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Get Creative in the Workplace!

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The post Get Creative in the Workplace! appeared first on Engagement Worx.

Creativity is too often confused with art making. While artists must think creatively, art making doesn’t own “creativity”. Creative thinking in its broadest sense is an approach to problem solving, a skill that should be nurtured and encouraged in the workplace.

Companies benefit exponentially when employees are encouraged to think creatively. They feel empowered and engaged when given the opportunity to approach challenges in a new way. Here are a few tips on creative problem solving from IDEO, the global design firm that helps organizations in the public and private sectors innovate and grow:

1. Diversify what you do and who you do it with.

color out of screen Creative workplaceAt IDEO, both projects and teams are fluid. One week you may be working on a major, new initiative with veteran team members and the next you could be fixing up an old project that needed some fresh attention with the interns.

Having diverse experiences like this helps carry ideas from one group to another, maximizing learning value and ensuring that problems receive a fresh perspective. Creativity flourishes in places where new experiences are not only possible, but encouraged.

2. Be an advocate for your ideas.

henri matisse creative courageThe most creative environments are ones where ideas – good or bad – are not only shared, but fought for.

In major organizations it’s difficult to get employees to share ideas because they feel as though it’s not their job. Bad ideas are shunned and anything even remotely creative is hidden away for fear of failure (which, for many businesses, can be very costly). Yet it’s the organizations that have employees who stand as bold advocates for their ideas that are leaders in the marketplaces.

3. Focus on effective communication

Ideas can only flow if they’re effectively communicated. Open environments work tremendously well for active communication, but talking or emailing alone won’t help the ideas grow. In order to really have a creative workplace you and those you work with need to be effective communicators, ensuring that ideas are heard and understood, no matter how they are presented.

4. Turn work into play

Albert Einstein Having Fun at workWhen you’re bogged down with deadlines and dollar figures it’s hard to be open-minded and optimistic. Instead, turning work into play allows for more opportunistic thinking, which is where innovation and creativity thrive.

At IDEO they’re all about having fun while getting done what needs to be done.

PPM’s “Ideas at Work” is a platform for harnessing the power of creative thinking from diverse team structures focused on cost saving ideas and revenue generating. Powered by a robust web-based application, “Ideas at Work” facilitates an organized process to capture and evaluate ideas and implement. Learn more here: http://www.performplus.com/ideasatwork.html

The post Get Creative in the Workplace! appeared first on Engagement Worx.


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