Most companies spend a lot of time streamlining their processes to aid collaboration and create efficiencies.

But when it comes to creativity, the drive for efficiency and search for ‘best practice’ can often be at the expense of nurturing diversity, which is needed for innovative ideas to flourish. In other words, it leaves little room for people to experiment and try new things.

And as companies become larger and more complex, the need for alignment tends to affect agility, freedom and bravery.

Freedom & Autonomy come in many shapes and sizes.

Find out where you have room to manoeuvre by asking yourself these three questions.

Think about why you might have more freedom in some areas than others. Then use these reflections and insights to carve out the space you need in order to thrive.

And remember: sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness than for permission!

Processes should not become a one-size-fits-all ‘straitjacket’, but instead need to be flexible enough to accommodate different types of initiatives.

So make sure you find a fit for purpose process that's truly suited to your project or challenge.

People need to be trusted to ‘get on with it’ and encouraged to use their ingenuity when it comes to both the ‘what’ and the ‘how’.

Remember that you're not working with robots but with responsible adults!

Stakeholders should be kept to the absolute minimum and should remain the same throughout the duration of a project.

For them to add real and relevant value, it should be made clear to them when and how their inputs are required.