Ignite team creativity with shared challenges and rituals

Every Thursday afternoon, two dozen designers converge in a cramped studio at IDEO’s New York office. No laptops open, no slides to watch. Instead, they gather around a ten-foot telephone pole—an homage to Navy SEALs’ log drills—and lift it shoulder-high. It shakes, crosses, and tilts in unison. After two painful minutes, someone yells “Switch!” and the group moves on to a quick debrief: “What did you notice about our rhythm? Where did we hesitate?” These regular rituals aren’t random team-builders; they’re a deliberate playbook that teaches communication without words.

Similarly, the Upright Citizens Brigade uses ‘Harold’—a forty-minute improv routine—to forge emotional agility and unspoken coordination. Harolds fail spectacularly unless every performer listens, supports, and resists the urge to steal the spotlight. Over time, these creative workouts hardwire a pattern of vulnerability and interconnection that dissolves barriers when fresh solutions are needed.

Science shows that when teams navigate a challenging shared task, neural rhythms align as if they’re wired into one brain. Each stumble or triumph in the ritual sparks an exchange of vulnerability and mutual response, building a muscle of collective creativity. Rather than hoping for spontaneous genius, these groups sculpt it through playful yet demanding exercises—proving that creativity is not magic but a practiced habit grounded in social connection (paragraphs 31–33).

Next week, carve out sixty minutes for a group ritual—maybe carrying a long pole or free-writing a joint story. No slides, no titles—just shared effort. After, gather in a circle and ask, “What did we learn about listening? When did you feel we lost sync?” Capture those insights on sticky notes for your wall. Over time, these small rituals will build a surprising fluency in cooperation and spark ideas you never saw coming.