Cultivating a Climate of Creativity
by Janel Stewart, Project Manager Extraordinaire
As any business traveler will tell you on a flight or hotel elevator ride, the travel part of their job is often filled with discomfort—from inconveniences to downright indignities. In addition to the flight delays, lumpy hotel beds and sub-par eateries, stepping into a new process that may be far from their expertise can be uncomfortable.
Because our clients have invested time, money and personal sacrifice, I am motivated to find ways to eliminate the distractions of discomfort to maintain their focus on the goals of the project. And that’s where the Ideas To Go support team really shines.
When planning a project, I go by three rules of thumb:
1. Ask
2. Anticipate
3. Provide
Anticipating a client’s needs is helpful, but knowing exactly what they want is far more effective. We ask our clients before they arrive about any food preferences, allergies or other needs that they may have while in our facility. This has involved anything from finding a kosher caterer to creating a private room for new mothers. Then, I think about my traveling experiences and what the little annoyances and niceties were. Finally, I make sure to offer these things in our facility during a project.
I also try to speak to the senses, including sight, taste and touch.
So many facilities and conference rooms are drab and boring, while others are distractingly “out there.” We’ve thought of that! To engage visually, the ITG facilities are designed to be comfortable and visually stimulating without being jarringly wacky or whimsical. The muted color palate sets a mindset ready to create without the clutter of someone else’s “creativity.” That is to say, we provide a canvas, paint and brushes for our clients to paint their picture.
Hunger diminishes your ability to think clearly, but just feeding hunger will not sustain energy. And without sustained energy, enthusiasm drains and negativity—or worse, the “I don’t care” attitude—can creep into session. We’ve thought of that! When we built our FL facility, Eden McEwan, FL Facility Manager, sought out caterers who could provide customized meals that not only feed clients but also stimulate ideas and sustain positive energy. Eden formed an ongoing relationship with a personal chef who now caters most of our projects. We have heard a client say, “We come for the ideas but we return for the food!”
Physical comfort is also important. If you are sitting for 8 hours in a chair that causes back pain, generating the next great idea becomes less important than dreaming of your heating pad or that deep tissue massage. We’ve thought of that! Each of our facilities feature Herman Miller chairs, which are specially designed for maximum comfort and easily adjustable to suit each person.
These are just a few of the many way we try to lessen the impact of distractions and provide an environment that supports productivity and creativity in each session.