Ever feel like your company is stuck in a creativity rut? Felt the pressure of a blank page as the tick of the looming deadline gets louder and louder.
You’re not alone. Only 25% of workers believe they’re living up to their creative potential.
We know being creative is important. But many businesses struggle to build creative spaces.
This means new ideas get ignored, innovation grinds down to a nub, and the company misses out on chances to grow.
But why does this happen? Here’s five common roadblocks that hold your company back from being its most creative self.
1. Lack of autonomy
Feel like a robot taking orders? That’s not a recipe for groundbreaking ideas. When employees lack autonomy (aka the freedom to make choices and control their work), creativity takes a nosedive.
Creativity thrives in spaces where people are trusted to make decisions and take ownership of their work. Rigid rules and procedures can stifle creativity like a wet rug to a flame.
Every person has unique ideas and ways of doing things. But without autonomy, employees are pressured to conform to a single way of doing the job.
Autonomy allows new paths to emerge, leading to a richer pool of innovative ideas.
2. Fear of failure
Imagine having a great idea, but being too afraid to share it because you might mess up? That’s what “fear of failure” does. It can silence your team’s inner genius!
Show your team mistakes are a normal part of process. They give you experience and knowledge that help you innovation. Think of it as a stepping stone, not a stumbling block.
If you’re trying to be creative, you need to release that fear of failure, and get all your ideas out. If you judge your first idea as a failure, you’re not going to try again, and again, and again to get ideas out.
3. Lack of time and resources
The business world moves fast. Sometimes it feels like there’s never enough time or resources to explore new ideas.
The key is finding a balance between productivity deadlines and idea generation. Investing in dedicated time and resources for innovation is crucial, just like any other important project.
If you’re not rewarding creative time, you’re not going to get creative ideas.
4. Resistance to change
People like things the way they are. Trying something new can be scary. This resistance to change can hold innovation back and stop us being creative.
If you are leading – or on – a team of resistant people, you’ll need to be a creativity advocate.
But you also need to empathise with their position. You can’t get them to where you are without starting where they are.
Support them through the change process, and create a culture that celebrates and rewards continuous improvement.
5. Bad communication
Working on a project with mixed signals and unclear instructions. Not fun, right? Bad communication can create confusion and frustration – which slows down creativity.
You should prioritise clear and open communication with your team. Make sure everyone is on the same page about goals, expectations, and the creative journey. This makes it easier to be collaborative.
It also gives you a platform to advocate for your ideas when they do emerge.
Final thoughts
Now you know what these roadblocks are, you can overcome them and create a future filled with fresh ideas and innovation.
