4 min. Read
Encouraging young professionals to think in new ways can foster innovation and creativity in any company. When companies do this, it creates a place where new ideas and fresh perspectives are born, which helps businesses grow and stay ahead of others. Here is how you can motivate the young talent in your company to embrace new ideas and improve their creativity.
1. Challenge Assumptions
One big obstacle to new ideas is the comfort of knowing ways and traditions. To overcome this, it’s essential to test beliefs and motivate young workers to think differently about how things are usually done. This can be done by encouraging them to look at problems from different perspectives and consider other ways to solve them.
Use the SCAMPER Method
Utilizing methods like SCAMPER—substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Reverse—helps encourage creative thinking. By using these techniques, young professionals can look at problems in new ways and find unique solutions that may not be clear right away. Motivating them to find and deal with underlying needs and goals can result in big improvements that push the company forward.
2. Provide Feedback and Support
Innovation grows best in an environment where people always learn and try to get better. Giving helpful advice and strong support allows young professionals to improve their ideas and solve problems they face. Create a safe space where workers can share ideas and try new ways without fear of being judged.
Implement The Feedback Sandwich
Giving feedback using methods like the “feedback sandwich“—starting with positive comments, then providing constructive criticism, and ending with more praise—can really inspire and guide young workers. This approach not only improves their ideas but also creates a friendly environment where creativity can grow.
3. Reward and Recognize
Recognition and rewards are essential for motivating young workers to think creatively. When organizations notice their hard work and celebrate what they achieve, it can make them feel happy and inspire them to come up with more new ideas.
Use Incentive Programs
Think about creating incentive programs that reward creative ideas and efforts. These programs could be through extra pay, special awards, or public praise. However, it is essential to keep a good balance so that these rewards encourage working together rather than making people compete against each other too much. Celebrating not just results but also the journey of creative efforts can help create a more welcoming and supportive environment.
4. Encourage Diversity and Collaboration
Innovation grows best in places where many viewpoints mix. Urge young workers to team up with people from various backgrounds, other departments, or outside partners. This diversity can lead to novel insights and creative solutions.
Utilize Tools for Collaboration
Using collaborative tools like brainstorming sessions, mind mapping, or design thinking workshops can help solve problems with the team more effectively. Also, using technology to work together and communicate from different locations improves the diversity of thought and collaborative potential, ensuring a broader range of ideas and approaches.
5. Promote Learning and Curiosity
A culture of curiosity and ongoing learning is essential for promoting innovation. Motivating young workers to learn new skills, get more knowledge, and keep up with the latest industry trends is good. Provide opportunities for professional development through training, mentoring, and online courses.
Promote Inquisitiveness
Encouraging a curious attitude, where asking questions and exploring fresh ideas are supported, can result in significant innovations. Methods such as the “5 Whys“—asking “why” five times to get to the core of an issue—can promote more profound thoughts and find new paths for inventive answers.
Create a Creative Environment
The physical and cultural environment is essential for coming up with new ideas. Modern, flexible workspaces different from old-style cubicles can help a lot with thinking creatively. Bright colors, open layouts, and collaborative spaces help create a good place for new ideas.
Moreover, adding flexible work schedules and motivating team members to follow their personal passion projects, like Google’s 80/20 rule or LinkedIn’s “InCubator” program, can significantly enhance creativity. Letting young employees spend time on tasks they care about may result in surprising and valuable innovations.
Final Word
Encouraging young workers to think in new ways can help foster innovation and maintain a positive workplace. Motivate the young people in your company to achieve outstanding results by questioning traditional viewpoints, offering support, rewarding new thinking, supporting different backgrounds, working together, and always learning more.
At Best Practice Institute (BPI), we can help you achieve that through the power of new ideas and creativity to move your company ahead. Contact us to learn about our resources and programs to support and motivate your team. Let us work together to unlock the full potential of your young professionals and help your organization grow bigger.
