We do. And I hate it when people call it a Creative Department. The reason why I say that is because my expectations is that every single person in every single position of our business should be using their minds, their imaginations, and their instinctual human ability to create.
Creativity shouldn’t just be relegated to one department. People are part of an organization to make a difference. To do new things. To find a better way. And this is not unique to our organization alone. It is true for all organizations.
The truth is that I expect every team member to be creative. Pablo Picasso said, “Everything you can imagine is real.” That is the attitude we take at Comfort Research. If you can see it in your mind then we can make it a reality. Just look at some of our products, how we implement and talk about culture, and the machines we build to make our awesome products. They are all literally birthed out of the imagination of our people.
And I push the people in our organization to always think out of the box, resolve problems in their own unique ways, and constantly work to innovate. Those are the products of creativity. I refuse to answer the question “Why did you do it that way?” with “This is how we’ve always done it.” We don’t need people who are just going to repeat the same process over and over again without thought. If that were the case, we might as well find a robot that doesn’t call in sick, have to leave early, or have any feelings or emotions.
The reason why we give our team the freedom to hit the gym in the middle of the workday, leave early to spend time with their family, and meet their needs outside of the office is because we DON’T want robots. What we DO want is a team of individualists who are constantly thinking and reimagining everything.
We are in the business of imagination. Our expectation at Comfort Research is that everyone is constantly using their imaginations at work. They are using their beautiful minds to do something new, different, and to find a better way. It doesn’t matter what department you are in. Whether it be accounting, supply chain, or sales…there is always room to use creativity to improve productivity and results. We expect everyone to use the gifts that god gave them, not just doing the same thing over and over again.
I refuse to allow anyone to leave creativity for the ‘Creativity Department.’ This concept should be rampant throughout every organization. And empower them to do the same. Some of the best ways I’ve learned to do that include:
+ Give them a break. Everyone needs some time off and time away from the office. Whether it be an hour at our on-site gym or a long weekend, we want our team to rest their minds, recharge, and give it their all when they are work and be creative and imaginative forces.
+ Spread the creativity. If you want everyone in your organization to be creative then you have to give them permission to do so. Sometimes you have to break the mold of bad habits, as many of your employees might have come from environments where creativity is relegated to just one department. Spread the word that creativity isn’t just welcomed, but expected.
+ Celebrate creativity. Once it starts spreading, take the time to celebrate the moments of creativity when they occur. Don’t let them fall by the wayside. The more you point these moments out, the greater the chance for more of them to actually occur.
+ Reduce the restraints. I have found that creativity needs space, not constraints. The more barriers in its path, the less likely you’ll see it grow and evolve. Give your team the freedom for their minds to wander and imagine. There is no equation for creativity. It happens on its own. But we do know the more you try and control creativity, the less likely you will enjoy the benefits of it.
Creativity is the essence of any successful business. Everything starts with the mind. With your imagination. With the endless flow of ideas. And the more you empower your team to be creative and to work towards innovating in every facet of your organization, the better off you’ll be. The return on your team’s creativity can be exponential.
Just wait and see…