Just imagine if things were done repeatedly in your organization for a long period of time, using the same methods. It will only lead to bored employees waking up each day to look forward to the end of the day. The output? You can only imagine. Creativity at work is very vital for the growth of every organization. And in this article, we’ll give you practical examples and tips for fostering creativity at work.
What Does Creativity At Work Mean?
Creativity is the transformation of new, innovative ideas into reality. Creative thought results in language, art, scientific theories, and technological advancements. The creative person is always asking questions and coming up with new ideas.
Being creative at work usually entails taking chances, which may cause you to hesitate. Fear of the unknown is a potent motivator, especially when it implies failure.
But here’s the thing: workplace creativity is extremely crucial. If you can apply creative thinking to your daily professional life, you’ll discover that not only will the day no longer feel like drudgery, but you’ll also be able to achieve more significant results. This is true not only for employees but also for managers—in fact, managers have the power to be the conductors of innovation in their teams. Sometimes you have to start at the top!
Let’s look at why creativity is vital for optimal work and how managers may promote this spirit inside their organizations and their employees.
Benefits Of Fostering Creativity At Work
The following are three major advantages of fostering creativity at work:
#1. Creativity promotes better teamwork.
Creativity motivates employees to collaborate with one another. Collaboration is encouraged during the creative process. Businesses must foster a culture of continual learning by encouraging employees to seek out new information, knowledge, and methods of doing things.
Many original ideas originate with a single person, but they are shaped by a team to become fully developed.
#2. Creativity enhances an organization’s ability to attract and retain employees.
Employees are more satisfied with their jobs and more dedicated to being loyal to the organization when creativity is fostered.
#3. Creativity improves problem-solving abilities.
Employees that can think creatively and outside the box are more likely to come up with distinctive and original solutions to problems they face. This drive to solve difficulties might lead to new methods of accomplishing tasks and contributes to a more effective firm.
Creativity is the top skill that CEOs search for when recruiting staff. 60% of CEOs asked said creativity was the most crucial leadership attribute, while 52% said honesty was the most important. The reason creativity is the most valued skill is that it has a favorable impact on ROI (Return on Investment), and creative people are independent thinkers and problem solvers.
Having seen the importance of fostering creativity at work, let’s see some examples of creativity in the workplace.
Examples Of Creativity At Work
#1. Leadership Creativity.
When looking for instances of innovation at work, it’s best to start at the top of the chain of command.
A creative leader handles interactions and tasks in unique ways. Opening meetings with a personal or otherwise novel touch is a nice example. A meeting leader may go around the room and request personal information as well as business-related development.
They send the idea that they care about the employee in a broader sense than just the bottom line. This, in turn, boosts the employee’s sense of worth, loyalty, and motivation to succeed. It’s a method of “simple and contagious appreciation,” and it works.
#2. Marketing Creativity.
Consider a marketing campaign aimed at selling a new car model. A non-creative marketing approach might result in a print or banner ad. Perhaps it includes a laundry list of attributes as well as a stock shot of the vehicle. This type of advertising is common and ineffective.
An exciting short video could be used as a creative example of vehicle marketing. It has the potential to make the car the “primary character” of a small action film. A marketer could expand on the motion picture concept. They may try to get their vehicle featured in a soon-to-be-released feature film.
Why are these methods more inventive and definitely more effective? The cinematic approach could be expensive. However, both it and the video employ the inventive idea of transforming a product into something more—a story aspect. Instead of an inanimate object, video and film allow the car to be exhibited from a variety of viewpoints while moving with a driver.
It’s a complete representation of the goods with a personal touch. When the vehicle is associated with its driver, it becomes a human tool, a part of life; it adds relatability and humanity to the marketing.
#3. Problem-Solving Through Creativity
A creative problem solver will employ a distinct mode of thought in order to generate novel answers. They defy convention while remaining collaborative in the verification and implementation of change.
#4. Sales Creativity
Consider the following sales scenario.
Personal attention is an important aspect of creative sales efforts, just as it is in the leadership example of creativity at work. Clients may be surprised and delighted to learn that a salesman recalls their birthday or another important personal day.
Other means of demonstrating a personal connection result in comparable sentiments of value: if a contact has expressed a great interest in baseball, inquiring about their thoughts on a recent game will likely make them grin.
The more prospective or current client describes their interactions with your sales team as friendly and conversational, the more probable it is that they will pursue such conversations and patronize your organization in the future.
#5. Creativity in Project Management
Creativity in project management can also improve your company’s capacity to complete quality projects on time.
It typically manifests as big-picture thinking and humane handling of interpersonal concerns.
In terms of big-picture thinking, a creative project manager approaches the project differently than other team members. Instead of focusing solely on immediate concerns, the creative project manager considers the project’s end product before it is accomplished.
Big-picture thinking requires a delicate balancing act. Immediate concerns must be addressed, but not at the expense of time or money that will jeopardize the overall project’s completion. The big vision must be kept in mind, but not at the expense of working on individual project components.
#6. Creativity in Handling Interpersonal Issues
The creative personal touch can be a useful tool for the project manager when dealing with interpersonal challenges.
A personal touch, whether dealing with internal or external interpersonal communication, can provide a sense of value and appreciation, as well as serve to diffuse potentially difficult conversations.
Fostering Creativity At Work
If you’re a manager and you have the uneasy sense that your employees are uninspired and dependent on the same old notions and solutions, it’s time to start cultivating creativity. Those who are prone to feeling stagnated and bored at work would greatly benefit from learning how to think creatively.
Tips for fostering creativity at work
There are numerous techniques to encourage creative thinking in your staff. It is critical to try multiple solutions since people react differently when challenged to think beyond the box. Listed below are numerous practical techniques to foster creativity in the workplace. These measures will encourage your workers to think creatively and foster an innovative culture at work.
#1. Prepare the groundwork for brainstorming.
When employees have access to a blank whiteboard, you never know what ideas will emerge. Your company can benefit from an empty slate with plenty of markers and possibilities to brainstorm.
Instead of whiteboards, you can spread out sheets of white butcher paper on the break room tables and scatter them with various writing instruments. This will provide staff with a spot to scribble down an idea while not prompted, which is typically how great ideas germinate. They might even find themselves in an unplanned brainstorming session with someone from another department. One of the finest ways for your organization to produce new ideas is through loose, pressure-free brainstorming in a relaxed situation.
#2. Encourage uniqueness.
Make it clear to your employees that you value their opinions. It may appear straightforward, but employees become accustomed to feeling like one of the pack and may believe it is better to simply keep up with their job, fit in, and avoid becoming a squeaky wheel.
Employers should go out of their way to show employees that their uniqueness is valued. Make it apparent that you see them as individuals with distinct personalities rather than simply as employees. Employees appreciate these gestures and will return the favor with their views and suggestions.
#3. Create a stimulating environment.
Consider the following things when considering how to improve your office area to inspire creativity:
Sound
Environments with variable noise levels will benefit your personnel. Quiet locations are beneficial for remaining concentrated, but moderate ambient noise is optimal for stimulating creativity. Hearing other people’s talks is a huge distraction that can stifle creativity. Your physical workplace environments can inspire invention by providing private workspaces, collaborative table settings, and pleasant areas to ponder.
Color
The colors and moods that are established in the office can also have an effect on the energy of the room. Humans do not react well to standard workplace colors or large swaths of white and gray, beige, tan, and brown. These colors appear sterile and stuffy, ultimately unappealing. After looking at screens, white walls are difficult for eyes to acclimatize to, and the constant contrast of bright white with gray cubicles, black workstations, and dark carpeting fosters more eye strain than creativity.
Instead, inject some color into the workplace. Pastel blue and green colors make for easier-on-the-eye settings, and they can evoke emotions of relaxation. Green shades perform nicely in areas where personnel must concentrate and complete tasks. Because green is the hue of nature, it makes people feel comfortable and cheerful, and humans are still wired to respond to it. Indoor plants can enhance a space by enhancing productivity, enjoyment, and, yes, creativity. (However, dead plants are useless, so if you don’t have a green thumb, consider hiring a plant care service.)
Use a bold, warm color like red or orange in locations where you want to promote thought, such as a conference room. This color can assist your employees’ brains in waking up and may lead to some exciting talks. Use red or orange to create an energizing mood anyplace.
Temperature
The temperature of a room might also affect your employees’ ability to brainstorm. When the working climate is comfortable, employees can think more clearly and generate fresh ideas. The optimal temperature is in the low 70s. Cozy employees generate more innovative ideas. It may cost a bit more to keep the temperature in the proper range, but the benefits may easily outweigh the cost.
Light
Light also aids in the development of creativity. Bright lighting is ideal for work that requires concentration, whilst lower lighting is ideal for creative thought processes. If natural light is available, it is great. Otherwise, select illumination that best mimics the appearance of natural daylight.
#4. Allow for anonymous suggestions.
Employees may feel too afraid to make suggestions in public at times. Even when you urge employees to be creative, fear of shame, overall worry, or something else may prevent them from freely expressing themselves.
Remove social barriers by allowing employees to discuss their thoughts anonymously. Install suggestion boxes throughout the workplace, disseminate identity-protection forms online, and ensure that employee recommendations are acknowledged even if they are submitted anonymously.
#5. Implement good ideas
Employees are more inclined to make suggestions if they believe their suggestions will be implemented. Employees may cease submitting suggestions if they believe nothing is being done with them. When you introduce a new innovative idea, make sure to notify your colleagues.
Once you’ve concluded that the idea is a success, inform the workforce about how this fantastic new idea came to be. Don’t reveal who came up with the idea until you have outstanding outcomes to show for it. This will encourage workplace innovation by enhancing your employees’ motivation to contribute.
#6. Continue to seek out varied talent.
Diversity fosters an environment conducive to innovative thought. It is beneficial to a company to have personnel from various fields, schools, and backgrounds. Employees who have too many similarities in their education and experience may come up with ideas that sound monotonous after a time. To enhance workplace diversity, begin by reviewing résumés for distinctions that may benefit your company rather than hiring new employees that are identical to those you already have.
How Can I Improve My Creativity Skills As An Employee
- Be curious about everything.
- Be open-minded.
- Try something new. Consume content you might not normally choose.
- Consider how you can improve things.
- Keep your brain stimulated.
- Observe how others behave.
- Talk to your team about ideas.
- Let your thoughts run wild.
How Does Creativity Lead To Success?
Creative thinking promotes clarity, logical reasoning, and critical thinking, as well as providing a good overview. That way, you can view multiple problems as one and tackle them as such.
What are some examples of creativity at work?
An effective illustration would be to start meetings with a unique or personal touch. A meeting facilitator can go around the group and inquire about both personal and professional developments. By doing this, they demonstrate that their concern for the employee extends beyond concerns for revenue alone.
What kills creativity at work?
The one thing that kills creativity at work is putting people in the wrong jobs. Role mismatch is a significant way that organizations can restrict creativity by assigning tasks, projects, or even entire occupations to individuals whose skills are not compatible with the duties they are expected to carry out.
What causes a lack of creativity?
Overwhelming, incorrect strategy or excessive input is frequently the root cause of a lack of creativity. It’s a simple issue to resolve. I once battled writer’s block years ago. I wanted to write a book, but I didn’t have any excellent ideas.
How do I know if I’m creative?
Someone who is creative may see things from various angles, widen their thinking, and come up with a variety of solutions to difficulties. A creative individual can easily overcome prejudices and setbacks by embracing creativity.
What drives creativity?
Our research showed that intrinsic motivation, as opposed to extrinsic incentives, is what drives creativity. People are most creative when they are driven largely by the intrigue, delight, fulfillment, and personal challenge of the task itself.
Where does creativity come from?
A key component of creativity is the synthesis of information, wisdom, and life experience. Our daily experiences, the ebb and flow of our emotions, our own imagination, our dreams, and the environment around us are all sources of creativity.
In Conclusion,
You have seen that creativity is not only needed in classrooms and at studios. Just like every other place, creativity in the workplace will go a long way to promote healthy and lively engagements on the part of your employees. The examples and tips we have given in this guide will go a long way in fostering your employees’ creativity at work.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an example of creative thinking?
Problem-solving, writing, visual art, communication skills, and open-mindedness are all examples of creative thinking skills.
How do you demonstrate creative thinking?
To think creatively, leave aside any assumptions or biases, and look at things in a whole new light. By approaching a challenge with an open mind, you give yourself the opportunity to think creatively.
Is creativity a skill or a talent?
Creativity is a skill because it can be learned.
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