To truly take charge in this intrepid new workplace, leaders need to take a step back, reflect on the lessons learnt and design for the future.

Let’s explore a framework and ideas for hybrid working.

To start, an effective hybrid workplace takes effort. You need a clear strategy – one that adapts to individual and organisational needs found both inside and outside the office. These decisions will impact everything from your culture, how you attract and retain talent, how you respond to change and how you innovate. Organisations will need to make sure strategy underpins experimentation. Don’t be afraid to roll out new initiatives or encourage creative ideas within your organisation. Use data and your employee’s own engagement to gauge success. Learn and correct as you go.

To build successful hybrid working, organisations need to think about three things: People, process and place. Underpinning these are empathetic and motivated leaders, and secure, inclusive technology powered by the cloud.

1. People 

Your people are the heart of your business. And their wellbeing is critical. Over 70 percent of employees want flexible remote working to continue, while over 65 percent crave more in-person time with their teams. Hybrid working requires leaders to ensure employees have the flexibility to work when and where they want.

A successful hybrid organisation embeds empathetic leadership and prioritises individual wellbeing to help people focus and be their best. Almost half of the global workforce is likely to consider leaving their current employer this year. This means to stay competitive you need to take a people-first approach to your hybrid working strategy. At Microsoft, we’ve taken this approach, building wellbeing into our daily priorities, including implementing Wellbeing Days – additional paid time off for employees to focus on themselves.

The NHS took this approach when building its partnership with Microsoft. GPs, consultants, nurses, therapists, paramedics and support staff now have the digital tools to help them collaborate more effectively and access the information they need, when they need it.

 “Adopting the most up to date digital tools and operating systems are crucial for a modern day NHS – allowing staff to work as efficiently as possible which will deliver even better care for patients.” 

Matt Hancock, Secretary of State 

A major benefit to hybrid working is the growth you’ll see in your talent pool. Because job roles are no longer required to be near the office, you’ll attract more diverse talent. And with secure digital tools that improve accessibility, productivity and anywhere collaboration you will drive a more inclusive workplace. 

Building digital skills

And speaking of skills, underpinning the hybrid workplace is technology. Cloud-enabled devices and intelligent apps that support operations, collaboration, and productivity all require digital knowledge. Our research found that 63 percent of UK employees said they don’t have the digital skills needed to fulfil these roles. You can help start your employee’s learning paths on Microsoft Learn, and take advantage of on-demand training and events. 

Building your employee’s skills is essential. To keep your organisation competitive and innovative. To help your employees learn, reinvent and grow. And ultimately, to help our nation’s economy. This isn’t a one off. You need to implement an always–on culture of learning. This will help support employees and drive innovation.  

2. Process 

According to Accenture, organisations are focussing on digital transformation to the sum of $1.2 trillion globally, but are neglecting culture change. While technology can empower the hybrid working culture, it cannot create it. It needs to be a whole organisational shift. Leaders need to come together to unlock the data, expertise, and knowledge of the organisation.  

Equip employees with both digital skills and secure low/no code enterprise app technology to give them the autonomy to solve challenges and reimagine traditional processes. When you automate processes and workflows, you can innovate manual work, reduce errors and discover new insights to improve services.

We’ve partnered with Refinitiv to help financial firms connect, collaborate and unlock the power of their data. By doing this, organisations can make critical business decisions faster and gain new insights into their markets and customers, helping critical business decisions.  

“When you add tools within that collaboration platform to help people surface information quickly, you create a seamless experience that brings the best of technology and data together with the human expertise needed to move markets forward.” 

Ben Shepherd, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Refinitiv 

Make sure you provide policies and technology that support synchronous collaboration – meetings, voice and video calls – as well as asynchronous collaboration – where team members can dip in and out of projects and work when they have the time. Lean on your collaboration platform to build variety and encourage connectivity anywhere. For example, encourage non-work related check-ins, voice-only walking calls to prevent screen fatigue, or even buddy up colleagues from different teams for informal chats. 

Leaders will need to embed a process of continuous testing, observing, and adjusting to processes to ensure they grow with your organisation and adapt to your employee’s needs. 

3. Place 

Now we’re planning a hybrid workforce, office space is no longer limited to the office. 

Leaders must balance virtual and physical workplace to ensure equality and inclusion for everyone. To do this effectively, we need to restructure the physical workspace and invest in digital tools.  

Humans are social creatures. Everyone – from those working at home, in the office or on the frontline – needs to be able to have a voice and feel included in your culture. Cloud-enable AV solutions such as Teams Rooms and interactive screens such as the Surface Hub 2S placed in meeting and social spaces can enhance collaboration and inclusivity. 

However, it’s equally important that offices don’t become event venues. Your space must reflect the changing nature of the hybrid workplace, with the flexibility to adjust the physical environment for different scenarios, for example, collaboration spaces and focus areas. 

Nationwide is integrating technology into their London new digital hub. Their ambition is to ensure Microsoft Teams is in every meeting room to ensure colleagues can join physical meeting rooms remotely, supporting greater collaboration and efficiency. 

“The workplace of the future will be about choice, with the flexibility to be where we need to be to do our jobs as effectively as possible. Technology is essential as it provides the infrastructure needed so we can work dynamically.” 

Patrick Eltridge, Chief Operating Officer at Nationwide 

Use data to improve hybrid working flows

At Microsoft, we are surveying employees and looking at data such as social graphs and employee traffic patterns. This helps us provide the right spaces for teams, while understanding how those needs evolve over time. 42 percent of employees say they lack essential office supplies at home. Therefore, it’s important to ensure you equip your employees with the right tools both at home and in the office. Microsoft Graph enables you to pool data across Microsoft 365 to inform business intelligence. This can boost user productivity, creativity, and team collaboration, while protecting business resources and users’ data from anywhere. 

Leaders need to set the tone for hybrid working. The strategy and plan to embed collaboration, creativity and culture into the hybrid workplace must come from the top. You need to ensure you look after your own wellbeing, taking regular days out of the office and logging offline when the day ends. This will help avoid the rise of presenteeism at the workplace or online.  

Building sustainable growth with hybrid working

We are no longer bound to traditional notions of working. Our hybrid working framework lets us set aside our assumptions and start building a more flexible, people-focussed approach. 

We believe this is an opportunity to progress. To drive sustainable growth and foster an accessible, innovative, and supportive culture. One ​where everyone is inspired, and no one is left behind.  

Find out more 

Discover how to help your organisation be more agile and resilient 

Create an agile and innovative workplace 

About the author

Nick leads the Modern Work and Security business for Microsoft UK and has a passion for helping individuals and organisations to become more productive. Personal and organisational productivity is high on the list for every leader right now; Nick and his team dedicate their working hours to the role that Microsoft technologies can play as part of a business transformation journey.

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When G.F Smith and long term design partners Made Thought were deciding on a new shade of paper for G.F Smith’s iconic Colorplan range, they decided to ask the simple question; “What is your favourite colour?” and in turn discovered the world’s favourite colour. It also got a lot more—in the form of stacks of data from the 30,000 responses it received. In the process of finding out why people chose a particular colour, the company also found out the words that people associated them with.

From there, Made Thought built colour profiles. Colours that represented seasons and the natural environment. Ones that invoked luxury, design, or sustainability. Colours for emotions.

It’s not just Made Thought that found this correlation—a study at the 2004 Athens Olympics found that those who wore red were more likely to win. In the office, previous studies have found green can inspire innovation, and blue helps people channel their creativity.

The winning colour, by the way, was called Marrs Green.

A 2019 study from Oxford Economics and Ricoh suggests that revamping the office could unlock £36.8 billion in untapped GDP for the United Kingdom economy.

The office environment directly impacts business value through inspiring employees to be creative and productive. Plus, creativity is an important thing to uncover in your business. According to the the World Economic Forum by 2020 creativity will be one of the most important skills in the workforce.

Creativity allows you to innovate faster, solve problems in a new way, and make ideas a reality.

However, it’s not just about splashing some blue paint around. To truly inspire your employees, you need to create an office that has the right technology too.

Make it beautiful

Our research found that 73 percent of those surveyed considered themselves creative. But they felt like their workplaces stifled innovation, with work environment and culture at blame. Build a welcoming, fluid environment that allows for different ways of working. If you want to encourage innovation, for example, build spaces that match the stages of the creative process.

89 percent of employees said the office environment makes the biggest improvement to productivity in the workplace.

In addition to colour, considerations for the office ecosystem include creating spaces designed for collaborative or individual work. 23 percent of employees surveyed in our research said that a work environment with a mix of diverse spaces foster collaboration, socialisation, and focussed work that boosts creativity.

For example, Surface Hubs in collaboration rooms inspire easy collaboration in-person or online. Soundproof spaces give people privacy for sensitive meetings or a space to work without distraction.

An office that encourages different ways of working will make your employees more productive, and more satisfied.

Make it tech friendly

78 percent of UK employees believe technology helps them be more creative.

Just as your offices need to be fit for different ways of working, so do your devices. The right technology empowers seamless collaboration both in your new office space and outside of it. Surface devices do just this, allowing everyone to surface their creative potential in their own way.

In our research, up-to-date modern devices that allows employees to better collaborate with colleagues and capture their thoughts were among the top ten things that allowed them to be more creative at work.

By having devices that are designed work in different environments and in different ways supports more creative ways of working.

By giving employees beautiful workplaces that inspire them to be more creative and innovative, you will benefit from a workforce that’s motivated and excited to come to the office. Complement this with the right technology to enhance their creative flow, and you have a recipe for success.

Find out more

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Business leaders should be doing all they can to make things easy for their teams – and themselves – to drive productivity in the workplace. But where’s the best place to start? And what effect does office space have on productivity? Giving employees the choice of how and where they work can make all the difference, helping you foster a culture of creativity.

Imagine it’s Saturday night and you’re going out for dinner with your friends. In your group, you’ve got a vegan, a steak-lover, someone who fancies a salad, someone who loves their carbs, and someone who just wants dessert. You arrive at the restaurant, only to find that there’s no menu. You all have to eat exactly the same thing and sit exactly where the waiter tells you.

How successful do you think this restaurant would be?

Everyone has different tastes. Your business is no different.

Some people might thrive in a busy office, while others need peace and quiet. You’ll have employees who like to white board in a group, while other individuals prefer to present projects to a smaller team. There will be those who like bean bags and laptops, and those who’d choose a full desktop set-up.

It’s up to you to provide them with different options for working, so they can make the choice that’s right for them. Because only when people can choose how they work can they be truly productive.

Building productive office spaces is something I have a lot of experience in. Over my career, I’ve led a number of businesses to success, often setting them up from scratch. These are the questions I’ve asked myself over the years, and ones you should ask yourself next time you’re in the same situation:

• First off – open plan or not?
• How many meeting rooms do I need? Think bookable and unbookable
• Where will my employees relax?
• How will I enable collaborative working?
• Music versus quiet spaces – how will I give employees a mix of both?

Of course, I understand that it’s impossible to cater for everyone. But if you give your people the option to work their own way, they’ll be more productive and want to keep coming back.

Physical meets virtual

Once you’ve thought about the physical layout of your office, consider implementing virtual working. Why? Because if you’re looking to attract the very best people for your team, you need to cater for their working preferences. Some employees really struggle with background noise in an open plan office and find it hard to concentrate with the background noise. I’ve seen this become problematic, where by asking others to be quiet, the office atmosphere was destroyed for those members of the team who gain their energy from being around other people.

Virtual working for those who need to focus doesn’t have to mean lower productivity. With tools like Microsoft Teams, your people can communicate as easily as if they were all at their desks, while also being able to tune out to concentrate. Whether people want to work from home, on a client’s premises, or on a train; Teams pulls everyone together.

Virtual working is just another choice. One that your employees will appreciate being given. When you offer it, what you’re really saying is: “I trust you to be productive, no matter how you choose to work.”

Concentration x creativity = work done

If you give your people the space to concentrate and the tools to get creative with the way they work, they’ll do just that. In turn, you’ll deliver projects on time, hit targets sooner, and do even better business.

So, now you know how office space affects productivity. If you take anything away from this article, make it this. My five-point plan for setting up your work space so your people can be as productive as possible:

1. Understand the emotive nature of offices – people have preferences, like they do at restaurants.
2. Think about the diversity of your team and the different choices they’ll want to make.
3. Consider offering remote working to supplement the workspace available to your employees.
4. Get the right technology in place to enable seamless working, in and out of the office.
5. Involve the whole team in making it work.

Learn more

Overcome 3 common productivity barriers

Surface creativity in your workplace

Keep your employees engaged

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It feels good to be creative, doesn’t it? Whether that means mixing up how you work, collaborating in flexible ways, or tackling challenges on the fly. I, for one, love the feeling of experimenting with new technology and seeing where it takes me.

But this blog isn’t just about me. At Microsoft, we believe that every person has creative potential. And that businesses need to help their employees find ways to flex their creative muscles. This is the inspiration behind our devices. And it’s also a key inspiration behind our annual Future Decoded event.

2018’s event took place at ExCeL, London, on 31 October and 1 November. It provided two days of top level keynotes, breakout sessions, and networking, as well as an action-packed expo. If you joined us, you’ll have explored exciting innovations in healthcare, transport, and fashion. You’ll have watched our digital artist bring portraits to life. And you’ll have danced to the sounds of the Surface DJ. Above all, you’ll have learned how the latest Microsoft devices can boost creative outcomes and make people more productive. Let’s recap.

Modern Workplace

If you joined us, you’ll have also spotted the Modern Workplace area right in the middle of the exhibition space. The idea behind the Modern Workplace is simple: creativity isn’t the preserve of the elite few. It’s there inside everyone, in every business. And it’s not just about being artistic. It’s about having the ability to innovate faster, solve problems in a new way, and make ideas a reality. Enter the Microsoft Surface range. Read on to learn how it can help businesses unlock their creative potential and digitally transform.

Stories from the Modern Workplace stage

The agenda was absolutely packed with great speaker slots, and it would have been impossible to catch them all. I’ve pulled together some of my favourite stories from business leaders who have used Surface to achieve great things.

How Steelcase harnesses the power of space

“To come up with great ideas, you need an eco-system of spaces that help you go through the ebb and flow of the different stages of creativity.” That’s Annemieke Garskamp of Steelcase. Annemieke gave an inspiring talk about how, as professionals, we are making the shift to the workplace of the future. She talked about how creativity is not just for geniuses; it’s a process you can stimulate with the right space and technology.

She talked about the power of co-creation too. “The best co-creation areas have lots of space. Space to walk around and use technology. Space for people to interact with each other,” she explained.

As it stands, though, Annemieke says that 61% of business leaders don’t think their company’s creative enough. It seems like our collective shift has a long way to go.

How Glug enables communal creativity

We also heard from Ian Hambleton of Glug. “Something’s changing in our industry. And it’s down to new tech that’s revolutionising the way people work.”  He started off by introducing the exciting new term of notworking. Ian Hambleton dreamed up the term as a way of describing the kind of networking that happens when a bunch of creatives get together in the same space.

Like Annemieke, he talked about how the industry is changing. And he thinks it’s all down to the new technology that’s available. However, he noted that people are putting barriers in the way of their own progress. “People do perceive barriers when purchasing new technology,” he said. “And most of those are down to lack of information and education.”

How Stitch empowers freelancers and employees alike

“We’re seeing lots of companies wanting to create their own co-working spaces. They’re viewing it as a great way to bring creative inspiration to the table.” Fran Danczak took to the stage with fellow Stitch founder Nick Gubbins to talk about the key role flexible technology plays in the modern workplace.

“When people can freelance from home flexibly, companies can take advantage of diverse viewpoints and fresh pools of talent they might otherwise have missed,” Fran said. “Thanks to devices like Surface, being creative is no longer the preserve of ad agencies,” she added.

Fran and Nick also noted how tools like Skype and Teams are fundamentally changing teamwork. And how easy, online collaboration enables spontaneous interactions. Which, in turn, breeds creativity.

How Social Chain recruits the best talent

Alex Ayin of millennial-powered Social Chain shared his views on getting the right people on board for his business. “The technology a company offers can have a huge bearing on the talent they attract.” In his opinion, it all starts with offering up to date technology that lets people do their best work. But it doesn’t stop there. From regular staff recognition, to giving employees the chance to be as creative as they can possibly be, Social Chain knows exactly how to empower its team of 20 somethings.

What’s more, their culture of collaboration comes naturally, be that on client projects or in day to day team communication. It probably won’t surprise you to learn that Alex and his team aim to always be “first, fearless, and ever-changing.” Nor that the Social Chain HQ boasts a jungle room, a train carriage, and a pack of pet dogs.

Advice from our experts

The link between culture and creativity was also a hot topic for our Microsoft speakers. At the event, lots of our own people took to the stage to share insights and advice.

“Over the years, Microsoft has completely changed the way people work. But our transformation isn’t done, it’s continuing.”

Chris Roche, Surface Evangelist

Chris shared his top tips and tricks for turning Surface devices into creativity rock stars. First, he explained how setting up a Surface device for business use is really easy. Then he ran through a few features that can make users more productive. Did you know:

• The Surface Pen can be configured for both left and right-handed users. Meaning you can really optimise individual workspaces from an ergonomic perspective.
• You can save time by scribbling notes down with Windows Ink, then immediately converting them to text. You can even copy and paste them into different documents.
• With the Whiteboard app, people work together with images, links, doodles, and information. Great for ideation sessions and keeping things creative.
• When you don’t have time to make things look pretty, PowerPoint Design Ideas will be your new best friend.

If you didn’t know all of that, now you do.

“When it comes to security, there are two types of culture.”

Nick Lines, Product Marketing Manager for Office 365

Nick knows all about keeping devices and businesses as safe as possible. In fact, he’s of the opinion that there’s no point doing great work if your devices aren’t secure! So, it didn’t surprise me that he chose to share his views on the ideal security culture.

“There are two types of businesses. The first hopes everything will be alright. The second takes proactive actions to avoid things going wrong,” he said. He then went on to explain how security is layered in to all Surface devices.

He also explained how getting technology right is only half the story. Educating end users is the other half. If you want to embed security within your workplace culture, you need to make it easy for them. “Your employees want to do the right thing, but not at the cost of their productivity or creativity,” he summarised.

Learn more

Unlock creativity in your organisation

Did you miss out on Future Decoded? I’ve pulled together another blog about the event, which focuses on how better tech can benefit your business.

Of course, you might also like to take a look at the Surface shop to explore our latest range.

About the author

Sally Elliott is a creative marketer and has worked within Global IT for 20 years. Specialising in productivity and helping organisations understand the future of a modern workplace, she is an evangelist for flexible working and unlocking the creativity within all of us. Sally now leads the go to market strategy for the Microsoft Surface UK Business which sees her helping business understand how to get the most out of  their employees; by providing the spaces to inspire them, the technology to enable them and culture for them to do their best work in the way that suits them.

The post Creative people, creative culture: lessons from Future Decoded 2018 appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

Sally Elliott is a creative marketer and has worked within Global IT for 20 years. Specialising in productivity and helping organisations understand the future of a modern workplace, she is an evangelist for flexible working and unlocking the creativity within all of us. Sally now leads the go to market strategy for the Microsoft Surface UK Business which sees her helping business understand how to get the most out of  their employees; by providing the spaces to inspire them, the technology to enable them and culture for them to do their best work in the way that suits them.

I’m sure I don’t need to tell you this, but the world of business is changing fast! Of course, this means that UK companies are having to really re-think how they work. Especially if they’re keen to innovate quickly and keep up with trends.

At Microsoft, we understand that outdated tools, processes, and workplaces stifle people’s ability to work creatively. That’s why we’ve developed a range of devices that can be used in different environments and in different ways.

It’s also why we run Future Decoded. 2018’s event took place at ExCeL, London, on 31 October and 1 November. The buzzing two-day exposition was attended by nearly 10,000 delegates looking to grow their business in the changing world. Guests were encouraged to explore a wide range of stands and get hands-on with everything from a smart suit-fitting tool to a cognitive juice bar. That’s right: there’s a machine that analyses people’s faces to recommend the perfect drink. Isn’t AI amazing?

The world of business is changing fast. At Future Decoded 2018 we looked at the Modern Workplace

The Modern Workplace

At the heart of the exhibition space sat the Modern Workplace area. Here, attendees could learn how today’s employees can truly thrive in the working environment. The idea behind the Modern Workplace is simple. When employees have access to flexible devices that let them work their way, they’ll be more creative. They’ll feel more fulfilled. And they’ll be even more productive. Enter the Microsoft Surface range.

Read on to learn how these game changing devices can help businesses unleash their creative potential.

Stories from the Modern Workplace stage

At the event, we saw a number of business leaders take to the stage to share their own experiences with technology. Here’s some of my key takeaways.

How Bitwig Studio empowers composers

“We are all creative. Even when we don’t realise we’re being creative. We just need to express that creativity in a more targeted way.” That’s Mea Liedl of Bitwig Studio. Bitwig provides a music creation platform for budding composers and DJs. In fact, the soundtrack to the whole event was created by Bitwig’s resident DJ. Mea explained how the touch functionality of Surface devices makes it easy for users to intuitively make music.

“Touch technology isn’t going to replace traditional ways of creating music. But it’s definitely going to enhance them,” she said.

How WearHealth protects workers with AI

“AI’s going to be a big, big thing in the next industrial revolution.” We also heard from Esteban Bayro-Kaiser of WearHealth, who designs intelligent wearables for industrial workers. WearTech harnesses the power of AI and the IoT to manage – and predict – health and safety issues. He introduced the idea of the Worker 4.0 – the employee who uses wearable tech as well as traditional protective equipment. Think smart shirts that can track stress levels, and watches that can send out an alert if a worker falls over. Then think using Microsoft Surface to keep track of this data, from wherever, 24/7.

How Chillblast immerses consumers with VR

“VR can get your customers more involved in the design process of what they want to buy.” Ben Miles of Chillblast also took to the stage. He talked about how virtual reality can help businesses sell products, by getting customers more engaged in the design process. In the world of automotive design, for instance, buyers can choose specification settings and see them all come together. Similarly, architects can show customers what buildings will look like, before they’re built. And it’s all thanks to the Windows Mixed Reality headset.

“When architects engage customers with VR, it’s a lot more compelling than showing people print outs or 3D walkthroughs,” he said. “Good VR boils down to creating a compelling experience that doesn’t cost the earth.”

Advice from our experts

As well as all our fab speakers, we heard from some Microsoft team members. Our representatives talked guests through some of the top tips, trends, and technologies we thought they’d benefit from hearing about.

“The evolution to LTE has been the biggest, fastest technical adoption we’ve seen on the planet so far.”

Richard Warren, Surface Hub GBB

Rich talked about how Surface fits in to the world of LTE. According to his research, the global LTE market will be worth $997 billion by 2020. This projection is, in part, due to increasing requirements from frontline workers. Whether they’re working in a warehouse, on the shop floor, or out in the field, frontline employees need reliable access to the internet. Without the security threats that come with connecting to public Wi-Fi. Rich wrapped up his session by introducing the Surface Pro LTE, and all of its security and connectivity benefits.

“Technology should empower how you work. You should be able to work wherever you want, however you want.”

Jasmin Sohi, PC Accessories Category Manager

Jasmin’s on a mission to provide the very best tools and experiences for people using Windows. She wrapped up the Modern Workplace speaker sessions by teaching people about the Microsoft accessories on offer today. For instance, did you know that each mouse product is tested for 215 miles in a lab? And that if you’re a spreadsheet junkie, the Microsoft Precision mouse could be the one for you?

She finished up by saying how technology should enable you to work how you want, whatever job you’re doing, and that all Microsoft accessories champion mobility, productivity, and creativity. Which sums up the idea of the Modern Workplace nicely, I think.

If you went along to Future Decoded, I hope you had a great time exploring how the right tech could make your workplace a better, more creative, more productive place.

If you couldn’t make it, why not read my blog about the link between creative spaces and creative people? Or simply head over to the Surface shop to explore the latest Microsoft devices.

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This will undoubtedly mean another seismic shift in the skills required to operate in the modern workplace, with a much greater emphasis being placed on that uniquely human skill – creativity.

The World Economic Forum predicts that by 2020 creativity will be in the top three most important skills, with employers seeking creative minds to solve business problems and come up with ways to use technology to develop new products and services. The term creativity might traditionally be associated with artistic pursuits – drawing, painting and designing for example – but it is defined, according to the Oxford Dictionary, as the use of imagination or original ideas to create something.

Edward de Bono, one of the world’s most renown thinkers on creativity, adds that creativity is about breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a new way. Research Microsoft conducted with YouGov backs up this more technical understanding of creativity, with 62% of British workers defining it as solving a problem in a new way. The ability to be inventive and think outside the box is crucial to success in any industry, yet UK businesses could be at risk of a creativity crisis, according to our research, unless they recognise its importance and act now to ensure workers are supported to develop their skills.

Our research also found that, while almost three-quarters (73%) of those surveyed consider themselves creative, they feel their workplaces are stifling innovation, with both work environment and culture blamed for failing to nurture original thinking. Uninspiring and stressful workplaces, with a lack of inspirational spaces to focus and think, were cited as major inhibitors to creativity. Almost half of workers (40%) surveyed said that creativity was not a skill that was encouraged or rewarded.

Three-quarters (75%) of those surveyed said that their employer hadn’t offered any formal training to encourage creativity. Stress, tiredness, and heavy workloads were also highlighted as major obstacles to creative thinking.

In this ebook our partners at Steelcase reveal practical ways to help create workspaces that will inspire creativity; neuroscientist Dr Jack Lewis explains how to tap into the human brain to promote agile, imaginative thinking; and we look at how technology can be better harnessed to boost creativity at work.

By enabling employers to fan the spark of creativity amongst their workers, we can help the UK economy to survive and thrive even as technology makes revolutionary changes to how people work.

Download the Microsoft Surface Creativity in Business ebook

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