The Flow Of Creativity
pua href=http://my.leadingresources.com/links/buy-lals/lvstrongLeading at Light Speed/strong/a/u is a new ua href=http://www.leadingatlightspeed.com/strongleadership book/strong/a/u by Eric Douglas detailing the strong10 Quantum Leaps/strong to build trust, spark innovation, and create a high-performing organization./p
pHow to Stimulate the Creative Flow is outlined in Quantum Leap #6./p
pPeople are able to develop a creative flow when the do not experience the threat of a lost job position, status or feeling like an outsider having fear of retribution. The dynamics of fear can be asphyxiating to an organization.br /br /strongWho is responsible for eliminating fear?/strong You are, of course! The blog ideas presented here will be a big help to any questions you may have. Fun helps people find their creative flow. It lets people relax, be themselves, and speak their minds. You need to set the tone. Maybe you need to get a little wacky!br /br /For example, weekly staff meetings at Wal-Mart rsquo;s headquarters begin with a cheer conceived by founder Sam Walton. The cheer starts with the traditional ldquo;Give me a W, give me an A, give me an Lhellip;.Readings stop at the name of a store with a hyphen within it trying to understand the relationship of words surrounding it to the companys most significant objective. Itrsquo;s called the ldquo;squiggly,rdquo; both the punctuation mark and the act of group silliness. Because at that point, everyone shakes their bottoms.br /br /strongSo ask yourself:/strong Do I encourage people to relax and have fun? Do I provide opportunities for people to laugh together? I wonder if my actions inspire people to relax and be themselves? If yoursquo;re answering ldquo;No,rdquo; yoursquo;re probably not encouraging flow.br /br /strongAnother factor of flow is the physical work space itself./strong At the offices of Synergex, a software company in Northern California, therersquo;s a special ldquo;think roomrdquo; with soft pillows and an aquarium where team meetings take place. Low panel dividers separate a persons work space versus the standard four walled with ceiling office. The emphasis on open communication has paid off in the morale, creativity and growth of the organization.br /br /At the Washington D.C. offices of a large lobbying firm, people work in open spaces, separated by low dividers that allow outside light to spill into every corner. Informal meeting spaces with colorful chairs and tables dot the office. Morale is high. And people feel creative. An open work space which would have only a desk to desk work space may improve peoples communication with one another.br /br /strongSo ask yourself:/strong Am I doing everything I can to create a creative environment? Are people able to talk easily? Is there plenty of natural light? Is everyone able to see each other? Are there plenty of spaces where people can meet informally to solve problems? If the answer is ldquo;No,rdquo; then yoursquo;re probably not tapping into peoplersquo;s creative flow.br /br /strongHerersquo;s another important factor:/strong Flow happens when the stakes are high. Soon after ldquo;Apollo 13rdquo; left earthrsquo;s orbit, a tank exploded in the command module, putting the astronautsrsquo; lives in danger. Led by Jim Lovell, the team communicated with Mission Control and configured an ingenious solution ndash; and got safely back to earth. The basketball coach Phil Jackson cites examples in his book Sacred Hoops of the superhuman things that people can do when the stakes are high and people are capable of performing at a high level.br /br /strongThe bottom line is that raising the stakes will help boost creative flow./strong An organizations basic mission statement should have a strong, succinct outline of their main values and projected vision to be clearly defined for employees benefit. Strategic focus is one of the most important factors for flow./p
pstrongDiscover how well your organization measures up to the 10 Quantum Leaps with this free/strong ua href=http://www.worksurvey.net/strongwork survey/strong/a/ustrong./strong/p
