Entrepreneurs
like Richard Branson have always encouraged creativity in the workplace to spur innovation. Indeed, many managers and business owners place significant
value on thinking out of the box.
Creativity and innovation are the lifeblood of any successful company. Nurturing your creative self is one of the best ways to unlock your strategic mind in a meaningful ways that can benefit your entire organisation. The ability to come up with creative ideas is not a talent, it’s a skill, which means just like any other skills, this is something you can learn. Creativity is like a muscle. To develop it, you need to stretch it, challenge it and occasionally push it past its comfort zone.
Everyone can learn to improve their creative and innovation skills in the workplace. Here are five useful ways to help you get your creative juices flowing.
1. Go for a walk
We all know that walking is good for our health. But did you know that walking can help you hone your creativity and innovation skills? A study at Stanford University found that walking improves divergent thinking by 60%.
2. Restrict yourself
Internal restriction can boost your creativity. Studies show that people tend to build on ideas they already have, using every resource at hand. However, self-imposed limitation can boost creativity by pushing creative people out of their comfort zone.
3. Re-conceptualise the problem
Normally, people look straight at a problem to find a straightforward solution. On the other hand, creative people try to re-conceptualise the problem to examine it in different ways before beginning to work on a solution. For example, a writer handling content strategy for a startup may have a goal of writing popular articles. If he works with a mindset of writing articles that can attract a lot of shares and tweets, he may not be able to come up with something very good. Instead, if he examines the problem from another angle and considers what kind of articles resonate well with people and capture their interest, he may achieve far better results.
4. Take a break
Have you ever found yourself stuck with an idea and it seems like there is nowhere to go? Take a break. Forcing yourself to find a solution will lead only to exhaustion. Walk away from your desk, grab a cup of coffee or tea, and talk to people around you. Sometimes you get the best inspiration when you are not actively working on the problem.
5. Take advantage of peak hours
Some people may find themselves more creative and productive during certain hours of the day or when placed under certain conditions. Make the best use of these specific times and let your creative juices flow freely. Since this is something that varies from person to person, just do what works best for you.
No matter what field you work in, chances are you can help your career and your organisation by strengthening your creativity and innovation skills. So why not step outside your comfort zone and give the suggestions above a try today!
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