Kat DeLong wrote an excellent article for lifescript.com with excellent tips on improving workplace creativity.
Nowadays, there are a million articles about creativity, but most say the same thing that DeLong wrote about years ago.
Here are five simple, time-tested tips for improving creativity in the workplace:
Envision the outcome and work backward - Instead of starting from scratch and trying to figure out the first step, take a lesson from expert screenwriters and write the last five pages first. Once you know where you want to go, you'll unlock your creativity in finding the best route.
Broaden your horizons - The answer to writer's block and a lack of creative inspiration is often right under our noses. Get out of your office, away from the group, think of your team, and explore what other companies are doing to solve problems that seem completely unrelated. You'll be surprised at what solutions appear by examining unfamiliar landscapes.
Surround yourself with creative people - Sometimes, the best creative answers come from others, not ourselves. Have the humility to bring creative people with less experience on-board.
Back Off - Give the creative people on your team the space they need to work through a trial-and-error process. Creative ideas require risk-taking. Standing over an artist's shoulder is a great way to limit their creativity.
Don't overwork your staff - While locking everyone in a room until you have a solution sounds cinematic, it's not likely to produce the creative solution you want. Creativity takes time, awareness, and a willingness to persist through ambiguity. Be bold and push a deadline to find the right path forward.
Creativity often requires many of the same circumstances as Wonder to flourish. Time for reflection, contemplation, playfulness, and even daydreaming are all essential ingredients for Wonder and creativity. While this advice may sound counter-intuitive in our fast-paced culture, the research speaks clearly. This advice works, but implementation requires courage!