Dimensions Of Fear And The Flow Of Creativity

Leadership Workshop (7 of 12) - 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 is developed when workers do not feel intimidated by the fear of job loss, status or are looking in from outside the company authority circles which define employee reprimands. 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! If all the blog ideas do not seem like much of a help, let us know so we can get them to work for you and not against you. Fun helps people find their creative flow. This process helps workers open up to other, express themselves positively and by being at ease while speaking out. You need to set the tone. Maybe you need to get a little wacky!

Creative flow is encouraged at Wal-Mart’s main administrative branch’s weekly meetings where Sam Walton, the original owner, initiates a beginning cheer as example of continued employee unity. The cheer starts with the traditional “Give me a W, give me an A, give me an L….Readings stop at the name of a store with a hyphen within it trying to understand the relationship of words surrounding it to the company’s most significant objective. 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? Do you think I unintentionally encourage those around me to be uninhibited? If you’re answering “No,” you’re probably not encouraging flow.

The flow of work is dependent in part to the direct alignment of the physical space where work is performed. 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. At large scale lobbying company, workers are allowed to function in areas that are open, divided by low wall panels which permit natural sunlight to shine from corner to corner. The office environment meeting place looks informal with festive colored seating and tables placed around the room. 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. An organization’s basic mission statement should have a strong, succinct outline of their main values and projected vision to be clearly defined for employee’s benefit. 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.

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