Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Creativity in the workplace

Creativity is a process of developing something new or unique. Motivation is what triggers creativity. In the workplace, creativty allows people to reach out of their comfort zone. In addition, it alows people to be committed to their field of interest and keeps the workplace lively, not dull. Managers should be encouraging employees to emphasize innovation, establish innovation goals, and reward employees who display innovation in activities and tasks. Having a positive work environment where people feel safe will allow creativity to blossom. Also, finding a way to develop a peer environment will allow people to be more concerned about working for the greater good rather than personal success.

In the article, "Foster a Culture of Creativity", they have many tips how to boost creativity in the workplace. First, be careful not to be too critical when employees come up with ideas that aren't all the way there yet. It sometimes takes a lot of bad ideas to get to a good one, and if people are too afraid of ridicule to participate, you may never get there at all. Second, attending conferences outside of the normal areas of expertise, working with people from other departments, and allowing time for travel, hobbies, or classes can result in creativity and productivity. Third, as a manager urge people to think about "what if" and "wish list" scenarios, and then see if you can collectively come up with ways to implement them.

In addition to creating innovative employees, creativity allows people to be more adaptive and flexible to changes. This is an important trait to have because the business world is constantly changing.

"Foster a Culture of Creativity in Your Workplace | Business Solutions from AllBusiness.com." Business Resources, Advice and Forms for Large and Small Businesses. Web. 25 Mar. 2010. .

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