Promoting Creative Thinking in BPO Teams

Loose Change For over a year, there was a pile of coins sitting on the microwave in our office kitchen. It wasn’t intentional. It wasn’t labeled. It wasn’t even particularly noticeable at first. Just… loose change. But something started happening. People began to arrange it. One day it was a smiley face. Another day it was Pac-Man chasing quarters like pellets. I once found a golf flag, complete with a cup. Then someone made the United States. A Christmas tree. A DNA strand. A coffee mug. And I started taking pictures. Not just because it was clever. But because it was revealing. It wasn’t just the designers doing it. The art came from all corners—our business development team, digital analysts, account managers, admins. Anyone with a creative urge and a few free minutes. Sometimes they'd own it. Other times it was anonymous, like a secret Banksy operating next to the breakroom. You’d walk in to make a coffee, and there it was: a new tiny masterpiece, reshaped from something so ordinary. And it reminded me of something profound: Creativity doesn’t require permission. It just needs space. The same way those coins turned into collaborative, ever-evolving art, our best brainstorms happen when people feel safe to play, imagine, and maybe look a little silly. I’ve shared things in brainstorms I probably wouldn’t have anywhere else—random ideas, weird analogies, personal stories—and they’ve led to some of the best thinking we’ve done. Vulnerability unlocks connection. And connection unlocks ideas. Loose change turned into an interactive art exhibit. Loose thoughts, when shared, turn into innovation. Want to free your team’s thinking? Start with questions that force perspective: --If you had 50% of your time free for the next year, where would you spend it to make the biggest difference in the business? --What’s one bold idea your competitors couldn’t claim if you made it real? --If your company burned to the ground and you could only restart with three people—who would you take, and why? Now ask: are those traits present in everyone around you? Let your team play. Let them explore. Let their version of coin art show up in ways you couldn’t plan for. Because the most valuable currency in any business isn't cash— it’s the freedom to think.

Diversity isn’t just about backgrounds. It’s about how people think. When I first started building the team at Compt, I was determined to bring in a diverse group. I wanted to make sure we didn’t end up in a room where everyone was thinking the same way. I’ve seen firsthand how that can be a disaster for business, culture, and honestly, for just about everything. You can’t just cram people into the mold you've set. Instead, you need to step back and let them help shape it with you. So, how do you do that? 👉Encourage new perspectives and actually make space for them:  If you keep saying "think outside the box" but then shove everyone right back into a rigid process, you’re not really encouraging anything. Let your team try out new ideas, even if it means they go off script. Trust me, it’s worth it. 👉Create hybrid workflows:  One-size-fits-all processes are lazy. Some tasks need structure. Others need room to breathe. Let your team pick what works best for them and for the project. 👉Set up regular feedback loops:  Check in with your team often. Not just about deadlines but about how they’re working, how they feel, and if they need more freedom or more structure. If you’re not asking, you’re missing the point. 👉Celebrate different thinking styles:  If someone is coming up with wild ideas, don’t shut it down. Recognize and reward it. Create a culture where risk-taking and creative thinking are part of the job description. So you've hired different people. Great. But you need to do more. You have to create an environment where people can think differently. That’s how you unlock innovation and make your team unstoppable.

Ever found yourself facing a team that might not naturally be considered "creative," but you know deep down there's untapped potential waiting to be ignited? That's where the real magic happens – when you transform a group of individuals into a powerhouse of innovation! Here are a few strategies to nurture creativity in even the most unexpected places: 1️⃣ Diverse Perspectives: Embrace the beauty of diversity within your team. Different backgrounds, experiences, and skill sets can create a melting pot of ideas that spark innovation. 2️⃣ Encourage Curiosity: Cultivate a culture of questioning and curiosity. Challenge your team to explore the "what ifs" and "whys" to uncover new solutions. 3️⃣ Collaborative Storming: Gather your team for brainstorming sessions. Fostering an environment where no idea is too outrageous encourages free thinking and inspires unique concepts. 4️⃣ Cross-Pollination: Encourage your team to draw inspiration from unrelated fields. Sometimes, the most innovative solutions come from connecting seemingly unrelated dots. 5️⃣ Empower Ownership: Give individuals ownership of projects and allow them to take creative risks. When people feel their ideas matter, they're more likely to contribute their creative juices. 6️⃣ Learning from "Fails": Embrace failure as a stepping stone to success. Encourage your team to share their failures and lessons learned – these experiences often lead to innovative breakthroughs. 7️⃣ Structured Creativity: Implement frameworks like Design Thinking or Ideation Workshops. These structured approaches can guide your team to think creatively within a defined framework. 8️⃣ Celebrating Small Wins: Recognize and celebrate every small burst of creativity. This positive reinforcement encourages more innovative thinking. 9️⃣ Mentorship and Learning: Pair up team members with differing strengths. Learning from each other's expertise can lead to cross-pollination of ideas. 🔟 Lead by Example: Show your own passion for creativity. When your team sees your enthusiasm for innovation, it's contagious! Remember, creativity is not exclusive to certain roles or industries – it's a mindset that can be nurtured and cultivated. So, let's harness the potential within our teams, empower individuals to think outside the box, and watch as innovation unfolds before our eyes! #InnovationAtWork #whatinspiresme #culture #teamwork #CreativeThinking #TeamCreativity #LeadershipMindset #bestweekever

How are you currently promoting a culture of innovation within your team, and what steps could you take to make creative thinking a regular part of your team’s workflow? Innovation is the lifeblood of any successful organization. For new managers, fostering a culture of creativity and risk-taking within your team is essential for staying competitive and agile in today’s fast-paced business world. Just like a paper plane that flies with a simple but creative twist, innovative ideas don’t need to be complex to make a significant impact. When I first became a manager, I realized that my team needed encouragement to think creatively. I decided to implement “Innovation Fridays,” where we dedicated a portion of our time each week to brainstorming new ideas without the pressure of daily tasks. This simple shift led to unexpected solutions and greater team engagement. It taught me that creating a space for innovation is crucial, even in high-stakes environments. Here are three practical tips to foster innovation within your team: 🛠️Encourage Experimentation: Allow your team to test new ideas without the fear of failure. Innovation often requires taking calculated risks. Show your team that it’s okay to fail as long as they learn from it. 🥊Challenge the Status Quo: Regularly question existing processes and encourage your team to do the same. Ask open-ended questions that push them to think outside the box and propose alternative solutions. 🏆Recognize and Reward Creativity: Acknowledge innovative ideas, even if they’re small. By celebrating creativity, you build a positive reinforcement loop that encourages more team members to contribute new ideas. Remember, fostering innovation doesn’t require a huge budget or complex processes—sometimes, all it takes is a shift in perspective and a willingness to try something new. #innovation #creativity #learning #growthmindset

Think your team isn’t innovative enough? Neuroscience says the problem might be psychological safety. -- >> Here’s a fact: your team’s brain can’t innovate if it doesn’t feel safe. If employees are afraid to speak up, share bold ideas, or make mistakes, their brains literally shut down creativity. That’s where psychological safety comes in. When the brain feels safe, cortisol (stress hormone) goes down, and creativity goes up. The result? A team that isn’t just working—they’re innovating. 👇 Here’s the 3-Step Neuroscience-based Framework for Building Psychological Safety and Boosting Innovation: Step 1: Reduce Cortisol by Creating an Open Feedback Loop High cortisol levels kill creativity. When your team knows they can give and receive feedback without fear, their brains are free to take risks. 👉 Action Tip: Create an open feedback culture where ideas are exchanged without judgment. Make it clear—every voice matters. Step 2: Activate Oxytocin to Build Trust Oxytocin, the brain’s trust hormone, is the secret sauce to collaboration and innovation. You want your team to work together and trust each other? Build real relationships, not transactional ones. 👉 Action Tip: Encourage team-building moments that foster personal connection. People innovate more when they trust the people they’re with. Step 3: Reward Curiosity to Trigger Dopamine Dopamine drives motivation, and nothing triggers it like curiosity. If you reward exploration and creative thinking, your team will keep innovating. 👉 Action Tip: Recognize and reward not just the results but the process of coming up with new ideas. If your team isn’t innovating, don’t point fingers. Check the brain chemistry. Build psychological safety, lower stress, and watch creativity and innovation soar.

15 of 26. 💡 How I foster creative thinking in my team It’s not about sticky notes or brainstorm sessions. It’s about open, honest, day-to-day communication. Hopefully my team would say: - I’m direct when something can be improved - I give feedback from a place of support, not ego - And I genuinely want them to be the best they can be I’ll ask for their opinion regularly. I want to hear how they see a problem before I offer a perspective. Because let’s be honest; there’s rarely a “right” or “wrong” way to approach something. There’s just your way, my way, and a potential better way we haven’t explored yet. And if I ever get feedback in return, I listen. Not just politely, I actually take it on board. (If you ask people for input and then punish them for being honest, they’ll never do it again.) In the end, creativity comes from a culture where people feel safe to experiment, challenge things, and learn without fear of being wrong. That’s the environment I try to create. (Originally shared in a Q&A with 50Pros | Discover top agencies on agency leadership and culture.) #LeadershipStyle #TeamCulture #CreativeThinking 🖊️ I’m Dan Pala, Head of Sales at Eskimoz UK. If you like my posts, please follow, comment, like and reshare. It helps me a lot 🙌 .

Most leaders fall short by assuming that the best innovators are rare. They focus on hiring entrepreneurial hotshots and hope their energy and ideas will permeate the organization. This approach, however, is fundamentally flawed. True innovation doesn't rely on a few exceptional minds but rather on fostering an environment where every team member feels empowered to think creatively and contribute novel ideas. ➡️To build a culture of originality, start by creating opportunities and incentives for employees to continuously generate new ideas. Encourage employees across all functions and roles to push beyond the obvious solutions and explore unconventional possibilities. It's crucial to have the right people vetting these ideas. While generating ideas should be inclusive, evaluating them must be meritocratic. Some voices, due to their expertise and experience, should weigh more heavily in the decision-making process. ➡️Balancing cultural cohesion with creative dissent is another essential element. Encourage a healthy level of debate and challenge within the team, ensuring that diverse perspectives are heard and valued. This not only leads to better ideas but also fosters a more engaged and dynamic workforce. ➡️Volume begets quality. Research shows that being prolific in idea generation increases the chances of finding those truly groundbreaking solutions. Encourage your team to produce a high quantity of ideas without fear of failure. The more darts you throw, the better your odds of hitting a bull's-eye. ➡️Finally, think offensively rather than defensively. Challenge your team to imagine how competitors might outflank you and use this as a springboard for innovation. This proactive mindset can uncover opportunities and threats you hadn't considered, leading to more robust and forward-thinking strategies. How are you cultivating originality within your team? What strategies have you found effective in encouraging continuous innovation? Let me know in the comments. #culture #startups #originality

“𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭? 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝.” (Here’s the hard truth) ↳ We’ve optimized everything: systems, workflows, calendars. But in the process, we’ve accidentally optimized out the space to think. ↳ Most teams aren’t lacking tools. They’re lacking permission to experiment. ↳ And most leaders don’t need more answers. They need better questions — and the patience to listen. Efficiency is great for execution. But creativity is what drives evolution. And without innovation, speed just takes you to irrelevance faster. So, what actually fuels innovation in modern teams? 1️⃣ 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 → Constant output kills original thinking. → Give your people time to breathe, explore, and imagine. 2️⃣ 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 → When leaders say “What if?”, the whole team starts thinking bigger. 3️⃣ 𝐏𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐔𝐧𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐬 → The best innovations started as half-formed thoughts in safe rooms. 4️⃣ 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬-𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬 → True breakthroughs come when design, strategy, tech, and ops collide. 5️⃣ 𝐀 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐖𝐡𝐲, 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐅𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐰 → Lock in the vision. Loosen the execution. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫? When creativity leads → Innovation compounds. When leadership empowers → People contribute their best. When you stop chasing efficiency → You start creating value that lasts. 📌 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧���. That comes from people who feel free to explore. 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬. It’s a culture — led by those bold enough to slow down and think different. 💬 What’s one thing you’ve done to bring more creativity into your team? ♻️ Repost if you're ready to lead beyond the checklist. And follow ASHISH SHUKLA for weekly insights on leadership, creativity, and innovation strategy 🚀 artist: Thomas Deininger #creativity #leadership #innovation

Creative thinking is now officially a hard skill. But psychological safety is what unlocks it. The new World Economic Forum New Economy Skills 2025 report just validated something COMB has been solving for nine years: 💥💥💥 Creative thinking is the #1 hard skill for the future of work. Not coding. Not automation. Not even data analysis. Creative thinking. WEF emphasizes that in an AI-driven economy, companies win not by working harder but by thinking differently. AI can generate answers, but it cannot generate originality, intuition, or vision. Yet inside most organizations, creative thinking is the first capability to disappear. Last year, I worked with leaders at a large FMCG company; intelligent, capable, hardworking people. But when the market shifted abruptly, something became painfully obvious: 😪 Every idea sounded like a safer version of the last idea. 😪 Every strategy felt like a slightly edited version of last year's plan. 😪 Every conversation was shaped by fear of being wrong. They weren't being "uncreative." They were being unsafe. So I asked a simple question: "What is one idea you are afraid to say out loud?" Silence. Then a manager in the innovation department whispered something that cracked the room open: "Our biggest competitor isn't the brand we benchmark... It's the future customer we haven't learned to understand." Within 120 days, their innovation pipeline tripled. And suddenly the conversation shifted: 🚀 From fear → possibility 🚀 From compliance → imagination 🚀 From hierarchy → collaboration COMB has been solving this exact problem for nine years, long before WEF made it official. In fact, we coined the term "soft power skills" - resilience, self-awareness, adaptability, collaboration, and executive communication, and have been training teams and organizations in these capabilities across Indonesia and Singapore for nearly a decade. We build psychological safety so creativity can breathe. Because the neuroscience is clear: A brain in fear cannot innovate. A team without trust cannot imagine. A leader without safety cannot inspire. Our work across Indonesia and Singapore consistently produces the same transformation: 🙌 Leaders speak with more clarity 🙌 Teams contribute more breakthrough ideas 🙌 Collaboration deepens naturally 🙌 Cross-functional creativity increases 🙌 Innovation becomes effortless, not forced Companies that don't solve this in 2025 will spend 2026 watching competitors who did. AI can copy patterns, but it cannot create breakthroughs. Only safe, grounded humans can do that. Lead Beyond Yourself. Rise Beyond Limits. If your leadership team generates safe ideas instead of breakthrough ideas, what breakthrough is waiting to emerge when there is safety? 👉 Ready to unlock your team's creative thinking? Let's talk. #creativethinking #futureofwork #softpowerskills #teamperformance #innovation #cassandracoach

Three simple words can unlock a world of possibilities when you or your team get stuck on solving a problem: “How might we” I’ve found this to be a great tool when leading team meetings or solving stuck points with founders. Framing the conversation around questions like this can unlock creative solutions when no “obvious” solutions exist. Here’s why this works: 1. “How” signals we’re in exploration mode. It reinforces that we don’t have all the answers yet, encouraging multiple, innovative approaches. 2. “Might” suggests flexibility, that there are many paths to explore without committing to one fixed solution. 3. “We” brings in the collective mind. It shifts from individual problem-solving to the inclusive, shared responsibility of the group mind. Start with these simple swaps: “What should I do?” → “How might we…?” “I have no idea.” → “How might we…?” “I’m not sure how to get past this.” → “How might we…?” And some helpful guard rails: - Keep your HMW questions specific to the problem. - Stay broad enough to inspire multiple ideas. - Keep it positive to spark more possibilities. As a leader, I've found that using inclusive, positive language in business discussions where we need to get through a block can help liberate team creativity. Tough love can also help. Making a conscious effort to modulate your language in this way can help move your team past creative impasses and build more positive workspaces.