Innovation has been discussed as the number one challenge being faced by top executives globally. If leaders do not provide the right environment, there will be no innovation. A company that cannot innovate has no future. Allowing staff to enjoy more right brain thinking, intrapreneurship and risk taking is one good start for encouraging innovation.
Right brain thinking is essential in business. Explore whatever options of creativity are available to you. Try thinking back to when you were a child, uncluttered by negative thoughts, the worry of risk and responsibility. What unleashed your creative spirit, made you happy and feel free? Often the responsibility of work can negate all the happiness that you feel in your private life. If you are not happy at home it is unlikely that you will be happy at work.
We have already acknowledged that creative isolation is essential. Encourage right brain thinking. Take a break, take a breather, call it a head holiday, label it what you like, but take it. Inspiration will only come to a mind when it has been quietened down. Reflection is a good way of reconnecting yourself. Take your eye off the bottom line just for a moment. Work out what makes you feel good about your work, other than profits. Guaranteed you will feel more creative after a short break. Make short breaks a habit, and allow your team to take them too. There is merit in having a brisk walk halfway through the day. Try to vary the pace and place of your work if that helps you.
Get away from business if you can as it will allow you to take a bird’s eye view when you return. I maintain that during weekdays I access my left brain when logic is needed in my work, but over weekends I access the right brain when I enjoy creative pursuits. When I travel I live in all my senses. Attending a conference out of town or overseas is an opportunity for extending by just one day in order to expose yourself to new ideas and creativity. Work out what works best for you and bring it back to your workplace.
Once you have worked out what makes you feel alive and inspired, try to incorporate it into your work. Perhaps it is something small like changing your office to enjoy a view, or making your job more visual or more tactile. It is all a part of getting to know yourself better, and as we know we have to lead ourselves before we lead others.
* Jenny Handley is a brand, high performance and leadership specialist. For information on her books and courses see www.jennyhandley.co.za. Follow her on Twitter: Jenny_Handley and Facebook: Jenny Handley Performance Management
Cape Times