Change management: Strategies to fuel team creativity

We are living in times of accelerating change. Technology is changing how we work, crises are coming at us thick and fast, dramatically shifting our business landscape.

To cope, we must constantly adapt as new opportunities arise or the external context renders your tried and tested ways of doing things obsolete.

Being open to new ways of working is now part of our everyday, but marketplaces are changing so fundamentally that adapting your operations is no longer enough: you may have to come up with an entirely new business model, creating whole new ways of working and a new set of clients.

Although stress and uncertainty are not always conducive to creativity, a crisis does force your teams to think more creatively and create new solutions. Part of creativity is developing original answers to difficult questions. Flexible thinking is crucial here.

The changes you have to adopt may be beneficial in the long term, reducing your overheads and identifying new market opportunities.

Fostering a flexible mindset within your organization starts with business leaders, who are going to have to really trust their group and be a good listener when their team put forward their own ideas.

In TV production, creativity is currency, but I don’t believe people should be divided into ‘creative’ and ‘non-creative’. We all have the ability to innovate, think and experiment. You just need the confidence to do it and flexible thinking.

Someone from a ‘non-creative’ area can also think outside the box and solve problems, of course. HR and finance may be process-orientated but they can also help you transform your business using lateral thinking.

Rolling with the changes

Millennials are exemplary at adapting. It is in their DNA having been born into an age of massive daily transformation as digital technology accelerates change.

Unlike many older people who can become set in their ways, Millennials demonstrate flexible thinking and a willingness to try new things. If one thing becomes obsolete, just jump to the next, and back again if needs must.

Creativity usually comes about through collaboration. I’m sure you can recall instances of a conversation unexpectedly leading to a surprising solution. You can foster this by discussing problems with a handpicked team of radical, bold minds.

This group should not just include yes men or people who make you feel comfortable. You want to avoid groupthink. Reach out and find these people externally if necessary.

Listen humbly and carefully and be open to radical ideas. Think the unthinkable.

Effective collaboration within your sector can also boost long-term commercial success. Collaboration can also make you a better leader. You may be surprised at how much you can learn from your peers.

No matter what your problem is, the chances are someone else has already been through it, so surrounding yourself with people who can speak from experience is invaluable.

I have found it is unhelpful to worry about perfection when you’re innovating. Creativity is often a messy, iterative process so feel positive about taking imperfect action. Just try something new, put it out there, adapting as you learn and grow.

Don’t be scared of bad ideas either. In my experience, people who don’t have bad ideas don’t come up with any good ones either. In fact, not changing and clinging to routine are much more worrying for me than change. Change is good. Often not changing is the riskier option.

Putting creativity and change into action

When you have decided on a bold new course, go for it! Overcome self-doubt, trust in your abilities and have the passion, hunger and drive to make it happen, fearlessly taking risks.

An example springs to mind; during COVID-19 we produced a series in the US called House Hunters International, which follows people who are moving to exotic locations and looking for a new home. We would film the series 365 days a year on all continents (except the Antarctic, so far). During lockdown, no filming was allowed in many countries and our crews were grounded.

So we did the unthinkable; we switched to using local film crews around the world to make primetime US content and directed much of our filming remotely from a Manhattan apartment. I have to admit I was trepidatious when I saw the first footage, but the results exceeded our expectations. In fact, it has been so successful that we are not going back to the old way of doing things.

When you make a bold change, you are going to need all of your team on side for the next stage of your journey so make sure everybody is informed and on board. Your HR team will be invaluable for this.

As you steer through this process of change, or navigate your company through a crisis, foster a sense of hope and optimism to supercharge creativity, and plan for the future.

Celebrate the positives, even small wins. Share uplifting moments about how your people are adapting to new ways of working. Convey a compelling message and connect to a deeper sense of purpose.

Encourage a sense of common social identity and belonging based on shared values of mutual support and achievement. Change is stressful, so you will need to support your teams’ mental health and well-being – and don’t neglect your own either.

One thing I have learned is that although painful, crises can actually be good for us. We can turn disasters into opportunities. Crises can be a springboard for growth as you exploit once-in-a-lifetime opportunities offered in a post-crisis landscape.

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