Managing creative staff is not the same as managing employees on a production line where creativity is rather more detrimental than useful. Let's, therefore, have a look at some practical tips on how to motivate creative employees. Entrepreneur.com recommends:
Comment on new ideas
An employee who invested his time and effort in coming up with a new idea needs to see your recognition. The better he will understand why his ideas are good or bad, the more motivated he will be to come up with innovations.
Reward cooperation
Creativity is mostly a matter of teamwork. Therefore, do not reward individuals but all those who have been involved the new creative idea.
Encourage creative work in a broader time horizon
Lead your people to think not only about immediate changes but about how to change things for the better in the next few years to come.
Celebrate failures, too
To encourage creativity, you will have to learn to appreciate the ideas which ultimately failed despite their sophistication. Celebrate the efforts and the way of thinking in terms of continually trying to improve.
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