I have a dream!

Something that’s been on my bucket list for ages is to research and analyse the New Zealand market from a design perspective. I want to know how it affects human behaviour, work habits, business growth and innovation.

But in the meantime, US architecture, design, planning and consulting firm Gensler is the next best thing.

 I recently came across one of their research papers in which they ‘analysed the conditions that enable and disable creativity and innovation in organisational settings’. They undertook interviews, surveys and some deep dive culture strategy projects. The results are exactly what I would anticipate if the same survey was undertaken here.

 Gensler identified six conditions that empower a culture of creativity and innovation:

?? AUTHENTICITY

?? AUTONOMY

?? CURIOSITY

?? IMAGINATION

?? THRILL

?? HOPE

Here’s how I see these:

AUTHENTICITY

Organisations and leaders who prioritise authenticity promote freedom of communication and the ability to speak up. This creates opportunities for people to connect, laugh, strengthen social bonds and be vulnerable.

When people are able to be authentic in a safe and supported environment the magic and creativity of who they are and can be emerges. They become a valuable contributor to teams. Authenticity allows people to themselves be authentic, protecting their individual values and giving space to communicate these.

AUTONOMY

Organisations and leaders that prioritise autonomy lead with trust. Where possible there is no hierarchy, no micro management. Small teams let voices be heard, allow collaboration and make communication easy. People have the accountability and responsibility to make decisions, which encourages growth that spurs future bigger decisions. Trust-based processes and structures allow space for mutual leadership and organisation loyalty.

CURIOSITY

Enabling curiosity means encouraging individuals to ask questions and to be inquisitive. In our industry it allows the opportunity for designers to maximise the design opportunity. Companies that prioritise curiosity emphasise the importance of thinking outside of the box, shedding traditional ideas.

IMAGINATION

To foster imagination, diversity is necessary – diversity in the traditional sense along with diversity in experience and differentiated knowledge. Imagination allows investment in “productive inefficiency,” which includes play, exploration and inspiration. Imaginative organisations promote internal ideation and idea sharing and create the space for wild ideas to be shared without judgement, knowing that a seemingly unrealistic concept may spark a tangential innovative idea to emerge.

THRILL

To enable thrill, model bold leadership behaviours. Exercise desensitising measures to build comfort around risk-taking. Use storytelling of personal and professional “adventures” as inspiration.

HOPE

To enable hope, cultivate an organisational “endurance muscle” through continual experimentation and celebration of wins and failures as lessons and learnings. Reward the optimism and courage of team members – attitude, behaviour and contribution is as important as work output. Dedicate time to meaningful training and upskilling.

The summary supports what I believe I have seen at Spaceworks but also at the multitude of businesses we have the pleasure of designing for. To prioritise creativity and innovation, human needs must be prioritised. And these needs are not just tangible, they are also intangible – they are the touchy feely stuff, the leadership, the knowledge that they have great leaders who inspire and motivate them. That the business understands the need for everyone’s voice and that it is heard. Gone are the days of micro management, of rigid work hours, of inflexibility and hierarchies – these behaviours instil fear, productivity inefficiencies, a lack of loyalty, boredom and doubt.

The report talks about the need for space and creativity – this is an interesting concept for me running a service-based business where time is money. Allowing space for creativity should not always be within the confines of a project, because this is when we bring a client’s vision to life. We are delving into creativity for the purpose of someone else’s brief. True creativity is where there is no limit or boundaries, no colouring in lines that we need to stay within. As time goes on – even as creatives, this gets harder not easier; we have learned to work within a client’s brief. I have learned that fostering this time and space for ‘whatever creativity’ is as important, it allows the team to explore ideas, design, materiality. It’s a real focus for 2021, how to incorporate and allow that creativity to see what innovation comes as a result of this.

The final point made in the summary is that leadership behaviours drive culture. Leaders that go out of their way to build innovative and creative cultures are not afraid to express their gratitude, to give public reward and recognition. They also understand that cultures are derived from a balance of many traits – including productivity, humility, communication, connection and collaboration. Leaders walk the talk, lead by example and in times of pressure show exactly who they are and that they are exactly who they portray. With Covid 19 this has never been more true, exceptional leadership through these hard times creates diehard supporters, a tight knit work community and an enviable team environment. Leaders know they are there to serve, both the company and its people, leading them both to be the best they can be.

Quoting from the Gensler research: When organizations truly understand the conditions for championing innovation, they empower individuals to tap into their creativity and transform their mindsets and behaviours. I entirely agree. We must humanize work.

If you’re interested in reading the report, you’ll find it at

https://www.gensler.com/research-insight/gensler-research-institute/the-culture-of-innovation