oZZle's Blog

The Recruitment Blog for Print and Packaging People.

Wednesday, 26 August 2009

Creativity in Employees

Gone are the days when a print company could boost its business simply by installing a new press. Clients are now more demanding and we all need to be more creative to increase profits and grow our businesses.

Definition of Creativity - the ability to generate innovative ideas and manifest them from thought into reality. The process involves original thinking and then producing.

When senior managers were asked in a recent survey, they said that creativity is something that they and their teams are expected to demonstrate – but nothing is done about it. So it seems that there is a lot of lip-service paid to creativity but not much serious action.

There are a few people who enjoy the challenge of creativity and the sense of achievement that comes with the development of a new idea. There would be many more such people if our education system made a genuine effort to foster creativity. Instead, it turn out individuals who tend to be very good at learning 'the rules of the game' and then following those rules.

If we regard creativity as an inborn talent which some people have and others do not, then we just look for creative people. But if we regard creativity as the 'skill' of using information in a patterning system like the brain, then everyone can develop the skill of creativity.

To get creativity into an organisation you must make it an 'expectation'. At the end of every meeting, the chairperson must allocate the last 15 minutes to 'anyone who is exploring a new idea'.

A creative 'Hit List' of areas that need new thinking is produced and made visible to everyone. Managers are expected to work on items from this list – either as individuals or as assigned teams.

It is usually up to the Managing Director or someone senior to set the tone of the expectation. It needs to become part of the corporate culture.

It is not a matter of putting new ideas into action. But the effort to have ideas is key. It is important to be always exploring new ideas. If this is the attitude and the action is then usable, powerful ideas will be found. Having ideas must be acknowledged as an achievement and as a worthy ambition.

If new ideas are an expectation, if having new ideas is an expected part of the 'game', then people will make an effort to have new ideas. Their confidence will grow and eventually there will be a creative organisation.

Lastly, creativity needs to extend beyond our own organisations to our clients and their customers to have any real impact on business growth.

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