You are a product of your environment
In human history creativity was considered as something that came from muses; (9 Greek goddesses reside on art and science); it was about sparks of awareness from a new world. Many believe that creativity is a “gift” and now modern research shows that creativity is improvable and reliant on your upbringing and social conditions and area precise. Many psychologists and neuro-scientists are working to recognize mental processes active during the creative process and today we know that creativity is something that happens in the brain. Studies of the last few years suggest that delicate signs in our physical environment dramatically effect creative output.
A study published in Science by Juliet Zhu and her team of researchers from the University of British Columbia recruited six hundred subjects and tasked them with several basic cognitive tests that required either an analytic approach or a more creative mindset. The crucial part of the experiment was that the tests were lead on computer screens with red, blue, or neutral backgrounds. Did the color of the screen matter?
Yes, the differences were obvious. Computer screens with a red background increased performance on logical and analytical tasks including memory recapture and editing. On the other hand, blue computer screens enhanced performance on creative tasks. Why? Zhu claims that red unconsciously stimulates the brain to think more consciously and analytically because it’s associated with things such as stop signs, emergency vehicles and danger. On the opposite side, blue is related with the sky, ocean and peace and calmness – things that inspire more free-flowing and investigative mindset.
Similarly this brings me to a brand new study by Zhu and her colleagues Ravi Mehta and Amar Cheema released in the Journal of Consumer Research. The psychologists were involved to find out how several levels of sound affect creativity. To further investigate, researchers blended sounds from a cafeteria, roadside traffic and detached construction noise to create an ambient sound typical of feasting circumstances such as a shopping mall or grocery store. The participants listened to the noise, which came from speakers in the room, while they solved the RAT. The psychologists found that, “a significant main effect of noise level on RAT performance such that respondents in the moderate-noise condition generated more correct answers than those in the low-noise high-noise or control conditions.” The more classical and instrumental categories of music are best for permitting creative juices to flow without too much noise or lyrics to disrupt our thinking.
The higher point of this research is that there are simple things we can do to enhance our creativity: blue rooms and a moderate amount of noise for example. It also suggests that creativity doesn’t arrive to us from the muses; it’s a skill carried out by certain parts of the brain that are inclined by certain aspects of the physical environment. Furthermore, creativity is improvable; it’s not kept for certain people and certain brains. Scientists now say that if working environment allows you to feel comfortable and you can trust those around you, your creativity will flourish and allow you to get the most from your right brain. Elements can easily be manipulated, allowing us to get the most out of revealing our creative minds, such as scientific factor of environmental and physical elements. Both these elements are stimulated by using both sides of our brains like intensity of light, temperature and noise in an environment you are sitting.
Harward business school professor Tarisa Ama Bile designed a tool – creative environment scale– to focus on factors that drive the element of creative ideas on workplace. Conclusion of her life’s work is ‘’Social environment effects your motivation and motivation effects your creativity’’
It is commonly believed that too many distractions can be bad in a working environment, however sometimes the best creative thinking happens when your mind is not forced into sitting down to the same tasks for hours on end, and taking a break allows ideas to come more easily. To sit and stare at four blank walls all day would do the right side of our brains no good at all, so having mood boards, collections of inspiring work, and ideas walls around you will help boost creativity. People need to be physically and psychologically comfortable to let their minds to relax and stretch. Relaxed seating, space to move around, and a pleasant temperature can all complement a creative environment.
Today, Smart business leaders know that work environment has a huge impact on employee performance too. Since this involves creative business strategies, creative solutions to business problems, or creative changes to job processes. Creativity-relevant skills refer to the aptitude to think creatively (e.g., to create replacements, think outside the box, swing decision). These skills can contain any problem-solving method that helps one come up with different solutions. Whereas, they often sensibly design and promote an environment that supports employee performance and strengthens the corporate culture.
You may adore your open seating arrangement and flourish on stretchy timings, but your staff may not feel the same way. While there is nothing wrong with expecting employees to follow to your office culture, if you start losing good workers, it may be time to reconsider the work environment that you propose. So it is vital to give them a surrounding and environment that involves them and keep their minds constantly inspired.
IBM engaged 1500 COs of different companies and issued a report based on their decision which says ‘’Creativity is most critical leadership quality. COs should create such an organization which is catalyst for creativity’’.