Need to get the creative juices flowing?
What does that really mean anyway? Well, you’re guaranteed to feel energised and inspired whenever you get ‘out of the office’ with your colleagues. But… truly visionary thinking?
You know, where great things happen, where you get the best from the precious time you have together as a team… where people stop agreeing with the most senior person’s preferences or ideas and develop something new, something unexpected, that will truly transform your direction as a team or a business. Where any idea (good or bad) is a good idea, because it stimulates further creativity in the team. The power of people creating together.True lightbulb moments ?. These moments do happen!
But visionary thinking needs to go beyond a ‘let’s get out of the office’ venue. You’ll get much more from all personality types in the team if you can give them an environment where creativity always has been the order of the day (art galleries, innovation hubs), where the surroundings create a new order (a garden, renovated warehouse) or where the stimulus is all around you (a museum, room with a spectacular view).
Some of our favourite creative spaces:
Write the next chapter in your organisation’s history at a publishing house > Faber Creative Spaces
Plan how to launch your new strategy to your customers at England’s first public art gallery > The Foundling Museum
Timberyard is reinventing workspace for entrepreneurs and creative types alike. You can get a private room in a fantastic location. Invite anyone in from the adjoining coffee shop and workspace… we guarantee they will inspire your guests in unexpected ways.
Need some musical inspiration? The Vinyl Factory is a record label and vinyl pressing plant where disparate chords come together to create perfect harmony. Come co-create with your team.
Once you’ve chosen your perfect space, think about these things… they’re proven to impact on creativity:
- The right mood lighting: While we all love bright and airy spaces, a German study actually showed that you should try turning the lights down when you’re trying to get creative. According to findings published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, darkened lighting supposedly ‘elicits a feeling of freedom, self-determination, and reduced inhibition.’ But don’t skimp on natural light! Research shows that low exposure to natural light is a mood killer.
- Bring your ambient noise machine: Perhaps you’ve already invested in one of these noise machines, like Ecotones Sound + Sleep Machine to help you sleep at night, but did you know these things can double as creativity boosters? Studies show that just the right balance of ambient noise (70 decibels of it, to be exact) optimizes performance. A paper published late last year in the Journal of Consumer Research, argues that the ideal work environment for creative projects should contain a little bit of background noise.
- Fill your space with inspiration: Psych Central suggests placing things in your space that create curiosity and surprise, and nothing does that more than an inspiration board. Ask each of your guests to prepare one ahead of the session and bring it with them. It works as a fab ice breaker too.
And if that’s not enough… Try some reverse mentoring… Invite one of the entrepreneurs sitting in TY to help you brainstorm or tell their start up story. You’re guaranteed some truly visionary thinking. We know lots of people who’d be happy to spend time with your team, so please… just get in touch: [email protected].
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