Reviewed by Prof Nathan Crilly.

Creativity is the secret ingredient that helps businesses thrive. The ability to think differently, tackle complex problems and adapt quickly is crucial to any organisation. The most successful businesses don’t leave creativity to chance – they embed it into their culture, ensuring that innovation isn’t an occasional spark but a smooth-running engine. The data speaks for itself: companies that prioritise creativity see higher productivity, more engaged employees and, ultimately, greater commercial success. According to research by McKinsey(Opens in a new window), companies that integrate creativity into their operations deliver at least two times the growth of their peers.

Yet, despite its clear advantages, creativity remains an abstract concept in many workplaces – championed in theory but constrained in practice. The challenge isn’t just about generating ideas; it’s about creating an environment where those ideas can thrive. So how do you promote creativity in a way that drives real business impact? Professor Nathan Crilly – academic lead of the Cambridge Advance Online course on Creativity, Problem Solving and Design Thinking – shares five game-changing strategies that leading organisations use to unlock innovation – from fostering psychological safety and structured techniques for creative thinking to leveraging technology and cross-functional collaboration.

1. Create a culture of psychological safety

Creativity thrives in an environment where people feel safe to think boldly, speak freely and even encounter occasional failures. Psychological safety is the foundation underpinning some of the world’s most innovative companies.

In essence, when employees know their ideas won’t be met with ridicule, a loss of status or career-limiting consequences, they’re more likely to take risks and push boundaries. And that’s where real innovation happens.

A two-year workplace study at (Opens in a new window) revealed that a culture of psychological safety was essential to the tech giant’s most successful teams. Employees are encouraged to experiment fearlessly and embrace failure as a stepping stone to breakthroughs. This kind of open, risk-friendly culture has kept Google at the cutting-edge of innovation for more than 25 years.

The numbers back up this approach to creative teamwork too – according to research by (Opens in a new window), companies with higher psychological safety could see a 12% boost in productivity. That’s a serious competitive advantage.

‘Creativity and innovation require doing new things, which means sometimes getting things wrong and learning from that,’ advises Professor Crilly in How to improve problem-solving skills in your business.

So how do you create a safe and supportive environment?

• Foster open dialogue

  where ideas flow freely, without fear of judgement.

• Encourage risk-taking

  – and celebrate the lessons learned from failure.

• Recognise creative contributions

  regardless of the outcome.

For more information, explore these in the Harvard Business Review about how to foster psychological safety in your own team.

2. Implement structured creative thinking techniques in business

Creativity isn’t always about a flash of genius – it’s a skill that can be developed through structured approaches and processes, according to Professor Crilly. While spontaneous ideas have their place, so to do proven creative thinking techniques that can help everyone to systematically generate, refine and implement fresh business ideas.

‘It helps to have a broad sequence of creative activities that you work through that lead you from messy situations or complex problems towards well-defined creative solutions,’ explains Professor Crilly. ‘Having different steps you take or stages you work through can be reassuring and prevents teams from jumping straight to solutions without understanding the problem.’

Learn more about Professor Crilly’s approach to problem solving in this exclusive interview with Cambridge Advance Online.

To boost creativity in your business, Professor Crilly suggests identifying and learning some key creative tools and techniques: ‘There are many of these tools, often unhelpfully given strange names that are hard to understand or remember,’ he says. ‘However, these tools and techniques exist to help overcome some of our natural tendencies to think in constrained ways. Applying the right tools at the right stages can widen the range of ideas we develop and explore, permitting more creative solutions.’

Professor Crilly explores some of these tools and techniques in more detail in his world-leading course. From reframing problems to brainstorming solutions, and from open-ended approaches like analogical reasoning to more structured approaches like the SCAMPER(Opens in a new window) technique (see below), these all provide supportive ways to break free from conventional thinking.

This list is typically presented with seven items that spell out SCAMPER, but the Cambridge Advance Online course explores a more comprehensive ten-item version.

US advertising executive Alex Osborn, in his seminal book Applied Imagination: Principles and Procedures of Creative Thinking, claimed that well-prepared brainstorming sessions can increase creative output by up to 50%. Since then, group idea generation sessions have become widespread, with various refinements suggested to get the most from them. Take Pixar’s(Opens in a new window) “braintrust” meetings, where teams present the latest iterations of ideas and movies in progress and receive candid, constructive feedback from their colleagues. These sessions are a perfect example of creativity in business – ensuring creative concepts are pushed further and improved. This way of working has been essential to the company’s consistent production of groundbreaking films, from Toy Story to WALL-E and Finding Nemo.

‘Try out creative approaches on projects and environments in which the pressures are not too high or the deadlines too tight,’ advises Professor Crilly. ‘This lets you practise developing and refining creative ideas without worrying about the consequences. Creativity can be developed and practised everywhere – not just in the workplace.’

In essence, treat creativity as a structured, iterative process, not just a moment of inspiration. When teams have the right tools and frameworks in place, innovation can become a repeatable, scalable outcome.

How to promote creativity and encourage creativity in the workplace:

• Follow a clear creative process to guide ideation

  – start by fully exploring a problem before jumping to solutions. Approaches like design thinking and systems thinking help teams examine ideas from different angles.

• Use the right tools at the right time

  – mind mapping software like Miro or XMind can help visualise connections between different aspects of a problem or solution, while research, prototyping and testing can push beyond typical solutions.

• Create a low-risk environment for experimentation

  – try new techniques on lower-stakes projects first to build confidence and capability. Focus on what you learn from trying out new ideas, rather than simply focussing on whether the ideas worked or not.

3. Encourage cross-functional collaboration

As highlighted in the Pixar example above, the most groundbreaking ideas rarely emerge from one single team or department – instead they develop when diverse perspectives collide. Cross-functional teams, made up of colleagues from different disciplines and with diverse expertise and seniority, bring a broader range of skills, experiences and viewpoints to the table. This diversity in turn fuels creative problem-solving and innovation – and helps to boost creativity.

Research by Professor Crilly presented in his book Design Thinking and Other Approaches: How Different Disciplines See, Think and Act people from diverse backgrounds see different kinds of problems and approach them from different perspectives. Combining these perspectives and approaches can help to unlock innovation. To use a well-worn phase, team work really can make the dream work!

‘Because team members must effectively work through a collaborative process, it is often team performance that matters, not just a collection of individual performances,’ says Professor Crilly.

Apple(Opens in a new window) is a prime example of cross-functional collaboration in action. The company doesn’t just rely on engineers to create its products; engineers, designers, marketers and software developers work together from the start to shape every aspect of devices like the iPhone and MacBook. This holistic, cross-functional approach ensures that Apple’s products are not only technologically advanced but also seamlessly designed and ready to take to market.

‘If the group is coordinated around a common vision of their objectives, their capabilities and their values, the creative work is a means for individuals to contribute to something bigger than themselves,’ emphasises Professor Crilly.

How to boost cross-functional creativity:

• Form diverse teams

  to tackle creative projects from multiple perspectives or bring in different outsiders at critical moments.

• Facilitate collaboration

  through workshops, ideation sessions and regular cross-team meetings.

• Encourage diversity of thought

  by combining different skill sets – problem finders, analytical thinkers and problem-solvers.

4. Provide time and space for creative exploration

Creativity flourishes when employees have the freedom to step outside their usual routines and explore fresh ideas. Innovation needs space to breathe. That’s why some of the most forward-thinking companies, like 3M, have adopted a policy known as “15% time(Opens in a new window)”, where employees are encouraged to spend a portion of their work hours on projects unrelated to their primary roles. This approach has led to groundbreaking inventions, such as the iconic Post-It note, which came to life during one of these creative explorations.

But it’s not just about time – it’s about the environment too. Physical spaces designed with creativity in mind can significantly boost idea generation. By creating open workspaces, collaborative hubs and quiet zones, some of the most forward-thinking companies have curated an environment that inspires creativity and innovation. It’s when employees are given the freedom to roam and brainstorm in spaces that encourage openness and reflection that great ideas emerge naturally.

How to cultivate a culture of creativity:

• Allow employees dedicated time

  to explore ideas outside their normal work.

• Design your workplace

  to include spaces that encourage collaboration and free-thinking.

• Host creative retreats or innovation

  days that challenge employees to think outside of the box.

5. Leverage technology to drive innovation

In today’s business landscape, technology can also be a catalyst for creativity. With the rise of AI-powered innovation platforms, collaboration tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams and cloud-based solutions, technology is transforming how teams connect, communicate and collaborate. In fact, recent research from PwC(Opens in a new window)predicted that companies integrating AI tools into their workflows would experience 20-30% gains in productivity. This highlights just how essential these digital tools can be in fostering an environment where innovation thrives.

Take IBM, for instance. The company uses its AI platform, Watson(Opens in a new window), to help in solving complex problems. By analysing vast amounts of data, Watson helps teams to uncover patterns and generate creative solutions that human minds might miss. This integration of cutting-edge technology into the creative process has allowed IBM to remain at the forefront of innovation in its industry for many years.

How to harness the power of technology for creativity:

• Use collaborative platforms

  to foster seamless communication and idea-sharing.

• Incorporate AI and emerging technologies

  to assist in problem-solving and exploring new solutions.

• Invest in training

  to ensure employees can leverage digital tools effectively, boosting both creativity and productivity.

Conclusion

As this article has highlighted, creativity is a skill – and, like any other skill, it needs practise, structure and the right kind of environment to thrive. The most innovative companies, as we’ve seen, actively nurture creativity by fostering psychological safety, using structured ideation techniques, encouraging cross-functional collaboration and leveraging technology.

But unlocking creativity isn’t a one-time effort. As Professor Crilly reminds us: ‘Keep challenging yourself and practising. Like most inclinations, skills and abilities, creativity should be something we are continuously working on.’

The good news is that, with the right training, creativity can be learned and strengthened. It’s with this in mind that Professor Crilly’s course is designed to provide the tools, techniques and strategies to help you and your colleagues think more creatively, solve problems in new ways and drive innovation within your organisation.

‘The ability to undertake creative work is influenced by knowledge of the processes, perspectives and tools that are available, and also confidence in one’s creative abilities,’ says Professor Crilly in this Q&A, which gives more detail about what to expect from his award-winning course. ‘The content and structure of the course are targeted at enhancing these aspects of knowledge and confidence,’ he adds.

In fact, 92% of past learners on Professor Crilly’s course feel more confident in their current role after the course and have gone on to apply their newly acquired knowledge to their current positions, as shared in our recent course webinar(Opens in a new window).

Don’t miss out – enrol on Creativity, Problem Solving and Design Thinking through Cambridge Advance Online today.

Find out more about the benefits of lifelong learning in this Cambridge Advance Online article.