Encouraging Creativity as a Project Manager

With tight budgets, strict deadlines and specific milestones to meet, creativity isn’t that the first thing to come to mind when thinking about project management, but those in the industry know that creative thinking and innovation is an integral part of being a successful project manager. While you should learn from past projects and build in paths to success, every project, and every team, is unique. As the rapid change we’ve seen as a result of the ongoing pandemic has underscored, new ways of working and building are not only welcome, they’re necessary. As a leader on a project, a key part of your role is encouraging creativity and fostering an environment in which it can thrive. In our industry specifically, this often looks like creating space for new ideas to be developed in a way that those ideas can actually be applied. Here are three ways to ensure your team is thinking outside the box.

Rethink team motivation

Project management is often “people management.” Keeping your team motivated during lulls in activity – or, conversely, when things are overwhelming – can be challenging when you have a mix of personalities in the group. Rethink how you can offer rewards and push your team to do its best. Rewards don’t have to be reserved for major milestones; find places to build incentives for more of the day-to-day creativity. If all reports come in on time that month thanks to work through challenges creatively, bring in a treat unannounced (or send one to a remote team). Did everyone surpass a goal ahead of time by approaching it in a new way? Offer an extra half day of PTO. Creating incentives throughout the project, not just at the end, can encourage team members to think creatively and solve problems on the fly.

Break down assumptions

While your team might already be using brainstorm sessions at the beginning of a project, you might be missing an opportunity to explore assumptions that can hinder the process. Two people with differing assumptions can have a conversation and come away with their individual perceptions strengthened, though the other had a different interpretation. These differences often won’t come into play until much later in a project, creating frustration. While scoping a project and brainstorming, explore each individual’s assumptions about different milestones and goals, and ask for differing views. The goal is to create an environment where these can be discussed objectively and set the stage for considering other viewpoints throughout the project work. Teams that are more accepting of diverse viewpoints are more creative, and thus more successful.

Celebrate the small things

Calling out successes of individual team members can boost morale and foster a positive atmosphere. They don’t have to be major achievements related to project work – celebrate the tiny things, too! If one team member came up with a way to creatively connect with the broader team and boost culture remotely, that is worth calling out. When someone streamlines a process for office housekeeping tasks, making the environment more harmonious for everyone, that deserves a mention. Encouraging your team to recognize and appreciate the small stuff can get them thinking about creative ways to break down the big things into more manageable pieces. This approach helps spotlight success when things feel overwhelming.

Project managers are responsible for much more than checking the boxes throughout a project’s journey. Fostering a culture of creativity team can have long-term benefits for project success, help you bring in new and diverse ideas and create a workplace where people come first. Regardless of industry, there are opportunities to get creative in your day-to-day project work.