Everyone on your team likely has specific training tailored to their roles. Legal teams thoroughly study the law. IT folks know code like the back of their hand. Sales teams are armed with tactics to close deals. However, when it comes to critical skills like innovation, a gap appears. We tell people to “be creative” or “think outside the box” — as if that’s something you can do on command, with no guidance. Spoiler alert: You can’t.
Innovation isn’t a talent people are born with. It’s a skill, just like learning to negotiate or analyze data. So, what if we trained people to innovate? By introducing practical, creativity-focused methods to corporate learning, we can equip teams with the skills to think critically and creatively. Start with these four strategies:
1. Design learning exercises that challenge conventional thinking.
Most of us become so comfortable with the rules of our industry that we forget they are bendable, breakable, and sometimes downright outdated. Enter the “What if?” exercise — a powerful way to get people to challenge assumptions and approach problems from fresh angles. Here’s how it works: Have your team list all the “rules” in your industry or role, then pick one. Now, ask, “What if this rule didn’t exist?” or “What if we flipped it on its head?”
Take Disney as an example. In the 1940s, Walt Disney sought to make movies more immersive by incorporating special effects, such as mist or heat, during “Fantasia.” Theaters couldn’t accommodate this, so Disney took the bold leap, challenging the movie industry, asking, “What if we could control the environment completely?” The result? Disneyland — a place where stories came to life, and Disney controlled every detail of the experience.
Exercises like this show teams that the only absolute limits are the ones they set themselves. By making this a regular part of training, companies can help employees uncover fresh solutions and cultivate a mindset where every challenge becomes an opportunity to rethink the rules.
2. Cultivate curiosity by encouraging deep-dive questions.
Have you ever noticed how kids ask “why” until we’re practically out of answers? That relentless curiosity is the fuel of true creativity, and it’s something we need more of in the workplace. One way to foster this mindset in your team is through the “5 Whys” technique, a simple yet powerful exercise that digs beneath surface-level answers to reveal the root cause of any issue.
Start with a fundamental question, like “Why is customer engagement down?” Once you get an answer, ask “why” again. Keep going until you’ve asked “why” five times, or until you hit that “aha” moment. It’s usually around the fourth or fifth “why” that people uncover insights they hadn’t considered before.
At Disney, a similar approach led to a breakthrough in customer engagement. Our initial data showed that guests visited Disney World to see the new attractions, but by asking “why” repeatedly, we discovered that what people valued was nostalgia and shared family memories. This insight transformed our marketing approach, focusing on classic attractions that evoke emotional connections.
By making the “5 Whys” a staple in your training, you empower your team to dig deeper, push past the obvious, and develop solutions that truly matter.
3. Encourage playful, low-stakes exercises to boost creativity.
Most people get their best ideas when they’re not under pressure. Think about all those ideas you come up with in the shower, on a walk, or even during a commute. That’s because when we’re relaxed, our brains are free to wander and connect ideas we’d usually miss. So, why not bring a bit of that into the workplace by encouraging playfulness instead of forcing ideas?
One exercise that works wonders for this is called “Monsters in the Closet.” Pair up team members and give them one minute to draw a monster together, one line at a time, without planning or overthinking. By the end, they’ve got a funny, one-of-a-kind creature — and, more importantly, they’re laughing, relaxing, and in a mindset that’s primed for creativity.
When employees are free to be a little playful, they’re more likely to take creative risks and explore unconventional solutions. Building these low-stakes exercises into training encourages teams to think differently without the pressure of coming up with a perfect idea or solution.
4. Turn training into an interactive experience.
Traditional training sessions can feel like a chore. But when training is turned into a game, suddenly, people are engaged, focused, and (dare we say) having fun. Gamification is a powerful tool for keeping creativity alive in learning by making the experience active and memorable.
Imagine a training session that plays out like a challenge, complete with team missions, rewards, and even a leaderboard. Employees might work together to “unlock” solutions to real company problems, brainstorm new product ideas, or simulate customer interactions. It’s innovation and creativity in action, without the humdrum of slides and checkboxes.
Games tap into people’s natural problem-solving instincts, making learning feel less like “work” and more like an adventure. By weaving interactive elements into training, you create an environment where people are excited to learn — and even more excited to innovate.
From Training to Transformation: Empower Teams to Innovate
Innovation isn’t some mystical skill reserved for a lucky few; it’s something anyone can learn with the right tools and a bit of guidance. By treating creativity like any other business-critical skill, companies can unlock fresh ideas from every corner of their teams.
So, let’s start training people to think differently, question deeply, play a little, and maybe even gamify the learning process. When employees are equipped to approach challenges creatively, the whole organization benefits. After all, in a world that’s constantly changing, it’s the curious and the creative who keep companies ahead of the curve.
