DSM Employment Ready on Creativity + Innovation

Brian Hemesath, serial entrepreneur, founder of VolunteerLocal and an insurtech advocate, discusses changes to the world of work happening at companies across Greater Des Moines (DSM) and the country right now. He speaks with Mary Bontrager, EVP of Talent Development at the Greater Des Moines Partnership in the latest DSM Employment Ready podcast.

Investing in Creative Culture

Hemesath says that within small businesses, it’s especially critical to understand your employees. If your employees aren’t happy, it can be a huge hit to the company. He encourages both big and small companies to give their staff the time and space to realize their culture. Spend time together outside of work. Listen to what employees talk about, what they continually bring up and care about most. Team members that are civically engaged can bring that into their workplace culture. Hemesath says that product and customer base influence culture, but it’s the employees that drive it.

Traits of Innovative Employees

Hemesath offers up the following traits of creative employees below:

·      You must be a self-starter.

·      Can you act on your own without a lot of direction?

·      Be coachable. Innovate on top of failure and learn from mistakes.

·      Don’t let fear hold you back.

 

Stimulating Creativity

When working on projects, Hemesath says he plays different types of music or works with no sound at all, using these contrasting ways to tap into his own creativity. He also suggests engaging in interesting conversation with diverse groups of people. Learn the art of small talk, as well as the ability to discuss heavier topics that make you think. 

With only so many hours in the day, Hemesath says it’s important to break down your day and figure out what matters and what doesn’t. Know when to limit the things that don’t and when to put your energy into things that have long-term benefits. 

Creativity Metrics

When you’ve created something that has value, evaluate the business metrics that matter:

·      Money

·      Exposure

·      Engagement/Connections

·      Education

·      Time

Hemesath says it’s vital that you figure out what you are creating value for in your business. If the metrics aren’t meeting that value, that’s when you need to consider pivoting. Understand declining metrics versus something that allows you to move forward.

Listen to the entire podcast by clicking here.

The DSM Employment Ready podcast is brought to you by the Greater Des Moines Partnership. The podcast features insight into employment in Greater Des Moines (DSM) during the COVID-19 crisis. To listen to more Partnership podcasts, click here. 

The DSM Employment Ready podcast series has concluded. For more talent development information and conversations, visit the Future Ready DSM podcast.