A. create an enhanced creative atmosphere in your team;
B. understand the importance of creativity in the constant challenge of the new business environment;
C. take advantage of the creativity processes;
D. get used to the concept of creativity, the differences and interactions with INNOVATION, and how creativity can help you and your team to grow competitively.
Time needed to review this content: 30 MIN
Creativity is the engine of innovation that is crucial in this highly competitive times. Although it seems that creativity is not a quality for each individual (there are some in witch creativity is almost natural and others with a low level of it), creativity can be improved taking the individuals to a better level of productivity and innovation. This pill will show you some ways to improve the creativity in your team or company.
Every individual has creativity within himself or herself in the form of three components, namely:
• expertise
• creative thinking skills
• motivation.
Enhancing the individual creativity has a relevant role in the development of a company or a team. Teams are composed of individuals; so enhancing the self-creativity results in more successful projects and business.
The real source of creativity is in your own personality. Your own thoughts, ideas and feelings will lead you to discover new contexts. All of us are unique, and not all of us can apply these skills effectively. When you are a founder of an SME (now or later on) you might have the feeling that you are too small and weak to share and implement your creative ideas, it is time to stop now for a second. Look around and trust yourself.
To enhance your creativity you should:
• Be curious: don’t be afraid to question things even if they seem inevitable. Look forward but also look back. Try to respect, but as well, probe already established things, methods etc., and also seek for modern solutions.
• Read: Reading not just novels but any books, articles or papers related to your occupation is a good way to enhance your skills on your activity as well as make your creativity go to a higher level.
• Travel: No mater how far, it is not necessary traveling to exotic countries. Just the will of traveling opens your scope of the real things, even in your own city there are places, communities, people and culture that you probably have never met and it would be helpful for you in many ways, including enhancing your creativity and helping you to connect ideas and resources.
• Take Risks: it's not a question of extreme sports or similar. Just get out of your comfort zone and face your fears and doubts. Try solving them after a deep analysis. Doing things wrong, making mistakes, and other negative aspects of your own are common. But you have to make them positive, learn from these errors and see what you’ll never have to do in the future.
• Look for interconnectedness in things: find something that can link unrelated concepts.
• Write down or draw everything you have in your mind. Writing and drawing helps you to think your ideas over, to find the weak points, and to complete it.
• Meet yourself, know yourself: knowing yourself is just going to the deepest of you, and learning about your strengths, weaknesses and other aspects of your behavior; from this deep analisys you’ll surely grow and will get more skills on your own creativity.
You can compare creativity with sports; if you practice and train yourself on being creative and you get accustomed to use your creativity skills everyday, you will continue enhancing your creativity and new ideas and innovation matters will surely arise.
Creative thinking - how to get out of the box and generate ideas. By Giovanni Corazza. This video explains clearly and easily how to get new ideas and how to enhance your creativity (13:38 min).
TIPS AND TRICKS:
• Analyze yourself in terms of creativity.
• Read about things that you are interested in.
• Write a blog, make a podcast, or whatever kind of recording your steps to the success on your creativity strength.
• Travel around different places learning the customs and other things about the environment related to creativity.
SUMMARY:
Everybody is creative.
Enhance your creativity skills by analyzing yourself and your potentiality.
Enhancing individual creativity will help enhance creativity of your company or team.
THINK OF SOME ANSWERS TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
Did I really understand the concept of creativity as the engine of innovation and improvement?
Do I think creativity is part of the success?
Do I read books, articles and other materials about my work and other possible alternatives?
Please think about specific things you could do in your organisation to enhance the creativity and have a work culture in which creativity can flourish.
