What do you do if your feedback isn't sparking innovation and creativity in the workplace?

John, a team leader, realized that his feedback wasn't yielding the desired results. Instead of fostering innovation, it often left his team feeling discouraged. Reflecting on this, he decided to rethink his approach. He started providing specific, actionable feedback focused on improvement rather than just pointing out flaws. He encouraged open dialogue, allowing employees to share their thoughts and feelings. This shift transformed the team dynamic, fostering creativity and growth. John's story teaches us that feedback should be a tool for growth, nurturing a culture of innovation and collaboration.

If your feedback isn't sparking innovation and creativity in the workplace, consider the following steps: -Re-evaluate your approach -Timing matters. -Encourage open dialogue. -Create a culture where people feel comfortable sharing ideas. -Lead by example -Offer training, tools, and resources to help your team develop new skills. -Celebrate successes and learn from failures -Encourage collaboration and seek input from people with different backgrounds, experiences, and expertise. -Encourage experimentation -Be patient and persistent Remember, innovation and creativity are muscles that need to be exercised regularly to grow stronger. With consistent effort and the right approach, can help spark innovation and creativity in your workplace.

Often times 'Feedback' is perceived as negative. A sort of a critique on the work that we did. What if we all think of 'Feedback' as and equal to 'Food Back' instead? 'Food' that nourishes the individual in his/her career path and 'Food' that also nourishes the relationship between individuals. If your body would desperately need a certain type of nutrient and your colleague would give that to you, wouldn't you be forever grateful?

Sarah, a safeguarding champion, noticed that her team's creativity was stagnating. Determined to foster innovation, she decided to promote openness within the workplace. She encouraged team members to share their ideas without fear of criticism, emphasizing that every perspective was valuable. Sarah led by example, actively seeking input from all team members and valuing their contributions. Soon, the team began to thrive in a culture of openness, where creativity flourished, and innovative solutions emerged. Sarah's story teaches us that fostering openness is crucial for unlocking creativity and driving innovation in the workplace.

The way Feedback is given, taken or asked for, makes for the culture of the organization. Values and behaviours of what the culture is all about have to be modeled everyday, in and out to lead to an open and psychological safe culture where people feel that they can speak up with anything that's on their minds. Only then, a culture of continuous Feedback will lead to innovation and creativity.

As a safeguarding champion, Emily understood that innovation demanded risk-taking. However, her team hesitated to step out of their comfort zone, fearing failure. Determined to foster creativity, Emily encouraged risk-taking by celebrating every effort, regardless of the outcome. She emphasized that mistakes were opportunities for growth and praised the courage to explore new ideas. Over time, her team became more adventurous, producing groundbreaking solutions that propelled their work forward. Emily's story teaches us that by embracing risk-taking and valuing the process of innovation, we can achieve remarkable results in safeguarding and beyond.

Emma, a leader passionate about innovation, noticed her team's creative potential stifled by a lack of resources. Determined to change this, she secured additional funding for training in creative problem-solving techniques and invested in the latest technology. She also allocated dedicated time for brainstorming sessions, encouraging her team to explore new ideas freely. With access to these resources, her team's creativity flourished, leading to groundbreaking solutions and impactful outcomes. Emma's story serves as a reminder that providing the right resources is essential for fostering innovation and achieving success.

Being part of a work culture where people are celebrated for their strenghts leads to openess and feeling psychological safe to ask for the right resources they need. Leaders may not always know what are the specific resources an individual contributer needs at certain times, so fostering a culture of accountability and own responsability for the quality of work delivered, would make people empowered to ask for the right resources.

As a team leader, Mark observed that despite providing feedback, his team struggled to generate new ideas. Reflecting on this, he questioned whether the layout of their workspace hindered collaboration. The traditional cubicle setup discouraged interaction, stifling creativity. Determined to change this, Mark redesigned the office, incorporating open layouts and communal areas. The transformation sparked spontaneous discussions and idea sharing, leading to a surge in innovative solutions. Mark's experience highlights the importance of building collaborative spaces to foster creativity and innovation in the workplace.

Space is an enabler of collaboration. And tech tools are the same as they facilitate remote and hybrid working. A good integration of Space, Tech, and Behaviours is what makes a workplace successful. They have to be in a good alignment to lead to productive collaboration and innovation.

More often than not, it’s critical and profoundly important to notice and acknowledge the fact that our feedbacks may not always ignite or spark innovations, creativity, or even applauds. Simply because It may have been genuinely altered to applaud, admonish, an ongoing progress or results. if that’s the case then it does not need to spark an innovation but rather it will spark an intelligence for continuity and sustainability.