Leaders consider innovation and creativity some of the most relevant components for running a successful business. But unfortunately, several companies fail to develop and encourage environments where innovation and creativity can flourish.

Why do organizations face so much trouble in enabling creativity among employees? The answer to this question lies in profoundly ingrained and subtle behaviors that can hamper performance at all levels. Here we have listed three common misconceptions managers must overcome to set up creative work cultures in the organization. Experts at Global Investment Strategies believe that these simple tips can open new growth opportunities for the teams:

The productivity illusion

It is common to see managers trying to equate innovation to decision-making speed in the organization. There is no evidence that slow decisions are innovative. Still, the misconception that slow decision-making can lead to hurdles in innovation often creates an illusion that speed is a must for productivity. Reports reveal that when we try to solve things too fast, mainly complex issues, we usually go ahead with a premature closure which is detrimental to innovation. To resist early closure, we should work with an open mind even when we have identified a potential solution. Your team may find another practical and more helpful answer during incubation.

The intelligence illusion

Creative thinking usually requires more cognitive efforts in comparison to logical thinking. These practices are likely to engage more parts of the human brain over the right and left hemispheres while emphasizing memory. Therefore, creative thinking is recognized as a higher-order skill. Analyzing some ideas is much easier than synthesizing a new concept from multiple sources. When we focus only on one dimension, we need to keep track of only a few things in memory. However, while trying to combine multiple perspectives, we must engage with imagination and executive networks to find a relevant solution. The intelligent illusion may appear wild initially, but it can bring laurels to the organization.

The brainstorming illusion

When we ask people to describe an ideal brainstorming session, you may hear replies like people talking about a common problem, working in an exciting and energetic mood, and several innovative ideas circulated in the room. But this is not the actual scenario. The main reason behind the success of group brainstorming sessions is not the number of ideas produced; but rather the social effects behind it. During brainstorming sessions, the social connection makes people feel happier, and they often confuse this scenario with productivity. Little brainstorming can outperform group brainstorming, mainly when applied to diverse teams. Leaders should use some trusted tools to capture unique ideas to promote creative thinking before throwing them to the entire group.

Business leaders believe that innovation and creativity provide a competitive advantage to organizations. When implemented effectively, it can help you achieve incredible outcomes in the business.