Unleashing creativity in business

Creativity, the art of creating new ideas, imaginations and possibilities, is at the centre of everything.

An idea could result in the designing of a piece of furniture or building. Unlike children, adults tend to lose their creativity edge and to restore that, they need to adapt to the context of a changing environment.

“The ability to tap into the child in you unleashes creativity – believe in the art of possibilities and innovation would follow,” said Dr Alistair Mokoena, author, seasoned executive and former country director at Google SA.

Dr Mokoena spoke at the Gibs Women Meet Arts Conference 2024 on 6 August. The conference aimed at helping women master creative intelligence and leadership and covered topics including fostering a culture of creativity, leveraging design thinking for innovation and balancing creativity with sustainability.
In his keynote address, Dr Mokoena said that harnessing creative intelligence for business innovation has become more important now than ever.

“We live in a dynamic, uncertain world with many moving parts and challenges. To thrive, we need to adapt, and we have a responsibility to create solutions for challenges we constantly encounter,” said Dr Mokoena.

He gave an example of harnessing the power of technology and its transformative results on the effectiveness of business operations and the productivity of teams wherever they are. Before the global Covid-19 pandemic, it was unthinkable that a whole organisation could function remotely, but technology has shown us the possibilities and more.

Dr Mokoena said fostering creativity in organisations leads to new ideas and solutions to client problems. This can be achieved in various ways including embracing diverse teams, having an open culture where teams are encouraged to experiment.

“For teams to fully unleash creativity and innovation, they need to know they operate from safe spaces to express their ideas, thus providing collaborative opportunities. Organisations must also recognise these efforts and reward innovative thinking," said Dr Mokoena.

Creating a culture of creativity

During a panel discussion on creating a culture of creativity, panellists discussed strategies that organisations can use to encourage innovative thinking among team members, and the role of creativity in the success of an organisation.

Panellists emphasised the importance of leadership in nurturing a creative environment and how these can be applied in various sectors of the economy.
According to research done by Lucy Voss-Price, group head of learning at Standard Bank, adults like children do play. However, they need certain pre-conditions which require the protection of a frame.

For adults [teams] to play, they need to know that the whole group is playing, and organisations need to create safe places for teams to engage and interact. Secondly, adults need props to play. Playing is not always fun. There are dominant and less dominant teams they come up with creative and innovative ideas. Organisations and leaders need to acknowledge this to enhance play. Thirdly, she said rituals like checking in on how teams are doing keeps everyone motivated and on track.

Prof Nthabiseng Ogude, CEO of FALF (Female Academic Leaders Fellowship) believes creativity comes from the inside. From an education perspective, she said creativity is not art – it is a powerful data-driven approach about students from the first time they walk into a university campus until they graduate.
“Unleashing creativity in students is a collective effort – when everyone from security guard at the campus gate to chancellor fully understands their role in shaping the life of a young person and sparking creativity – success is achieved.”

Creativity in creative arts

In broadcasting, radio, theatre and streaming industries creativity is alive and looks different depending on context and dynamics. Broadcaster, Pabi Moloi said South Africa is the most creative nation – in most situations there is always a song, a meme or dance that helps the country cope or have fun. “In broadcast, I am not a team leader – I am a facilitator who provides a platform for diverse audiences to share their insights and experience. I have respect for people’s views, and this is an important element of facilitating conversations,” said Moloi. She said when a platform has the how to play rules and boundaries, people are willing to play.

For Mathe Okaba, deputy chairperson, MAC (marketing, advertising and communication), creativity is about a common understanding among teams. Moreover, it’s about diversity and inclusion of different perspectives.

Talking about her experiences during her time at the SABC, Okaba said working together towards a common goal was the winning recipe. In broadcasting, creativity is about a compelling proposition and packaging of a programme. A well-packaged programme is perceived to have value – audiences flock to it and this is a win for any creative team.

“Creativity means to create – it is an idea and is at the centre of everything we do,” said Okaba.

Tshiamo Mokgadi-Ngema, CEO of the Market Theatre said creativity is leading teams into a creative journey with space to experiment. Talking of her experience as a newly appointed CEO, she said they were in the first of the five-year plan when the Covid-19 pandemic hit.

Quickly realising that the context had changed, and that they still had targets to achieve as per the plan, they needed to work closely with teams to come up with innovative ways to stay on track. “Creativity is thinking out of the box, creating space to experiment and partnering with others in similar situations to find a solution to a common problem,” said Mokgadi-Ngema.

When former Africa head of partnerships at Showmax, Tumelo Chaka joined the organisation, he quickly realised he needed to reshape his thinking to change the narrative. Showmax, an online subscription video-on-demand service offering series, movies, documentaries, kids’ shows, and Premier League games caters to diverse audiences on the African continent. “To continuously cater for these audiences requires diverse teams and understanding the nuances of consumer behaviour,” he said.

Pivoting in creativity

Chaka said in any career choice or business, it is important to watch and observe the people you admire in that field. “It is also critically important to work hard so you can lay claim on your work as this will enable the pivot.”

Voss-Price said there are various ways to approach one’s career growth and mentorship can be helpful depending on what kind of pivot one is looking for.
“It’s important to acknowledge that transformation requires discipline. Creativity is not just permission to do what you want – it is a set of adjusted rules and requires stepping into different roles for a learning experience.”

Knowing your strengths often leads to igniting creativity daily as is the case with Moloi. Throughout her career, what drives her to do what she does is the feeling she gets – she loves the rigour or broadcast – the research and the space to experiment gives her thrilling moments daily. “I love the space I am in in talk media – I know my strengths, and this drives my creativity.”

Dr Mokoena said creativity is an important element in any organisation as it drives problem solving and innovation – the essence of bringing new and effective into the market. He recalls that during his time at Ogilvy there came at time when they needed to find innovative ways to cut costs, make money to pay their top employees top dollar.

The exercise required teams to look at their areas of work and increase efficiencies. “If a client is paying for an hour’s job, there is no need to put in three hours – don’t over craft, overservice – it’s a waste of time. What is free to you is a cost to another person,” said Dr Mokoena.

15 servings of innovative culture

Dr Mokoena said creativity comes at a price – organisations need to understand what they invest in and the returns. Organisations can leverage creative intelligence to drive innovation by encouraging experimentation and embracing calculated risk-taking to spur business growth and competitiveness. He said people look for relevance, and everyone has intelligence and creativity. By integrating creativity into business practices, organisations can enhance their competitive edge and inspire engaged and motivated workforces.

Dr Mokoena shares some insights on self-effectiveness in harnessing creative intelligence for business innovation: