Page 73 - Perfect Phrases for Motivating and Rewarding

Creativity

The Motivational Mindset
■ Creativity may require quiet time to think. Don’t always expect
a creative answer on the spot.
■ People are often more creative than they realize. Giving
people a chance to access their creativity will often boost their
self-esteem.
■ Encourage the search for new solutions to persistent
problems.
■ If employees have creative interests outside of work, tapping
into the same skills in the office might spark their creative
spirits. Before you hire a company to design your brochure
cover, consider the talent in your own office.
■ Consider a monthly (or quarterly) creativity caucus to
encourage and hear employee ideas.
■ Encourage brainstorming, allowing as many ideas as possible
to come to the surface for consideration. The number-one
rule of brainstorming: all ideas are welcome, and nothing is
ridiculed or put down. No ideas are wrong.
■ Compliment creativity when you see it.
■ When is the last time you looked through your staff’s résumés?
Are you overlooking skills and talents that didn’t apply two or
three years ago but would help you and give your employee a
new opportunity now?
■ Stark walls, fluorescent lights, and unadorned cubicles don’t
inspire creativity.
■ Have a library available for employees that includes brief
meditations or relaxation techniques. Used on breaks, these
can lead to a refreshed, creative mindset.

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