Creativity is essential to every organisation’s success. Just ask any CEO. In a study conducted by IBM involving 1,500 leaders across 60 nations, 60% of CEO respondents cited creativity as the most important leadership quality. Though many employees struggle to show their creative side in the workplace, it shouldn’t be something you express only during the weekends via a hobby (though you could use your hobby to enrich your career).
Being creative in the workplace isn’t just about presenting the most attractive PowerPoint presentation or writing attention-grabbing copy. That’s just one manifestation of creativity, and there are several other kinds. What all kinds of creativity have in common are two main components: originality and functionality. In other words, ideas should be new, and they should be useful in some degree. Creative thinking lets you come up with unique solutions, develop original strategies, and respond quickly to new developments.
Stimulate Your Creative Thinking
You might not think of yourself as a particularly creative person, but that’s probably because you just haven’t used your creative muscle in a while. Creativity, like any other skill, improves over time with practice. To activate your creativity, step out of your comfort zone. One great way to do this is by exploring new hobbies, like drawing or dancing. Whether or not you’re good at it doesn’t even matter. What’s important is how you’re waking up dormant parts of your brain and getting those creative juices flowing.
Creativity is all about feeding your sense of curiosity and playfulness. Make a commitment to never stop learning and growing. Attend lectures and listen to podcasts. Read up on topics outside your industry. Being a lifelong learner will develop new ways of looking at the world, allowing you to approach work issues with a fresh perspective.
Support Creativity In The Workplace
An environment where creativity is encouraged can help companies attract and retain high-quality talent. But according to a study by Adobe, 80% of employees feel more pressure to be productive rather than creative at work. When you don’t give your employees enough space, it’s inevitable that they’ll be more concerned about meeting deadlines rather than coming up with new ideas. If possible, give them ample time to get work done and get have enjoyable brainstorming sessions. Encourage risk-taking by rewarding people who are willing to veer away from the norm — even if they don’t succeed.
Design physical spaces that encourage creative thinking and playfulness. This could mean setting up an informal meeting space with whiteboards, a ping-pong table in the canteen, or even just distributing little toys around the office. This also boosts morale and teamwork, inspiring employees to collaborate and come up with new ideas together. However, it’s also important to not get carried away. Set boundaries and stay focused on your goals.
Innovation doesn’t just come out of nowhere. While most people wouldn’t think of the office as a place that nurtures creativity, you can make the workplace just that by creating that culture. By developing you and your employees’ creativity, your organisation can finally break out of the status quo and thrive.
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If you would like to be more creative in your career, get in contact with one of our specialist recruitment consultants to discuss your options. 028 9023 5456
