Creativity

written by: Kennith Crosby; article published: year 2007, month 05;



In: Categories » Self improvement » Leadership and innovation » Creativity

The future of your organization will, in large measure, be determined by your ability to innovate and change. The creative process, if properly employed, will allow you to move ahead — perhaps in quantum leaps. Here are some strategies you can use to become more creative yourself and encourage those around you to do so too.

  1. Look for new ideas constantly. Search the Internet, read books and magazines, attend exhibitions and workshops.

  2. Keep your mind open to ideas from unexpected places. Allow your mind to wander, especially in places you do not normally visit. Keep a pen and pad to jot down new ideas.

  3. If you work with critical people, keep your ideas to yourself until you have had a chance to formulate them fully. With each idea, think about the benefits, drawbacks, and costs. Anticipate and find solutions to possible objections.

  4. Don't exclude any ideas by deciding in advance whether others will accept them. Concern yourself with selling the idea only as a last step. If you try to sell it before you're ready, you may inhibit your imagination and creativity.

  5. Don't always expect to get home runs. Look for small improvements rather than major breakthroughs. Don't put undue pressure on yourself. As you become more innovative and your confidence grows, so will the size of your ideas.

  6. Ask your boss for a budget for some level of experimentation, including time and materials. This will send a strong signal to you and your colleagues about the importance the company places on innovation.

  7. Permit yourself to make mistakes. Consider them a stepping stone on the way to success.

  8. Be persistent. Sometimes the skeptics jump in quickly, especially if they know you will be easily discouraged. Stay with your idea if you are convinced of its value.

  9. Be open to the ideas of others, and they will become more supportive of you too. Be open and responsive to new ideas. Listen to be influenced rather than concentrating on developing a rebuttal.

  10. If you find it difficult to assess the merits of your idea, find someone who can and who may become a spokesperson. Often it's not what you say but how you say it. Some people have a talent for being persuasive.

  11. Encourage the boss to make tools of creativity freely available. A flip chart in your work area can be a place to post new ideas as they occur to people. People can also use Post-it Notes to jot down their ideas, and then leave them on the flip chart on the way to a break.

  12. Look outside your department or organization for new ideas that could work for you. While you may get ideas from similar work areas within your organization, you will usually find more innovative solutions in other organizations and industries. These ideas can be found by

    • reading trade journals;

    • interviewing new employees who worked for an organization that had similar work processes;

    • attending conferences and shows, where you can network with people from other organizations;

    • getting information from your trade organization;

    • scouring the Internet;

    • using Internet chat features for sharing and researching new ideas.

  13. At your departmental meetings, take a leadership role by challenging your colleagues to think more of reasons why a new idea would work, rather than reasons why it would not.

legal disclaimer

1) Our website is not responsible for the information contained by this article as well for any and all copyright infringements by authors and writers. E-articles is a free information resource. If you suspect this article for any copyright infringements, please read the Terms of service and contact us to investigate the problem.
2) The E-articles directory team is not responsible for inaccuracies, falsehoods, or any other types of misinformation this tutorial may contain and will not be liable for any loss or damage suffered by a user through the user's reliance on the information gained here. Please read the Terms of service

Useful tools and features

Translate this article to...    Send this article to you or to a friend

Link to this article from your page   
If you like this article (tutorial), please link to it from your web page using the information above. Linking to this page, this is the only way to help us improve our service, the same time providing your visitors with a way to improve their online experience.

related articles

1. How to Prepare People for Future Work and Keep Them Involved
When we finish a job, we would like to leave people better prepared to be involved and involve others in the future, whether it is similar work or something completely different. It can take time and energy to do this. At the end of the work, it might seem easy to think we don't need to invest any more in reviewing what we did. In fact, we might want to avoid going over the difficulties. Next time we come to do something, we may wish we had captured the lessons and noted ideas for the future. And by then it might be too l...

2. The Three Roles of Sales Leaders
There are three roles of a sales leader in creating a climate for change: Challenge the status quo. Create and communicate an exciting vision. Support, encourage, and recognize those pursuing that vision. Getting what you need for your customers may mean initiating change at your own company. That will mean that you will have to make a case for why your proposal is essential to keeping your customer’s business, and perhaps the business o...

3. The Sales Leader`s Challenge
The sales leader’s challenge is To take the initiative To not accept the status quo when the present way of serving customers is less than it could be To inspire others to follow his or her vision for achieving what seems to be impossible To maintain confidence and control in the face of crisis and uncertainty To provide communication, compassion, and direction when needed Sales leaders look at the s...

4. Coaching Your Teammates
While your immediate boss is expected to be your coach, the span of control of managers is becoming so great that they are having difficulty helping their people. This creates opportunities for people to help each other improve their jobs in an informal way. Here's how you can contribute to your work area's success by assisting your co-workers. Share your technical knowledge with those around you. This will improve productivity. It will also demonstrate your collaborative skills — something that co...

5. Change: Becoming a Champion
You may be disappointed if you fail; trust you are doomed if you don't try. In life, always tell yourself that things are fine as they are, butwould be even better if they were different. Change is a fact of life in the new millennium. Those who are waiting for the dust to settle are living in a world of fantasy. Change will continue, with one difference — it will happen more often and it will take place in bigger increments. You must adapt or die like the dinosaur. Here a...

6. Change: Surviving a Corporate Merger
Mergers and alliances between organizations are being spurred on by a booming stock market and increased globalization. As they are becoming a common feature of the corporate landscape, it is necessary for people to have a strategy to deal pro-actively with the consequences. Here are some things you can do: BEFORE A MERGER Prepare for the worst at all times. This is not about being a pessimist, but about being a realist. Update your resume regularly, adding speci...

7. Influencing People
Each of us is dependent on others in our organization. Influencing people to gain commitment for new ideas is crucial. Here are some ideas to improve your effectiveness: Acknowledge that you are dependent on others. Develop a collaborative attitude. Treat people with respect, consideration, and dignity. They will do the same with you. Help people out whenever possible. Do them favours. You will then be able to legitimately ask them to return favours when you need them. ...

8. Attitude Survey
People's attitudes directly affect their workplace effectiveness. If an organization can improve its workers' level of morale, it will probably also realize improved productivity and customer satisfaction. Frequent staff turnover and absenteeism are strong indicators of an unhappy workforce. The best way to find out what is causing low morale is to take an attitude survey. This will enable your organization to collect measurable data and determine specific reasons for discontent. If your organization or department...