The Flow Of Creativity

Quantum Leap #6: Stimulate the Creative Flow

Leading at Light Speed is a new leadership book by Eric Douglas detailing the 10 Quantum Leaps to build trust, spark innovation, and create a high-performing organization.

Definition of how to Stimulate the Creative Flow was invented and assigned to #6 of the Quantum Leap.

Creative flow happens when people aren't feeling afraid - afraid of losing their jobs, scared of losing status, scared of being left out, afraid of being punished. The dynamics of fear can be asphyxiating to an organization.

Removal of the fear element within a company's general population of employees is one who may initiate the resolution conflict? 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!

Verbalizing an employee cheer as the first list of business at Sam Walton's weekly staffing conferences at the headquarter's office, is a prime example of Wal-Mart's basic goal concerning employee enthusiam. The cheer starts with the traditional "Give me a W, give me an A, give me an L....If an organization's tile known to the business world includes a hyphen between or anywhere in it, readers pause at this juncture. It's called the "squiggly," both the punctuation mark and the act of group silliness. Because at that point, everyone shakes their bottoms.

So ask yourself: Do I encourage people to relax and have fun? Do I provide opportunities for people to laugh together? The things I do may influence those around me to let their hair down? If you're answering "No," you're probably not encouraging flow.

Another factor of flow is the physical work space itself. At the offices of Synergex, a software company in Northern California, there's a special "think room" with soft pillows and an aquarium where team meetings take place. The divider's between a desk's work area are low and not considered a standard office. The emphasis on open communication has paid off in the morale, creativity and growth of the organization.

At the Washington D.C. Bright daylight and intense sunlight bursts into a lobbying corporation's large office spaces which are designed with the individual employee in mind and are unconventionally low in height for wall dividers. Meeting and conferring have become quite casual considering the avante guard colors of the chairs and the inert placement of tables. Morale is high. And people feel creative. It seems that it would be simpler to communicate with each other if a work space was unfettered by walls, dividers and offices.

So ask yourself: 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 "No," then you're probably not tapping into people's creative flow.

Here's another important factor: Flow happens when the stakes are high. Soon after "Apollo 13" left earth's orbit, a tank exploded in the command module, putting the astronauts' lives in danger. Led by Jim Lovell, the team communicated with Mission Control and configured an ingenious solution - 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.

The bottom line is that raising the stakes will help boost creative flow. Understanding your company's basic ethical concepts of vision and true value are a method of gaining a sense of clarity about them. Strategic focus is one of the most important factors for flow.

Discover how well your organization measures up to the 10 Quantum Leaps with this free work survey.

Leading at Light Speed is a new leadership book detailing the 10 Quantum Leaps of high-performing organizations. Are you leading at light speed? Take this free work survey to assess your organizational strengths and weaknesses.