When we hear the word “creativity,” we often link this term to the arts, but with the development of technology and its contribution to changing the world around us, we find that creativity has become part of the business world as well.
To emphasize the importance of this matter, IBM International, which specializes in developing software, conducted a survey of more than 1500 executives around the world. They were asked about the most important characteristics and features that they believe should be available in their organizations and employees in order to be able to confront the challenges facing them. The answer was surprising, as the largest percentage explained that creativity comes before anything else!
Thus, we see that having creative capabilities at work is an essential advantage that you must enjoy and seek to develop; so how can you be creative in your work?
1- Start with small steps to make a big difference.
Feeling the inability to think is very similar to standing in front of a great wall that is impossible to break. It is normal for you to feel frustrated in such a situation, but what will you do to break through this wall? There is no doubt that you will start making a lot of small cracks in it, which will eventually lead to its collapse.
Similarly, start thinking about small things you can change in your work to give you a new perspective, such as taking a different route to work, buying a new plant to put in your office, or changing your lunch from what you used to, these simple things contribute and, over time, will change a lot of those around you and make you more able to come up with greater and more creative ideas.
2- Think while standing
Sitting for long periods is harmful to your health and your mind as well, while standing changes the entire energy of your body and even the energy of those around you as well. Try to hold your meetings at work while you are standing on your feet, and note the impact of this on the quality of the ideas that you and your colleagues come up with. Standing will contribute to making the movement of the team faster and more oriented towards the achievement, which will stimulate each one to come up with more ideas, thus raising the creativity rate in the workplace.
3- Draw your thoughts.
It has been scientifically proven that drawing stimulates cognitive brain activity by stimulating the right half of the brain, which is the side responsible for creative thinking. You do not need to be a professional painter; even simple graphics and scribbles will give the same effect. So do not hesitate to use drawing and color to express your thoughts and what is going on in your mind.
4- Keep the sources of inspiration close to you.
Think about something that helped you change the way you think or opened new prospects for imagination and creativity. This may be a preferred saying, a masterpiece, a song, or a natural look that you saw during your previous vacation.
Keep this thing close to you, hang the image of that landscape in front of you, or make it the background on your computer. Hear that song again and again, and write that inspiring saying on the wall of your room. Every time you feel stuck and unable to think, turn your focus toward these things.
5- Change the sound of the sounds around you.
As published in a study conducted at the University of Chicago, calm sounds in the background, or what is known as “ambient noise,” are an effective and appropriate component of the bombardment of creative energies. Perhaps the best level of sound is similar to the low noise you hear in a school cafe. While the applied stillness you find in the library, for example, is most appropriate for focus, it does not lead to creativity at all. On the other hand, the high noise disperses attention and prevents any work that needs focus or creativity. If your business does not provide you with the appropriate environment of sounds that motivate you, you only need to carry one of the Ambient Noise apps or listen to some audio files on YouTube.
6- Use the members of the other team.
If you ever find yourself unable to come up with creative ideas for your job, do not be miserable, and remember that you are not forced to solve this issue alone. Gather your team or teammates and ask their opinion. You can also arrange our minds during or after working hours to exchange ideas; thinking with the group is undoubtedly better than thinking alone. In addition, it will contribute to a greater number of ideas as it stimulates your brain and activates it more to come up with more creative ideas.
7- Start with implementation
Stop the speech, start working, turn your thoughts into written words, and turn your writing into pictures and drawings. Then, from these drawings, I create preliminary examples from which I develop real projects. The more you build, the more ideas I find and your creativity grows, so don’t underestimate any act you do to put your ideas into action, no matter how small.
8- Get out of the office.
Instead of holding yourself in the office in search of inspiration, what do you think of a picnic abroad? In addition, it is a way to move blood circulation in your body and renew your activity, as it contributes to detonating your creative energy. Start by noting the things around you, and until you benefit more, you can turn it into a game, so you start on the first day focusing on things that start with the letter A, and on the second day on the things that start with the letter B, and so on. You will notice that your mind is starting to link what you see with your problems or your tasks at work, providing you with creative solutions that you would not have reached if you stayed in your place.
Always remember that creativity is not only limited to the arts but rather an important requirement in all areas of life. Do not deprive yourself of the pleasure of coming up with new ideas every day in your work, and be sure to follow the previous steps to achieve more success in your job.
What other things do you do if you face problems that you cannot solve in your work? Share your opinions in the comments.
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