Why Creativity Is the Most Important Job Skill You Can Have (+ 8 ways to be more creative, no matter your role)
Why Creativity Is the Most Important Job Skill You Can Have (+ 8 ways to be more creative, no matter your role)
Creativity is a key skill for the Future of Work and it’s also our current monthly topic in the Future of Work Campus, our monthly career growth membership.
Last week, we ran our monthly live workshop where we invite industry experts in their field to share with us their experience and experience. We were joined by Patrice Dodd and went through practical exercises to spark creativity. Currently our members have some homework to do to put theory into practise and this is what it all comes down to.
Honestly - it’s a skill that can have a massive impact not just on your career progression but on your life in general and I’ve seen that over and over. But since it isn’t taught anywhere, I want to share with you some tips and tricks that have worked for me and many of my clients.
“But I’m not creative” - I hear you say?
Don’t worry- you’re not the first and definitely not the last one to make this claim. Good news- creativity is a skill and whilst it can’t be quote on quote learnt, it can be nurtured.
And since we’re all about making it practical - in this episode I’ll share with you 8 ways to improve your creativity, no matter your role or industry.
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Creativity.
Innovation.
Vision.
Imagination.
Reinvention.
In a word where the only constant is change, being able to think outside the box or even better; throwing the box out and seeing what others can’t see (yet anyway) and coming up with solutions to a problem in a new way is what keeps businesses alive and individuals ahead of the curve.
First things first- what is creativity?
That doesn’t mean reinventing the wheel.
All it says is that creativity is using imagination for creating something that’s original, aka different. That doesn’t mean new.
Simply looking for new ways to do things or even communicate the same message in a new way can spark a new solution which is an innovation.
You could use creativity in many ways, from finding ways to cut costs without having to let people go to figuring out how to work faster without sacrificing quality.
These are all valuable and new ways of solving a challenge and that’s exactly what helps you to progress in your career. It’s what makes leaders and companies look good, so of course – that puts you up on a pedestal.
Besides, you being creative also means you taking the lead and are a pro-active contributor. Leaders love action takers and people who take responsibilities and don’t just present a problem, but actually come up with solutions.
So what does it take to initiate innovation?
Here’s how to get your creativity going:
Use your imagination. Make consciously time to let your ideas just flow. Think of a particular situation, product, situation, challenge … and just imagine different ways
Be clear on what success looks like. Start with the end in mind and get clear on the actual core problem and the bigger picture situation. Key here is to be curious and ask a lot of questions. Otherwise, you won’t get answers. Or, if you focus on solutions to a minor or even the wrong problem, you’re potentially wasting time and resources.
Speed of implementation. The best ideas are worthless if they’re not put into action. So don’t wait for the idea or solution to be ‘perfect’ – get started with small steps, even just to prove the concept and need for the solution. If no one buys and sees the value in the solution, it’s wise to either refine based on feedback or can it.
Everyone is already a creative and innovative person. Some more than others but that’s simply because they show 3 main attributes:
· The are more curious and ask more questions
· They use more resources as their inspiration
· They experiment and get feedback more than others that they can then use to improve on
There are some actions you can take in your day to day life that I guarantee will spark more creativity:
1. Get up and get moving
Your entire energy changes when you’re standing or even better moving. I shared it on my Insta and LinkedIn stories a few times already that I get the best and most ideas when I exercise (one of many reasons why the gym is my 2nd home).
It may not be possible for you to go for a run during work hours but change your meetings to standing meetings and you’ll see how the energy of the entire team will change.
2. Inspiration Is Everywhere
When you lack ideas or inspiration it’s because you don’t surround yourself enough with different stimuli. If you always take the same route to work, do the same exercise circuit and read the same type of content – of course you’re stuck. The same goes for your career plans- if you’re considering a change, you need to get real data based on exploration, shadowing people, having informal interviews and experience it yourself.
Even switching up the way you consume content can have already a big impact in your thinking. We are all different learning types and sometimes we need to hear it from someone else or consume it in a different way for it to land. Since you’re already listening to this podcast, try audio books instead of reading or vice versa.
Make sure you set up a filing system to capture ideas and inspiration that you can come back easily. This is also how I create my own content: I have filing systems for different content types set up and when it comes to content creation day, I just tap into my notes and off we go.
3. Bounce off ideas
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying: ‘the more you think about it, the bigger it gets’? That’s the power of feeding off each others energy so pick a buddy – can be a colleague, a friend or even your partner and share ideas. I do this in 2 ways: first, I share what’s on my mind with my partner on my morning walk and sometimes, even just getting it out of my head and saying it out loud makes already a difference. Let’s be honest- sometimes we also just need to hear a ‘permission’ to pass on things or to go all in as reassurance. Another way that I do it is by catching up with my business besties and we lock ourselves in for ½ day and focus on a certain challenge or problem.
4. Start With Small Projects
Making a change with anything can be daunting and often the reason why we don’t even start. And the good thing with change is that every small incremental shift already contributes to a shift. It might not happen overnight but it’s sustainable as we also get used to the new way of living or working. It could be for you to set yourself the target of creating 2 posts a week for LinkedIn and you do this every Sunday for the week ahead. It’s manageable and already gives you some reward. Master it and make sure it’s sustainable until you increase the frequency. And that can be applied to anything- learning a new skill, changing eating habits, … you name it.
5. Flip The Script
The only way to get better answers is by asking better questions. So instead of focusing on ‘why things wouldn’t work’, ask ‘what does it take to make this work’? or ‘what would it take to make it bomb?’ and identify the opposite actions.
You could also start by questioning your own behaviours and processes: just because you can do your job whilst doing a handstand under water, doesn’t mean it’s the right and most effective way to do it. Take some time out, write down every single task you’re currently doing and analyse how else you could get some of the to do’s done. Maybe you’ll realise that some tasks are just time suckers but don’t get you anywhere or that some tasks are quicker done through using an app or automation. This will also free up valuable time that you can use on honing in on your creative thinking.
6. Less Thinking; More Doing!
Stop talking and start building! Whatever it is that you’re contemplating – get it up and running. It might be that you’re considering starting a blog, a YouTube channel, a podcast, even developing your own product or clothing range. Get started with a small prototype to also gain some feedback and show rather than tell people. This is often much easier when people can see your idea when there is even a scrappy first draft. At least it has some shape and can be improved from there.
7. Think laterally
One of my most favourite way to come up with ideas is through lateral thinking. It means that you look into industries, companies, markets or people and identify what makes them successful or not and then see how those insights and learnings apply to your situation. It’s not about copying because that won’t work as it’s taken out of context. But it forces you to think strategically and from a more holistic view which others may have never taken. This is how I came up with the hackathon for graduate recruitment as I saw its benefits on solving a problem, having some of the smartest and diverse minds together and fast tracking the process. This is what a normal work environment looks like so I’ve switched the focus from coming up with a solution to the actual process of a hackathon where personalities come to life, strengths are shining and behaviours are put into action. It’s easy to fake interviews but it’s not that easy to fake your personality in a full day where all the emotions are tackled.
8. Get Involved In Industries Or Activities Outside Your Profession
One of the biggest issues is that staying in the same environment (and that also includes being with the same type of people) for too long, can lead to a tunnel vision and we literally don’t see what’s going on on the side. A great way to change this is by getting inspiration and ideas from getting involved in other industries and activities.
It could be volunteering for a cause you’re interested in or joining a board outside your industry or even taking up a new hobby to see how others run a workshop, interact with their community and communicate their message.
These tricks may seem trivial and that’s often the issue why people don’t do them – they are so easy to do that they are also easy to not do. However, them together force you to see the world in a new way. And that’s what innovation is all about—seeing opportunity where no one else can. The more you practice and make them part of your daily routine, the more easily it will become your default way of thinking—and the more innovative you’ll approach all aspects of your life.
It might not be easy to start with, but it sure will be worth it in the long run. So remember: persistence beats resistance.
To recap, the 8 ways to be more creative are:
1. Get up and get moving
2. Inspiration Is Everywhere – get exposure and make sure to capture it
3. Bounce off ideas
4. Start With Small Projects
5. Flip The Script
6. Less Thinking; More Doing!
7. Think laterally
8. Get Involved In Industries Or Activities Outside Your Profession
And now over to you!
What’s your favourite way of coming up with new ideas and getting inspiration? Take a screenshot and share it on your Insta or LinkedIn stories, tag me and I’ll collect your ideas for another episode!