Employees tend to get tunnel vision, focusing on their own daily work and not having the time or training to keep organizational strategy or “other department” goals in mind. Use these four creativity boosters to engage employees in sustainability efforts and keep them thinking outside of their cubicles.
Mix and Match
By pulling employees from different departments together for meetings or brainstorming sessions, you will see how different perspectives combined together may produce interesting results. Are you struggling to get recycling numbers up or having difficulty motivating employees to turn in critical data for sustainability reporting? Gather them in a room with folks they usually don’t work with and ask them to solve your problems for you. Shifting comfort zones and encouraging risk-taking may result in real progress.
Take Time to Play
Sitting behind a desk or in front of a machine all day can take put your brain into automation mode. For desk-bound employees, some companies set up an art station or a Lego block area to boost creativity. For engaging employees in sustainability, figure out how to put some fun into behavior change – Who can make the tallest paper recycling tower? Build a composting monster bin that “eats up” food waste. Host a competition for the team that comes up with a new way to save time, energy or materials in product production.
Ask the Kids
Another way to engage employees is to involve their kids. Freedom to create is part of a child’s mind, so posing adult problems to children can yield in very interesting results. Engage kids in a competition, either at home or through Bring Your Kids to Work Day. Problem solving competitions, design focus groups, or just plain old awareness campaigns using kid-created messaging will both engage employees in your effort and bring new insight to your sustainability team.