Stimulating creativity in the workplace

Articles

bayt

Talent

Do you often find yourself stuck in a rut when trying to be creative? Do you find yourself constantly searching for that idea that will get you that promotion you’ve been waiting for? Employees often struggle with creativity. Is this essential trait innate or can it be learned and developed?

Dr. Robert Steinberg defined creativity as “the process of producing something original and worthwhile” in his 2004 publication Creativity and the Power to Realization. Creativity is not limited to artists, musicians, writers, and filmmakers, as the prevailing convention suggests, but is a basic and common “skill” that must be developed daily, both personally and professionally.

It is comforting news to hear that creativity comes naturally! It is not necessary to attend special training courses or take intensive classes to learn how to be creative; it simply appears at a certain moment, provided that the right conditions and environment are present for its development. It is a skill that transcends all boundaries related to age, gender, social class or experience. Every working individual has the right and the ability to be creative when he commits himself to developing his individual creative abilities. Setting goals, asking for help when needed, maintaining a supportive environment and allocating a specific amount of time each day to develop individual creativity are all good criteria for developing this essential quality.

Creativity is located in the right side of the brain, along with feelings, emotions, and sensations, while logic and mathematics are located in the left side (the analytical part that employees use most of the time in the workplace). Employees forget that they can have both sides working in harmony, and creativity can be fueled with the right amount of the right stimulus, the stimulus that makes employees stars at their jobs.

Here are four essential steps to developing creativity skills:

• Make time for creativity: Decide when you want to be alone with your thoughts.

• Remove all negative influences: Also get rid of the thoughts that reduce your self-worth that you may embrace. Always remember that there is no such thing as a bad idea. Trust yourself. You have the ability to come up with creative ideas that you can filter during the period when your mind is clear and relaxed.

• Brainstorming: Brainstorming helps generate the largest number of ideas. When you finish the brainstorming session, you can filter the ideas and study them until you come out with the best result.

• Share your ideas: Share your ideas with senior management, peers, friends or colleagues and ask for constructive criticism.

Are you still unable to be creative while working?

• Remove all lists, charts, and schedules from in front of you and put them aside (but within reach of course). Replace them with images that bring comfort and happiness to your soul (pictures of loved ones, nature, etc.) and that relieve your mind from the stress it struggles with daily.

• Surround yourself with color. Orange stimulates creativity and this is a well-known fact! Surround yourself with this color.

• Put your headphones on and listen to relaxing music. This stimulates the right side of your brain and relaxes the left side for a period of time.

• Use a pencil when writing down notes and ideas for the brainstorming session, not a pen, because looking at writing written with a pencil is easier than looking at writing written with a pen, and it is easier to edit and understand.

• Commit to creativity outside the workplace as well, as this will directly reflect on your creativity in the workplace; draw, sculpt, grow plants. Seek reassurance and creativity will surprise you in all aspects, at work and outside it.

Last but not least, remember that creativity is a mental habit that can be strengthened with practice. It is possible and within everyone's reach! Be flexible, develop your creative skills and reap the rewards of your efforts.

“Creativity comes when you are comfortable and enjoying the moment. When it comes, it will bring with it ideas that will shake your world ,” said Robin Sharma, one of the most sought-after experts in leadership and personal success.