What support does our team need for creative thinking?

Creative thinking needs an explicit allocation of time, space, attention and budget within the working week. Expecting colleagues to generate ideas around their existing responsibilities leaves creativity competing with work already treated as essential. Protect time for imagining and experimenting, provide dedicated space, and commit energy and funding to the process rather than offering permission alone.

A 2025 Microsoft survey of knowledge workers in 31 markets across the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific found that 80% of knowledge workers, including leaders, say they lack enough time or energy to do their work. Leaders should therefore treat capacity for creative thinking as a resource decision: making room for exploration requires deliberate investment, not simply another request for ideas.

Leaders support creative thinking by championing the work and recognising contributions to shared ideas, rather than rewarding only individual delivery against established targets. Collaboration needs encouragement and a framework that makes participation part of how the business works.

Schedule workshops where colleagues can share and develop ideas, with focused time free from distractions. Give teams space and creative tools to work together. Leaders should set the tone, support the creative process and celebrate teamwork, including the people who adopt collaborative practices. Recognition makes a commitment to collective thinking visible. Alongside time, money and practical support, leadership encouragement helps establish imagination as business work rather than a side project.