In mentoring, I've found strategies to foster creativity in teams resistant to change: Short-Term: Highlight Innovations: Remind team members of successful unconventional approaches. Express Positive Expectations: Commend innovative methods, e.g., "I thought you'd take this route, but your approach was better." Long-Term: Encourage Multiple Solutions: Ask for 2–3 solutions per problem to boost flexibility. Promote Creative Challenges: Motivate creating puzzles and indirect questions to stimulate unconventional thinking. By fostering a safe environment that values exploration, teams can transition from traditional methods to innovative practices. #Leadership #Innovation #CreativeThinking #TeamDevelopment #Mentorship

One approach I’ve found particularly effective is to start with active listening, not just hearing, but truly listening to understand. This includes reading between the lines to grasp what isn’t being said but needs to be understood. Resistance often masks deeper concerns, and until you uncover those underlying issues, you’re working with surface symptoms, not root causes. It’s also important not to treat the team as a homogenous group. Each person may have a unique reason for their resistance, whether it's fear, a skills gap, past negative experiences, or simply fatigue. Recognising their individuality allows you to tailor your approach. Be prepared for the reality that not everyone will come on the journey. And that’s okay.

If you're a true team leader who stands with your team during tough times, they’re more likely to listen and adapt to change. When your team knows you’ll support them through challenges, they trust you—and that trust makes change easier. But if you only assign tasks and leave them to struggle alone, they’ll naturally resist change because it feels risky and unsupported. Also, it's important to clearly show what’s in it for them. Whether it's learning new skills, making work more efficient, or gaining some other benefit, people need to see how change helps them personally. That’s what drives real engagement and creative thinking.

To inspire creative thinking in a resistant team, I first address the root concerns—fear of failure, unclear direction, or comfort in routine. I involve them in the change process, showing how new ideas can complement, not replace, their experience. Real examples of successful shifts help build trust. I ensure early adopters are recognized, turning them into motivators for others. Clear goals, space to experiment, and visible appreciation make creative thinking feel safe and rewarding. This approach gradually shifts mindset from resistance to ownership.

Primero, crea un entorno donde las ideas fluyan sin miedo al juicio. Promueve sesiones de brainstorming donde cada propuesta sea bienvenida. Incentiva el aprendizaje continuo y muestra ejemplos de empresas que han triunfado gracias a la innovación. ¡La inspiración llega cuando ven que el cambio trae beneficios reales! Luego, asigna desafíos que obliguen a pensar fuera de lo habitual. Introduce dinámicas creativas como juegos de roles o talleres interactivos. Celebra cada intento de innovación, incluso si no resulta perfecto. Cuando el equipo siente apoyo y entusiasmo, el pensamiento creativo se convierte en una cultura. ¡Es cuestión de despertar curiosidad y confianza!

1. Create a Safe Space Encourage all ideas without judgment to foster creativity. 2. Use Constraints Set challenges like “solve this in 2 hours with no budget” to inspire innovative thinking. 3. Change the Environment Switch up locations—try walk-and-talk meetings or cafés to spark new ideas. 4. Lead by Example Show creativity through your own innovative ideas to inspire the team. 5. Celebrate Ideas Acknowledge bold suggestions publicly, regardless of their outcome, to encourage participation. 6. Flip Roles Assign unexpected roles in brainstorming to promote diverse perspectives.

Try a combination of the following techniques: 1. Create an environment where team members feel safe to express their ideas without fear of judgment. 2. Demonstrate your own willingness to embrace new ideas and take risks. 3. Start with small, low-risk experiments that allow the team to explore new ideas without significant consequences. 4. Acknowledge and reward innovative contributions, no matter how small. 5. Ensure that team members have the resources they need to develop and implement their ideas. 6. Encourage collaboration across different teams and disciplines. 6. Encourage team members to question existing processes and think about how things could be done differently.

Truth is most teams don’t resist change because they don’t care. They resist because change feels scary. Unknown. Uncomfortable. So before expecting creative thinking, we need to create safe thinking spaces. Spaces where... → Ideas aren’t judged. → No one feels silly for asking a question. → People feel like they belong even if they think differently. If you want a team that thinks differently, lead differently.

Two things that can help: 1. Create an environment where all thoughts are welcome. Each of these may not be part of the final plan, but they must be welcomed to the table, without judgment. 2. Play a few ice-breaker fun games to warm up the moods of the team players. A light heart helps to be open, candid, and non-reactive to what others are saying.

Eliminating micromanaging can give more agency to your team, also reflects trust. In the long run, it can aid the team to be inspired towards creative thinking. Positive reinforcement of newer, diverse ways of working or thinking will also cement that this is valued in the workplace.