Use Creativity at Work

Many people assume they are not creative and choose to reserve creativity for the “creative types” at work. Actually, most everyone has creative potential, and it can show itself in many ways in a work environment—from identifying business opportunities to solving problems. Being creative means using your imagination, seeing things from a fresh perspective, and asking “what if?”

Traits of a Creative Person 

Creative people are curious. They are often motivated to solve problems; in fact, they see problems as opportunities. They enjoy learning new things and stretching themselves professionally. Creative people are typically open-minded and slow to judge others' ideas—recognizing that even far-fetched ideas have potential for success. They also tend to be optimists and will persevere in moving ideas and solutions forward. Proposing process improvements, using technology in innovative ways, and working with limited resources to satisfy project objectives are all very real examples of how people use creativity in the workplace.

Promote Your Own Creativity

Do you question your ability to be more creative? If so, you can employ the following behaviors and attitudes to promote and enhance your own creativity:

• Collaborate and brainstorm with others. Be open to sharing your ideas and encouraging others.
• Anticipate and overcome challenges. Challenges are a normal part of doing business, and moving past them often requires resourcefulness and creativity.
• To avoid getting distracted and losing sight of good ideas, write them down.
• Contemplate and research ideas, when possible, before proposing them to others.
• Don’t be afraid to fail.
• If you get stuck, take a break from problem solving or sorting through an idea.
• Try new things, even simple things—like discovering a new restaurant or cuisine.