The leadership team had been trying to get the horse to move from a box labeled “mis-communication” to an area designated as “productivity” for at least 15 minutes — they pushed, pulled and coaxed to no avail.Each brainstorming session led to minimal movement and a tendency to get stuck doing the same things over and over again. The horse was confused and irritated, and the participants were getting frustrated.When we paused to process the experience what became apparent was that some people had been inauthentic in their participation, going through the motions rather than fully engaging, or had been holding back their ideas for fear of looking foolish. Creativity was blocked and the horse was picking up on the incongruence in the group — it became evident that this was one of the issues holding back innovation and productivity in their organization.
As the discussion continued, the group dynamic began to shift — instead of subtly turning to the CEO for affirmation, people began to communicate more freely and were vigorously sharing ideas. They even agreed to try several different plans.In a final gesture of connection and congruence, the group decided to hold hands and acknowledge their differences while coming together with focus and commitment to moving the horse. This time it didn’t take much for the horse to move into “productivity!”The freedom and safety to authentically problem-solve created a huge shift in the group and in their efficiency.The team found that not only did they feel good and reach a deeper level of connection, but taking the time to share ideas and value input actually ended up taking less time and being more productive in the long run.
What steps can you take to nurture creativity and create a safer, more authentic environment at work? With family? With friends?