Creativity is the process of personalizing an idea by altering it or mixing it with other ideas to create something fulfilling. The ability to come up with new and intriguing ideas is the definition of creativity. This is an example of innovation when Apple Computer comes out with a totally new product that no one has ever thought of before, such as the iPod. A painter’s outstanding work of art is proof of his or her inventiveness. The ability to think about a task or an issue in a new or unusual way, or the ability to use one’s imagination to come up with fresh ideas, is referred to as creativity. Creativity allows you to solve hard challenges or come up with novel approaches to assignments. When you’re creative, you see things from a different perspective. Be a listener who actively seeks out information. According to Halper, “many creative professionals don’t truly hear anything beyond the surface of what their clients claim they require.” You can fine-tune a project to better match the company’s needs by listening, learning, and asking questions.
All humans are born with the ability to be creative, especially when it comes to problem-solving abilities. It’s crucial because it allows you to see problems and situations in a new light. Creating thinking is a method for developing innovative or unconventional answers that are not entirely reliant on previous or current solutions. Thinking of new ways to do things is what creativity is all about. It entails coming up with unique ideas or behaviors.
Analysis, open-mindedness, problem-solving, organizing, and communication are all aspects of creative thinking. They include a wide range of topics related to creativity, such as idea creation and divergent thinking strategies, problem re-framing approaches, changes in the effective environment, and so on. Creative thinkers are enthralled by their surroundings. They ask a lot of questions and have a really intense focus that puts them into almost a trance as they try to figure out how something works, or the finer points of a beautiful building, or whatever else they can think of.
There are numerous instances of creative thinking/doing talents in the workplace, including developing a social media strategy for a new product, organizing an in-store display for maximum impact, creating a new method of processing reimbursements, and enhancing customer service. We can view and solve problems in a more open and imaginative way thanks to creativity. The mind is opened by creativity. Generations of individuals may be closed-minded as a result of a culture that has lost touch with its creative side. It can help us overcome stereotypes by broadening our horizons. A creative professional, often known as a creative specialist, is someone who works in the creative industry to extract abilities.
Estimates of creative professionals are frequently erroneous because many creative professionals (actors and authors, for example) also work in secondary professions. Creativity’s Three Components Creativity is a product of three factors within each person: expertise, creative-thinking skills, and motivation.
Creative Thinking Techniques
Because most challenges may necessitate approaches that have never been conceived or explored before, an emphasis on creativity and innovation is critical. Individually, it is a highly valued skill, and corporations should always strive to have it among their ranks. After all, the term “creativity” refers to the act of creating something new. As a result, the demand for coworking space is increasing.
“Read also: Why Coworking Spaces are in Demand?”
Creative thinking is a skill that, like any other, requires regular practice to maintain its sharpness. In a shared office environment, you will be exposed to scenarios where a fresh idea is required on a frequent basis, and you will be surrounded by like-minded people to help you reach this aim. One of the advantages of working in a coworking space is this. Using specific strategies, such a process can be made easier. It aids in business networking and the formation of a coworking community, which leads to the formation of a business community. They can help you get into the appropriate mentality and provide you the foundation you need to generate fresh ideas on the go.
Working in a coworking space has a lot of benefits. Creative thinking can be prompted by a variety of approaches, as you’ve just learned. These are powerful ways for helping you generate new ideas, test them in new situations (including remote working), and rely on feedback from others to make them even more inventive. Lateral thinking, visual reading, out-of-the-box thinking, copywriting, artistic creativity, problem-solving, analytical mind, and divergent thinking are some of the best examples of creative thinking skills.
Here are the best creative thinking techniques you can use
1. Brainstorming
This method can be quite effective in solving minor or large-scale problems that demand creativity. The main purpose is to build a group of people with whom you can freely exchange thoughts. The main notion behind brainstorming is that having a large number of creative potential ideas makes it easier to choose the best one. Brainstorming provides a number of benefits that can aid in the development of your creative thinking abilities. For starters, because it is highly casual, it does not require a rigid framework to function. Professional guidance, on the other hand, can make it easier. Also, because you can use a virtual environment or enter thoughts into a shared document, the persons involved do not need to be present at the same moment. All participants must be aware of the problem that requires a creative solution and be familiar with how brainstorming works in order for it to operate properly. Finally, don’t forget to record all of your thoughts using the correct documentation.
2. Recognize Innovation Opportunities
Recognize the problems that existing customers have with your products or those of your competitors. If the industry is dissatisfied with current offers, there is a chance for innovation to emerge. As a result, every challenge or market crisis that a product encounters is an opportunity to innovate and thrive.
A stapler is a wonderful tool for keeping your documents together, but what if you need to manage more than 12 pages? Stapler pins can’t hold more than a dozen sheets of paper. Accenture Inc, a Pennsylvania-based office goods company, created the PaperPro to assist in the pinning of 60 papers together. Todd Moses, the company’s founder, saw that there had been no fundamental change in the product for the previous 100 years, prompting them to build a new product that is now selling millions of units in over 100 countries.
3. Foster an Innovative Environment
Do you want to keep doing business the same way you’ve always done it? Is it open to change, or is it set in stone? A company that has historically done “brick-and-mortar” business, for example, may lose out if the trend shifts to a combination of online and in-store selling. If top management is resistant to change, it will spread across the organization. And there will be no new ideas.
The innovation group must meet on a regular basis to exchange ideas and proposals, as well as have brainstorming sessions. Limiting it to a few people will limit the company’s capacity to acquire support and fresh ideas from the full talent pool. If possible, involve the complete team of workers. Each individual has his own talent, ideas, and experiences. It is very important to assign ownership for innovative ideas and their execution. Great ideas are frequently abandoned after brainstorming sessions due to a lack of adequate follow-up or ownership within the business.
4. Mind Mapping
Mind mapping allows you to connect thoughts you never thought could be joined. As a result, it might be able to assist you in coming up with appropriate ideas while applying creative thinking skills. A mind map is a diagram in which you can input and connect thoughts. It can provide potential answers to an issue, as well as its immediate ramifications and the best course of action to address them. Alternatively, your mind map might help you see the big picture of what you’re trying to accomplish. Individual mind mapping is also possible. You may already have all of the thoughts you require, but you must put them down on paper. Making a mental map might help you organize your thoughts and come to logical conclusions. Also, because a mind map is essentially an infographic, it is easily understood by those who were not involved in the process. As a result, it is a valid piece of documentation.
“Read also: 13 Ways to Bring Mindfulness into your Workplace”
5. Willingness to Experiment
Companies must be willing to try new things in order to truly innovate. Companies must exhibit an appetite for new ways of doing things, whether through co-creation with customers, discovering market adjacencies, or participating in an innovation Centre.
6. Develop an Innovation Strategy – and Use It
An innovation strategy outlines the concepts that will guide your company’s product and service innovation in order to increase market share. When it comes to problem-solving, a sound approach can help to define what is expected of employees at all levels of your firm. Leadership establishes assurance about the central role of innovation and supports the idea that innovation is everyone’s duty by adopting an innovation strategy.
Developing an innovation plan also forces senior management to consider what innovation means to them and to define how their staff should contribute new products, systems, and service ideas in unambiguous terms. Microsoft is an excellent example of how to put an innovation strategy to use. By making its strategy a core part of employee responsibilities, Microsoft encourages its workers at all levels to make innovation a priority in their work.
7. Shake Things Up
There’s a no better approach to persuade your staff to think outside the box than to give them fresh and intriguing initiatives that aren’t part of their regular responsibilities. While some employees may be fearful of failing at first, they will eventually be enthralled by the opportunity to attempt something new in your encouraging “no idea is a bad idea” work atmosphere.
8. Use Tools to Create Time and Space to Innovate
Businesses have access to an astounding array of time-saving software. It’s never been easier to save time on essential procedures, whether it’s through project management software, online collaboration platforms, or cloud accounting systems. These software packages can assist your workers to do more than simply prevent hassles; they can also free up time for creative and imaginative thinking that they previously didn’t have. So, have a look at the software options available and consider how you could put the time savings to good use.
9. True Innovation takes Commitment and Perseverance
Despite what business coaches may claim, promoting creativity isn’t all rainbows and sunshine. It takes time, effort, and a certain amount of forgivingness for mistakes and failures to get to an inventive workplace. Even the most successful and inventive organizations, as we’ve seen, have a fair number of failures. Many of the key aspects of workplace innovation, as some observers have pointed out, also include balancing certain drawbacks. For example, fostering employee collaboration must be balanced against individual accountability, and keeping opportunities for lone wolves who get their best work done by working alone requires strong leadership. Avoiding workplace hierarchies takes strong leadership, before a firm can experiment with innovation, it must first get its day-to-day operations in order. This requires a trusting approach to management and a commitment to hiring highly motivated individuals.
So, if you’re trying to promote workplace innovation, don’t be shocked if the changes are more difficult to implement than you anticipated.
It can take a long time to innovate. Whether you’re pursuing gradual or radical innovation, it’ll almost certainly take longer than you think.