Have you ever been in a meeting where your boss tells all of his/her direct reports that ‘we need more creativity’ and expects that as you walk out of the door there will be an instant change? In these times of efficiency, productivity, streamlining, judgement and busy-ness, our creative selves can get squeezed out. In such environments, where is the space for enabling new ideas to seed rather than be trampled on? How can we expect to see the spark of something new and exciting to engage our customers and consumers in a way that provides mutual benefit?

If you are a line manager with a team relying on you to provide the conditions for them to be at their best, how might you create the conditions for creativity?

I believe the answer lies not in encouraging challenge for the sake of challenge (although challenge can have a place) but in creating conditions where your team are fully able to think for themselves. Such conditions will enable them to think freely, without fear of those thoughts being quashed through rush, cynicism, ridicule or interruption.

Such conditions fortunately, have already been clearly laid out by Nancy Kline, author of ‘Time to Think – listening to ignite the human mind’. Nancy shares 10 components of a Thinking Environment, one of which is ‘Ease’. Ease is not a word that we hear too often these days and yet what an empowering state to create for another … through our unhurriedness, attention, and silent encouragement we can create a space free from rush and the pressure to perform in our thinking for another. We can be comfortable with letting the other person have moments of silence which are essential to enable expansive thought and creativity.

I was reminded recently of the power of these Thinking Environment conditions when reading a blog by Alice Frecknall, a writer, who shared her view that “Humans are fundamentally creative beings – we are inquisitive and mischievous and instinctively inventive – and we shouldn’t underestimate or neglect this part of our nature”. Her blog explores how we squeeze out the space for our creativity through our busy-ness which we use as a protective safety net: “we are afraid of what it might mean if we stop; if we allow ourselves time to try, we chance that we might fail.” As well as creating ease, we need to be able to be comfortable with the thought that we might fail – it’s worth considering that ‘F.A.I.L.’ could stand for ‘further attempt in learning’. As Ed Catmull, President of Pixar said “Failure isn’t a necessary evil. In fact, it isn’t evil at all. It is a necessary consequence of doing something new.”

So, as a manager, how can you enable the conditions for creativity?

1. Create EASE

   This may seem more easily said than done. As a leader, make a start by breaking the need to respond to ‘how are you?’ with ‘Busy, busy busy .. back to back meetings today’ and instead try responding in a way that doesn’t glamorise busy-ness. Consider other ways to respond such as ‘I’m good – creating space in my day to reflect and learn seems to provide some balance’ or similar responses that help others in your team see that it is ok to take time to breathe and to think. Also, when you are with your team member, make sure you have plenty of time and are not squeezing them in, discussing something important to them while walking from meeting to meeting. Allocate the time you think you need plus an “Ease-Cushion”, just in case and then slow down your speed of speaking to signal that you both have as much time as you need.

2. Give ATTENTION

   When with your team members, give them all of your attention, directly, wholeheartedly, being present, and without interrupting them. Close your laptop, put your phone out of view, find a space that says to your team member ‘you matter’, and ask them what they think without feeling the need to direct that thinking, end it prematurely, or step into their silent moments. Watch as their thinking flies to places that they didn’t know they could go to, safe in the knowledge that you are interested, non-judgemental and encouraging their exploration.

3. Allow the FREEDOM to FAIL

   While failing in the same way at the same activity over and over again is not helpful in producing creativity, encouraging team members to try out ideas, see what works, what doesn’t, and learn from that IS helpful. James Dyson, the British inventor, produced over 5000 prototypes for the dual cyclone vacuum cleaner before being successful. Dyson believes that creativity is about daring to learn from our mistakes. Role model by letting team members know when something you tried didn’t work and what you have learned from it and celebrate when they do the same.

Creating the conditions for creativity in your team, and demonstrating them in how you work day to day can spark a work environment where everyone feels valued and able to stretch their thinking. Who wouldn’t want that?