LeGreco, & Goodall, 2017, p. 111). Build company morale by showing employees how their collective efforts impact your organization’s mission. For instance, if satisfactory healthcare is at the heart of your goals, let your employees know about any positive feedback you receive from consumers. This will make them feel a sense of purpose, and strive to go above and beyond.
Encourage breaks | Make sure your employees know that you are supportive of them taking breaks. After all, a relaxed brain allows for increase productivity and innovation. “For example, researchers have shown that watching a funny eight minute video (Cheng & Wang, 2015) or spending less than one minute looking at nature (Lee et al., 2015) improves employee performance after they return to the work task” (Grippo, 2017). Taking a moment to disconnect from one’s responsibilities opens doors to new possibilities upon returning to work. When employees leave for the December/January holidays and come back to work, they feel refreshed. Think of these breaks as mini-vacations for them.
Improve outcomes | Most businesses have specific processes that they utilize to achieve company goals. It is important for you and your employees to take a collaborative approach and evaluate the efficiency of these tools at regular intervals. Are they truly getting the job done? Are you measuring the correct indicators to determine the success of these processes? How can your processes be improved? It may be helpful to implement a continuous service improvement framework similar to that of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), which is used to manage service delivery. Although this framework is specific to the information technology industry, others can learn from it. “The benefits of ITIL include reduced cost of service development and deployment, improved customer satisfaction with service delivery, increased productivity from IT personnel, quality improvements, better management metrics of services and increased flexibility in adapting services to changing business requirements” (Tittel & Follis, 2019). Involving your employees in the assessment of your organizational processes and steps for refinement can create efficiencies within the company.
Cheng, D., & Wang, L. (2015). Examining the energizing effects of humor: The influence of humor on persistence behavior. Journal of Business and Psychology, 30(4), 759-772.
Eisenberg, E.M., Tretheway, A., LeGreco, M., & Goodall, H.L., Jr. (2017). Organizational communication: Balancing creativity and constraint. (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Grippo, A. (2017). Why and How You Should Take Breaks at Work [Psychology Today]. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-wide-wide-world-psychology/201704/why-and-how-you-should-take-breaks-work
Lee, K.E., Williams, K.J.H., Sargent, L.D., Williams, N.J.G., & Johnson, K.A. (2015). 40-second green roof views sustain attention: The role of micro-breaks in attention restoration. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 42, 182-189.
Tittel, E. & Follis, E. (2019). ITIL Certification Guide: Overview and Career Paths [Business News Daily]. Retrieved from https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/10696-itil-certification-guide.html
Tierra Thomas 