The Lack of Leadership Can Stifle Workplace Creativity August 11, 2020

Workplaces can be stifled due to high pressure and a lack of leadership skills, a new study has found that almost half of UK workplaces follow practices that are detrimental to employee empowerment and people’s ability to think creatively. The study also shows that 75% of workplaces lack the right environment for improvisation, which leads to workers feeling stressed and unsupported.

Employees were quizzed on their ability to be calm and think on their feet at work 41% of respondents acknowledged that the lack of time made available to spend on certain projects as the biggest setback. Unrealistic expectations were second on that list at 33% followed by a poor workplace culture (25%). Other things on that list were; the lack of understanding from a manager and a lack of support from colleagues.

When asked about the impacts of a negative and positive leadership, 53% of people said that they didn’t like being placed in the spotlight during meetings by their manager, though 38% did also say that they felt empowered and relaxed when trusted to make important decisions.

The data collected from this study shows that as an employer, you must aim to build a workplace culture, and an environment that fosters successful improvisation is essential to the success of your business. Employees should always feel comfortable in their abilities, and never be thrown off by and questions or problems that may arise, they should be able to face creative tasks without fear of repercussions from more senior members of staff.

It is extremely important to feel safe at work, in order to contribute to original ideas without the feeling of being judged or getting something wrong. Organisations should practice cultivating a safe environment for brainstorming and have a clear process for moving innovation forward, this aids a healthy workplace culture where all employees feel valued.

Leadership styles must not be rigid, leadership is linked to solving problems which requires constant balancing and rebalancing. Managers should always look into the various ways of helping their workforce manage stress, think more clearly and offer new and exciting ideas in order to deliver to the best of their ability.

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