Creativity: The most needed skill in the workplace

 

“There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns.” Edward de Bono

 

In today’s world, many companies have become so sucked into a daily pattern consumed by technology that they forget to let the imagination of the employees run free. But it’s the companies that allow for an imaginative and creative workplace that seem to succeed above all others. Creativity is essential in the business world because you will always be imagining and creating new ideas that put your business one step ahead of your competitors. 

Businesses need to hold onto the idea of embracing creativity to help elevate their company. This can be done through marketing, the workplace environment, strategies, or anywhere you see fit. Many creative minds tend to lean towards working in marketing rather than accounts, so it only makes sense that’s where creativity tends to shine within a company.

But keep in mind, it’s not only the social media team who can help prosper a more dynamic business. The workplace environment you create can help the company with new out of the box ideas. Take Google, for example, they have creative outlets across all of their campuses, and they have been one of the top companies in the world since being created.

If you’re sitting there reading this and thinking: “Well, that sounds great, but I’m not quite sure how to activate the creative gene into my employees”, then don’t worry, we have you covered. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you spark the imaginations of your workers:

Reward creativity. This doesn’t need to be a huge pay bonus, but rather it can be in terms of giving a congratulatory compliment. Often, we forget to praise the hard work of employees and it will feel nice for them knowing their work is being appreciated.

Hire people who bring something new to the table rather than someone who will just fit in. Yes, you want them to fit into the company, but try hiring someone a bit eclectic whom you can’t quite figure out. Or try hiring someone from a different age group, gender, or culture than the dominant one at your workplace. They will bring diverse thoughts and help your company expand.

Give employees time to recharge. Overworking can dim the imagination. We all know that feeling of being drained where you simple stare at your computer and go through the motions of the day. Giving your employees adequate time off and a mental health day here and there will help improve their overall moral and creative thinking.

You always want your company to be the first to create something rather than just following along with the crowd, and an office full of creative thinkers will help you achieve that.