Scared of Creativity at Work? Don’t be.
5 ways to deploy creativity to boost productivity and impact at work
Creativity has a bad reputation in business. It’s hard to define, hard to measure and creative types can be hard to control. Step away from the stereotypes for a moment though because creativity is not what it seems.
Not all creativity is IDEAS. It can also be new or diverse ways of doing things, taking different perspectives or even working in a different location. You’ll find that playing with these variables has a creative impact on outcomes that, while far from revolutionary, is noticeable.
Its safer to make a series of incremental steps than giant intuitive leaps. So, try out these 5 strategies for utilising creativity for better results, without scaring anybody away.
1. Reframe the problem
The ‘problems’ we encounter at work are often well known and expressed. So instead of tackling the same-old, same-old once again, do something different. Take a moment investigate what is really going on. Is the problem we are trying to solve really the problem? Using the 5-Why’s (why is this happening? Why is that a problem? Why is that new thing a problem etc etc) can have astonishing results and get to results by solving root causes rather than symptomatic problems.
Tip: Try asking, “How might we…?” instead of “What should we do?”
2. Ask diverse perspectives
Cognitive bias means we often hire and work with people who think and react like us to situations. This results in blind spots. If you want to really get better results, you need to speak to everyone impacted by the problem: inside your team, elsewhere in the business, accounts, the public, your suppliers, an un-related professional. Different viewpoints spark ideas you might never reach alone.
Tip: Don’t accept that the standard narrative is right, discover a new one over a coffee chat.
3. Break the routine
Our environment influences how we think and behave. Just think about how you react to an overly warm workspace. To become better at solving problems, change your environment. You can do this by working somewhere else, having meetings outside, reversing the order you do things, substituting role players. Patterns can blind us to the obvious, so disrupt them to discover new ways of thinking.
Tip: Change the way you do the most obvious, everyday things and see what happens.
4. Work fast and see what happens
Its often not safe to fail at work, and yet when we fail we learn the most. So, don’t wait for perfect, test quick and learn. Share that rough draft or that mind-map with someone, ask for their input, try it out on some colleagues or the public. The best answers often only emerge while you are moving.
Tip: Get out of your head and into action as soon as you can to crash test your ideas.
5. Celebrate curiosity, not just results
The act of asking questions forces people to be creative. Don’t you agree? You see? Interesting questions lead to new associations which can lead to improvements and new ideas. Be braver in asking questions and encourage those around you to do the same. Make sure there is space for curiosity and questions: not just for right answers.
Tip: Never stop asking why and looking for more.
Creativity is the practical tool we have for jumping out of defined and known parameters to discover new answers. As our technology renders more and more work obsolete for humans, we need to be thinking about what we can bring to the table and not just doing the same things over and over again.
Your creativity is the key and these 5 approaches will help you ask better questions and discover better answers without making you look like a creative weirdo who leaves everyone behind.
