When you want to be more creative at work: 6 tips to try
Over the last few years, we have used this time to connect to our inner thoughts, values, and desires. Some of us are busier than ever, while others have taken a step back to explore what we want to do. Some have even taken a permanent break from work to volunteer, write, or recharge.
Many of us have used our time to be more creative. I am an avid jigsaw puzzler. I have an app on my iPad that is a fantastic jigsaw puzzle game. I am very organized in my approach, starting with edge pieces and matching the pieces' colors, patterns, and shapes. Puzzles satisfy my problem-solving need along with creating beautiful scenes. Like with most games, it is challenging not to get sucked in. So, be careful not to lose hours on end unless you really need a mental break.
I have friends who took up knitting, read more books, created pottery, enrolled in photography classes, learned how to play guitar, danced with on-demand dance classes at home, or spent time filling in adult coloring books. I think it is lovely we are fulfilling our creative spirits.
Professionally, this is a perfect time to get creative and tap into our resourcefulness genes. Doing these kinds of activities on the side can help fuel our creative brain at work. It is easy to move from project to project trying to make some impact, but we can be more creative and think outside the typical business constructs.
I was pretty creative and imaginative as a kid. Not to bellyache about walking through feet of snow to get to school (although I did in my snowsuit and moon boots), but as one of the first latch-key kids, I had to entertain myself quite a bit. It probably explains why I talk to myself so much today.
I played house with a friend in the field across the street with nothing but an abandoned couch as our home base. I played army in the basement with a single ping pong table as a “cover.” I made mud pies in the street (okay, maybe not the safest place to play, and they were not very good to eat). I wrote poetry from an early age, describing the environment around me and how I felt about it.
And we played Monopoly, Life, Sorry, Trouble, Battleship, Risk, and Aggravation. Fair warning: These games can get very contentious between siblings. I am sure I threw money at my brother more than once in Monopoly because of his evil barricade of Boardwalk and Park Place hotels. I could never get those!
We need to carve time to play games and sustain the creative and artistic hobbies we have started in these times. This will keep us sane and keep us generating great ideas. Try these six tips to fuel the creative spark a bit more in the workplace.
Ask questions.
One of the best ways to be curious and get creative is to ask questions. We should ask “what” questions and ask “how” questions. How can we secure more clients? How can we make this process more efficient? How can we solve this person’s most significant pain point? “How” questions are an excellent way to start to be more creative. Then, start asking more specific questions to continue to drill down to interesting answers. Once you ask “how” a few times, you may want to throw out solutions. When you reach that phase, ask challenging questions about the solution to decide whether it will work.
Consume more.
Ever notice that once someone tells you about something or you read about something, you notice it more in your environment? Whenever someone I know buys a new car, I feel like I see that car in every other parking space at the grocery store. Yeah…this happens all the time because we perceive a ridiculous amount of data and inputs every day. When someone calls something to our attention, we see it all the time because it has been raised in our consciousness. Phew. That is as scientific as I will get here. So, read, watch TED Talks, learn how others have been creative and solved problems in unique ways. The more information you consume, the more it will be at the forefront and help you solve the next issue.
Play.
I think now, more than ever, is the time to play games at work. How about starting a weekly trivia challenge about the company? About cities across the globe? About pop culture? A contest for who can come up with the craziest business idea? A challenge to share the most efficient home office? A forum to share your most creative achievement in life? Or, how about developing your company’s buzzword bingo game (an excellent tool for new hire onboarding as well)? Games help get us in the spirit of creativity outside our everyday business dealings. This is also a good tactic to engage people.
Brainstorm.
As many of us have learned, being creative means not limiting ourselves. The more off-the-wall ideas we can brainstorm with people, the better. Set a time to generate ideas as a team and allow space when ideas come to you while folding laundry, taking a shower, and even in the middle of the night. Although I hope that is not frequent. I know a few people who keep a small notepad next to their bed to capture those bizarre ideas that come to us when we can’t sleep or wake up with a weird thought. We need to allow ourselves space to think and ping off one another. Schedule this time if required. We can’t float from one fire drill to the next and expect creativity.
Diversify.
Try and associate ideas together and not just because they are the same. What happens when you tie ideas together that are different? You may realize something exciting. Or, what if you involve people from a completely different department in the brainstorming session? The best sessions include people who don’t live with the problem every day. One of the best ideas I have ever formulated came from a teacher who had never worked a day in her life in a corporate environment. Talk to people who are not close to the situation. You may be surprised how something from a completely different context could apply.
Produce.
Sometimes, the best way to be creative is to create something and collect feedback from diverse sources. Whether this is a product, tool, presentation, message, drawing, or visual, make this “something” to your best ability and float it out there. Producing something tangible from ideas will help solidify thoughts and give people something to react to, which can only create and iterate.
Being creative is a state of mind, not just a state of doing. We can be more creative when we allow ourselves to be open, ask “how” questions, plan time to think, and consult with diverse sources. Many of us can get stuck in ruts. When you find yourself there, stop and do something different or read something completely different to get inspired.
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