If the idea of being creative at work makes you think of artistic talent, don't worry, you are not alone. To most people creativity is simply related to the Arts, where being creative is born of skill, technique and self-expression, that is Artistic creativity. But there is also a more technical type of creativity, where people create new theories, technologies or ideas, that is Business creativity.
Business creativity is about “Thinking differently” or “Thinking out of the box” - not relying on old assumptions and models. It is about finding fresh and innovative solutions to problems, and identifying opportunities to improve the way that we do things.
There are many techniques and tools available in order to drive Business creativity and trigger ideas that lead to imaginative solutions to problems. These techniques and tools provide structure and analysis and allow you to break out of rigid thinking… In a nutshell, they should allow you to:
- Doubt everything and challenge your current perspective.
- Probe the possible and explore options.
- Diverge and generate many new ideas without filters.
- Converge, evaluate and select ideas that will drive breakthrough results.
- Re-evaluate regularly to avoid falling pray to a new status-quo.
Anyone can learn to be technically creative, and use these tools. They are designed to help you spot opportunities that you might otherwise miss. Anyone can be creative, as long as they learn to be comfortable with ambiguity, have the right mindset and use the right tools.