Creativity Culture: 7 Keys to Creating Safe Place to Engage | #peopleskills

Creativity Culture: How to Create Safe Open Engagement

Three years into running people skills global Twitter chat, I am thrilled with how many strangers from around the globe come together and engage openly. Recently, one newcomer said he was grateful I had created a safe open place to interact.


His gratitude made me reflect on what I had done and what others did to make this happen. Here is what we did to create an open creativity culture! It applies to workplaces as well.



Creativity Culture: Image is graphic with word creativity.

Creativity Culture: Keys to Creating Safe Place to Engage. Image by Sweet Dreamz Design via Flickr.

Image by Sweet Dreamz Design via Flickr Creative Commons License.

Creativity Culture: 7 Keys to Create Safe Open Engagement

Leaders and managers can do much to create a safe open place for everyone to engage and create.

  1. Create a simple powerful rule about respect.

    Respect is the key to feeling safe to engage, share, and create. In people skills global Twitter chat, we use one rule: Respect even when we disagree. Civility doesn’t weaken the message. It helps others to hear it.


  2. Listen!

    One of the strongest ways to show respect is to listen. It doesn’t mean obey; it doesn’t mean agree. It says respect for all.


  3. Ask questions to understand vs. judging people to discount ideas.

    We open our minds through questions and discussion. Assessing and deciding comes after that.



  4. Celebrate diversity.

    Applaud very different ideas. Appreciating diverse views doesn’t mean we agree. It means we are open to learning and creating.


  5. Moderate extremes.

    Moderation doesn’t mean mediocrity. It means balancing the needs of many in your creativity culture. If we see moderation as mediocrity, we seek excellence only in extremes — and miss the brilliance in between. Extremes spring up from strong vision and mission, predominance of any one personality type, and high pressure points.


  6. Encourage self-awareness.

    Help everyone identify their own pet peeves and own them. Help them see their talents and brilliance and share them. With this step, you replace a shortage mentality with one of abundance and curiosity.


  7. Identify slip ups early.

    The first six keys mean little if we don’t use them. This means spotting slip ups early on and calling everyone to a high level again.


Fostering a creativity culture where it’s safe to engage is not difficult. If we can bring strangers from around the globe every Sunday morning to engage in people skills Twitter chat, leaders and managers can surely foster the same thing in smaller teams. As long as they see it as important to interaction, they can make it happen.



Your View: What would you add to this list on creating safe open place to engage?



From my professional experience to your success,
Kate Nasser, The People Skills Coach™

Related Post:
Innovation Leadership: Make It Easier to Innovate Than to Complain
Moderation Doesn’t Mean Mediocrity
Leadership: Do You Seek Excellence Only in Extremes?

©2015 Kate Nasser, CAS, Inc. Somerville, NJ. I appreciate your sharing the link to this post on your social streams. However, if you want to re-post or republish the content of this post, please email info@katenasser.com for permission and guidelines. Thank you for respecting intellectual capital.


Kate Nasser, The People Skills Coach™, delivers coaching, consulting, training, and keynotes on leading change, employee engagement, teamwork, and delivering the ultimate customer service. She turns interaction obstacles into interpersonal success. See this site for workshop outlines, keynote footage, and customer results.

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Engage in people skills learning!

Let’s turn interaction obstacles into business success in leadership, teamwork, and customer service experience.

I invite your questions, welcome your wisdom, and look forward to working with you.
~Kate Nasser, The People Skills Coach™

2 Responses to “Creativity Culture: 7 Keys to Creating Safe Place to Engage | #peopleskills”

  1. Mayada abuaffan says:

    People do not engage unless they feel safe and they are part of the whole; part of the team , have sense of belonging to the team/ organisation and the common cause/ vision

    • Kate Nasser says:

      Very true Mayada … so pleased this post caught your interest and that you added your view.

      Hope you will subscribe and contribute your perspective often.

      Best wishes,
      Kate

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