Why creativity matters in business
What is creativity?
It is the ability to produce new and original ideas, connecting concepts in unique ways to create different solutions. If you’re creative, you’ll enjoy challenges that require an innovative approach.
Why is it important for the future of business?
Businesses need smart thinkers to succeed in the future – those who can bring fresh concepts to the table, who are not afraid to challenge the way things are done and see a better way to make the world work. Exciting ideas are generated by connecting seemingly unconnected dots in unexpected ways, driven by a human understanding of what people really need and want. That’s why we need human skills such as creativity, even in an age of automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). While these technologies can help businesses keep up with ever-changing conditions, it’s human imagination and visionary thinking that truly separates a company from its competition.
Why will this skill benefit you?
Creativity can help you to innovate and make progress on projects, especially when other people find it difficult to embrace new ways of thinking and working. It’s a great way to get better results from any task you take on.
This skill will help you to:
Demonstrating your entrepreneurial spirit
Being able to see opportunities where others see challenges will make you a valuable asset in any team. As someone who approaches change with optimism, you will be able to focus on the possibilities and lead your team to a positive solution.
Be brave
Creativity means having the ability to come up with something truly innovative and original by pushing the boundaries and challenging the status quo. By being future-focused, an innovator and always providing fresh ideas, you will challenge and inspire others to think beyond tried and tested ways of doing things.
Drive innovation without relying on technology
No matter how prevalent technology becomes, machine learning is not able to replicate the way people think conceptually and creatively. By training yourself to spot opportunities and connect them in unexpected ways, you can come up with fresh ideas and methods that may or may not involve the use of technology.
Exercises to try to deepen this skill:
Seek out inspiration
Surround yourself by people who empower and encourage you to think innovatively and from a different perspective. Find your own style of creativity and then develop it in your own unique way.
Create the right environment
Reflect on the type of conditions where you tend to have your best creative ideas and keep this in mind for the future. In your own experience, do you work best when brainstorming, collaborating in a small team, in a workshop environment or by yourself?
Take a break
There’s a reason why you get your best ideas in the shower. Our subconscious keeps working after we’ve finished intense thinking and often waits for us to be in a state of relaxation before presenting us with its creative conclusions.
Don’t limit yourself
- Entrepreneurial ideas aren’t limited by fear of failure or small details. Eliminating boundaries and looking at what could be possible is often a good way to innovate and create the perfect conditions for fresh new ideas. Once you have a great idea, you can then scale back to what is achievable.
Use technology to your advantage, but don’t be ruled by it
AI can help you save time on routine tasks, which frees up your time and provides useful data insights to offer new perspectives when approaching a task. However, it’s not all about the latest tech; creativity can also shine through in the small changes we make to the ways we work.
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