Creative Thinking At Workplace

Quickly! Think about a place where creativity would be encouraged and nurtured.

So what came to your mind an art studio, a theater, or maybe a child’s playroom?

Am I Right ?

I know I am . All those places come to mind pretty easily, but I’m willing to bet there’s one place that didn’t, and that’s the workplace.

The traditional office life — what many of us see as the 9-to-5 grind at a cubicle, endlessly dreaming about Fridays and weekends — doesn’t always leave a lot of space for creativity

Being creative at work generally means taking risks, which might make you hesitate.

What is creativity in the workplace?

Creativity represents the ability to develop new or imaginative ideas and turn them into a reality. Businesses can use creativity in the workplace to create innovative solutions or more positive and collaborative work environments. Creativity promotes employees to think outside of the norm and experiment. Beyond experimentation, the creative process also involves asking questions or looking at problems from diverse perspectives.

What are the benefits of creative thinking in business?

As mentioned, creativity serves an essential role for businesses. Here are some examples of the other benefits that creative thinking can offer an organization:

• Identifies new opportunities: Creative-thinking techniques challenge individuals’ current ways of thinking about or doing things. When they look beyond what already exists, it can open their minds to new or unexpected opportunitiesThey may ask the questions “Why?” or “Why not?” to identify such opportunities.
• Embraces challenges or risks: Experimentation allows individuals to try new ideas to determine whether they work or present a feasible solution. In this process, they do not have to worry if an idea fails. Reducing fear of failure can help the business promote reasonable risk-taking and taking on challenges.
• Promotes innovation: Innovation represents the process of introducing and utilizing new ideas or concepts. Creative thinking enables individuals to look at things from all different angles to create something new.
• Stimulates the mind: Creative thinking exercises often incorporate fun or exciting activities that stimulate different areas of the mind than day-to-day tasks do. Creativity also encourages individuals to look for ideas in everything, making them pay attention to seemingly small details or patterns.
• Improves collaboration: Effective collaboration requires team members and leaders to accept and listen to one another. Because creative thinking promotes open-mindedness and flexibility, individuals who use this skill may show more willingness to try others’ ideas and also help reduce judgment when hearing those ideas.

How to Foster Creativity as a Manager

Making the workplace a space ripe for creativity has plenty of benefits and can lead to serious success. But exactly how can managers go about fostering creativity?

Leaders hoping to inspire innovation among employees should consider these tips.

• Encourage Both Individualism and Teamwork

The strange thing about collaboration is that both individuality and unselfishness are needed to proceed. It’s important that managers not only encourage team bonding and collaborative work but also ensure that employees not check their individuality at the door. Many unique ideas come from just one person but are molded by a team to become fully formed.

• Never Say No

The brainstorming process can be delicate and complicated, especially when a large team is working together to find a strong solution. In these settings, it’s easy to make quick judgments about an idea, dismissing it as unsuitable. Instead of allowing negativity to stymie growth, encourage positive and additive feedback. The phrase “yes and …” can go a long way and help the entire team contribute better ideas.

• Diversify Your Team

One easy and quick way to build a more creative workplace is to add a variety of perspectives, insights and learning styles to accelerate problem-solving. The so-called Medici effect posited by author Frans Johansson suggests that diverse teams are more likely to generate innovative ideas thanks to the different ways people approach a problem.