Tiny Creative Habits for Workplace Resilience, Innovation, and Team Cohesion

We often think of tiny habits in terms of our personal lives, but how do these habits form at work? How can we cultivate habits that nurture workplace resilience, innovation, and team cohesion?  

One way we can explore this is by fostering a work culture that empowers staff to continue on, even when things are difficult or uncertain; to try something new without fear of failure; and to trust their co-workers and lean on them for support.  When we foster these types of workplaces, we empower our teams to cultivate the habits that lead to creative confidence. In turn, this creative confidence can inspire greater innovation, increased engagement, and even personal fulfillment. 

Our upcoming Creative Aging Symposium on May 9, 2024, is all about how these tiny habits can infuse boundless creativity into our lives. Excitingly, we can also build these habits and creative confidence in our workplaces. Let’s explore strategies in four key areas: Person-Centered, Experimentation, Inspiration, and Co-Learning.

Person-Centered: Developing Self awareness, Compassion, Identity 

The creative process has an incredible power to increase self awareness and offers avenues to bring your authentic self to work. This helps staff tap into internal motivators and reinforce their sense of purpose at work.

One way to gain greater self awareness at work is through exploring staff’s core values. Brene Brown has incredible resources for this on her website. Consider creating a bulletin board where everyone adds an image symbolizing their core value. This allows the values to be displayed in a creative way, and serves as a daily reminder of what drives each person to be their best. 

Experimentation: Fostering Play, Vision, Pause

Bringing a creative mindset to work can offer a chance for staff to play together, which strengthens teamwork while giving folks a moment for pause from their busy workload. This can increase problem-solving skills and strengthen morale.

One way to motivate staff is through music. Try playing a theme song before staff meetings. It’s a playful way to get everyone moving to the same rhythm. Creative Spark has a great playlist to share.

Inspiration: Centering Celebration, Newness, Possibilities

Finding creative ways to celebrate staff successes and reinforce a shared mission can bring a sense of renewal to a team. This can also create a culture of possibilities that lifts spirits and brings a heightened sense of resiliency.

Try an Awesome jar where staff can add recognition and triumphs. Read these at staff meetings to celebrate team members and boost a sense of accomplishment and potential in staff.

Co-Learning: Encouraging Collaboration, Connection, Growth

Learning something new, either as a skill and/or about ourselves, is a hallmark of the creative process. This leads to greater collaboration between staff members, deepening their connection to each other while finding ways to promote personal and professional growth.

One way to combine person-centered staff practices and co-learning systems is through work personality assessments like the DISC. This highlights people's unique strengths and encourages team members to meet each other where they are at. It also shines a light on how each individual staff member operates and allows them a greater sense of self awareness and professional growth.

These tiny habits are just that: tiny. They don’t require a huge budget or hours of team time. Yet their impact can be enormously positive for team member morale, engagement, and creative confidence. Which tiny habit will you foster today?

We hope to continue this important conversation with you at Creative Aging Symposium 2024, our full virtual event that unveils the power of tiny habits in your home, office, and beyond. Learn more about the event and register here!