Month: September 2012

Do you need to think more creatively at work? Give these tips a shot

Thinking creatively can make you more desirable in the business world.  It shows that you have the ability to problem solve and come up with ideas quickly.  Creativity is a skill that one can use in both your personal and business life, and as an added bonus it can build your confidence! According to E-Booksite, creative thinkers are ambitious and “difficult to hold back.” So how do you think creatively in the work place?  Aren’t most solutions direct? Well thats true, but sometimes you come across a problem or a project that requires some indirect thinking.   In that case, its nice to know you have this skill to fall bak on.  Here are some tips, from Psych-facts, on how to think out more creatively:

 

1. Reframe The Problem or Phrase Question Differently: When we phrase a question or problem in a different light, we are more likely to find more solutions. We often look at things from a single angle preventing us from seeing all the possibilities.  Some ways to think more creatively for this are  to phrase the question differently or to put the problems in a different scenario. 

2. Avoid Logical Thinking: Logical thinking can prevent us from innovative thoughts, because when we think logically we only use what we know. Creative ideas are built from what we do not know. To facilitate this process, you can look for inspirations from music, arts or people. Or you can use your dreams to come up with solutions. Studies show that dreams help us problem solve and one advantage is that dreams do not follow logic, but instead give us insights. 

3. Avoid Following Rules: This point relates back to point 2, because we usually stick to rigid ideas or beliefs about how things work or should work. Instead, we should become more flexible and ask ourselves the question ‘what if?’ What if we tried? 

4. Avoid Being Practical: This point relates to the methods we use to problem solve. Sometimes, we tend to stick to one method and not try other ways. Instead, we should be trying to combine different ideas or methods together. 

5. Try Not To Force Creative Thinking: We are often most creative when we do not try to be. Sometimes, ideas just come up to us through insights or unique experiences. Certain dreams are one of them, but we do not really control what we dream about. 

6. Talk To Others: We often like to see ourselves as the experts and that we should come up with ideas alone. But truth is ideas usually comes from the outside. We get ideas from talking to people who may or may not be expert of your area but they bring to you their own knowledge and expertise.

7. Embrace Ambiguity: Most problems are ambiguous and may not actually have a straightforward solution. But isn’t it our goal to find a solution? To think creatively, we must accept that each problems are unique and that it will take time and creative effort to find a solution. 

8. Embrace Failures: Not all great ideas work out. In fact, most innovations are failures at the start. You just have to keep working at it, find out what went wrong, and keep trying. 

9. You Are Creative: You just need some inspiration. It helps if you are patient and explore different ideas. Often times, other ideas inspire us to come up with our own. Furthermore, know your own strength and values you can add to old ideas to make them creative. 

10. Practice Practice: Being creative is also an art. You have to become self-aware of what makes you creative, when you are most creative, and what you are most creative at. Start paying attention to what you’re good at and start doing some work. Keep making something new everyday. 

Creativity is defined as “the ability to transcend traditional rule, roles, patterns, associations, and ideas. To create new meaningful ideas, methods, forms, ect.  Progressiveness or Imagination.”  Why do you guys think creativity is important and how would you define it? Do you think being more creative makes you more marketable to potential employers?  Let us know in the comments below!