Amber Buker

#WorkCreative – Bringing Creativity into the Workplace

Posted by Amber Buker, May 16, 2016 0 comments


Amber Buker

The idea of creativity in the workplace is getting a lot of play in the media these days. Books like Creative Confidence, from IDEO founders Tom & David Kelly, entice business people to retool their approach to problem solving. Industry leaders like Hitachi CEO Barbara Dyer are making bold statements like ““[c]reativity is rapidly shifting from a “nice to have” to a “must have” quality for all types of successful organizations.”

In the midst of this hey-day, lots of people are talking. But our partners at Southwest Airlines are doing. They’re finding new ways to embrace creativity in their business, and it doesn’t stop at corporate retreats. These guys are making creativity a way of life that they embrace and encourage in the day-to-day, and it shows through in their quirky corporate culture and innovative approach to airline service.

Here at the Arts & Business Council, we are very fortunate to be a part of Southwest’s creative culture through our WorkCreative program. WorkCreative projects bring music, visual, and performing arts into the workplace and integrate employees in hands-on creativity to stimulate communication, build teamwork, and spark innovation for effective business growth. You may have heard about the program in the Arts-Based Training Workbook that Americans for the Arts just released, part of a new suite of resources on engaging business employees through the arts.

Southwest first engaged with WorkCreative in May 2015 when it brought two local, high-energy actors in to teach improvisational techniques. 35 employees put their inhibitions aside to play, and the results were inspiring. Employees were free to express themselves in a safe, no holds barred environment. They got to see surprising sides of their coworkers. And for a few hours, they were transported away from their day-to-day to a land where silliness and laughter are encouraged.

But the workshop wasn’t just a fun exercise. Like wrapping your dog’s heart worm pill in bacon, Southwest’s employees were taught valuable, practical skills in the workshop without feeling the dreaded effects of most corporate trainings. Improv is a must-have skill for anyone in customer service. It teaches the art of making quick judgment calls and answering requests in a way that is both appropriate and authentic. Practice with thinking on your feet is a big help with the myriad of demands airport employees are faced with!

The Southwest employees from the Nashville office had such a great time that word spread. Southwest’s open office culture allowed news of the improv workshop to work its way all the way up to the national marketing team. They were intrigued, and gave us a call when they were planning the company’s national marketing conference here in Nashville for 2016.

The conference planning team had never had a creative training on the conference agenda, but they believed in the value of creativity in the workplace and they believed in us, so we got the gig. We brought a world class songwriting group, Kidbilly Music, to the conference and sparks flew.

When 250 of Southwest’s marketing employees started the songwriting workshop, things were a little quiet. Not total crickets, but you could tell that everyone was trying to get a feel for how in the world they were going to work together to write a song from scratch. It sounded like an impossible undertaking, but very quickly the professionals from KidBilly were cracking jokes with everyone and running mics around the room to get input from eager participants. We used the conference tables to form makeshift small groups. The room started to hum with energy and exchange. I saw people who had never met before swapping anecdotes like old friends, and watched some work up the courage to suggest a verse or two. Then, it was time to come back together to see what Southwest had created.

During the group work, folks from Kidbilly placed shakers, harmonicas, triangles, and other small instruments in the hands of some employees. The KidBilly team naturally found the music, but the employees at Southwest provided heartfelt words that showed how much they really cared about their work. I was amazed that in a conference of marketers who didn’t interact with passengers, the customer was ever-present in their minds. They were really proud of the personal service Southwest is known for, and that pride became more and more apparent throughout the workshop. It bubbled under the surface and lifted everyone up. And then came the culmination of everyone’s efforts.

It was time to actually perform the song that the Southwest marketing conference of 2016 had written. Everyone got up and moved about the room. The employee instrumentalists took the lead in front of the stage, working their egg shakers with the confidence of lions, even if somewhat offbeat. I looked around the room and everyone was beaming. They were swaying. They were singing. They were sharing laughter and entertained “are we really doing this right now” looks with their neighbors. They were creating from the heart, and it was beautiful.

The lyrics the Southwest team came up with really speak for themselves:
Every seat has a story whether you’re an A, a B, or a C
Briefcases and smiling faces, you’re all first class you see
Every seat has a story

In contemplating the stories of their customers, the group seemed to find even more resonance with their own part in Southwest’s story. Song lyrics have a way of sticking with you. I will remember the way their song went, probably for the rest of my life, and I guarantee they will too. That is the power of art. Just think about all we could accomplish if that thread was woven into the story of every industry, and if art was used to uplift every employee. Pretty powerful stuff.

So join us in celebrating businesses like Southwest that appreciate the power of the arts, and check out the arts-based training workbook to learn how your organization can start bringing creativity to the workplace.

About the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville
The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that leverages and unites the unique resources of the arts and business communities to create a thriving, sustainable creative culture in Nashville. To deliver its mission, A&BC offers four core programs: Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts, Education for the Creative Community, Arts Board Matching, and WorkCREATIVE. More information is available at www.abcnashville.org.

Please login to post comments.