HOW TO BUILD A CULTURE OF CREATIVITY?

Alberto Benitez
3 min readDec 16, 2024

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#Creativity #PersonalDevelopment #Innovation

But first, why is it better to have such a culture in an organization?

Because that way employees feel and know that they matter.

Fostering curiosity means listening to people. It means opening up formal and informal spaces for people to express their doubts, concerns, and ideas. Which in turn activates a virtuous circle that promotes other good practices.

Scott Shigeoka proposes 4 questions to trigger a culture of creativity::

1 “I DON’T KNOW”

Understanding the limitations of our knowledge and remaining open to the wisdom of others is a fundamental principle of curiosity. Many leaders are afraid to say “I don’t know,” for fear that it will make them seem ill-prepared for the job at hand. However research on intellectual humility shows that those who practice it are rarely perceived as less competent. In fact, the opposite is true: they are seen as more competent and viewed in a more positive light, as more community-oriented and friendly.

2 “TELL ME MORE”

People spontaneously comment on their interests. A book, movie or series that interests them, or a place or person that caught their attention. If we respond to these comments with an open and proactive response, “Tell me more,” or “Really? Hey, I’m interested, what else?”, then we foster better relationships and make room for new ideas.

3 “HOW’S YOUR LIFE GOING?”

Employees are people. This awareness will only grow in the years to come.

To alleviate work-life conflicts, we must begin by recognizing that we are all affected in our professional lives by our personal lives and relationships and by world events. What happens outside of work will undoubtedly impact our professional lives.

Asking this third question builds the trust needed for people to spontaneously express their ideas in other things.

4 “WHO ELSE?”

I’ll tell you about a historical event that I think will make this question clear.

When Christiaan Barnard won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in South Africa in 1967, a reporter asked him if he had received help during the process. He replied, “Yes, and the other one was better.” Barnard was assisted by a black practitioner. If that had been known, Barnard would have ended up in jail.

Creative processes are always collaborative. Ideas don’t come spontaneously to anyone. That person reads many books and articles by others, watches films, or listens to music created by others. That’s already collaborating.

So asking the team for ideas, the whole team, keeps open the possibility of hearing that idea that can make all the difference.

Here is a list of examples that you have surely heard already.

What other questions would you propose?

“I don’t know how to fix this bug in the code. Can you help me figure it out?”
“I’m not familiar with this new client’s preferences. I don’t know what their specific needs are.”
“Who else has done research on this topic?”
“Who else could provide feedback on your presentation?”
“Who else might be interested in joining your study group?”
“I don’t know what the best strategy is for this marketing campaign. Let’s brainstorm some ideas together.”
“I know you’re studying hard for exams, but remember to take care of yourself.”
“I understand that you’re feeling overwhelmed by the task, but don’t forget to have fun.”
“I know you’re dedicated to your studies, but it’s important to have a social life.”
“Who else has experience with this type of project?”
“Who else might have a different perspective on this topic?”
“You seem passionate about this topic. Tell me more about your research.”
“You mentioned a challenge you faced on this project. Tell me more about how you overcame it.”
“Who else could provide valuable insight into this decision?”
“Who else should we involve in this discussion?”
“Who else might be interested in collaborating on this project?”
“You mentioned that you are interested in history. Tell me more about your favorite historical period.”
“You seem to have a different perspective on this topic. Tell me more about your ideas.”
“You mentioned a personal experience related to this topic. Tell me more about it.”

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Alberto Benitez
Alberto Benitez

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