Skill 2: Creative Thinking

This article series explores each of the Top 10 Skills of 2023 identified by the World Economic Forum, offering a roadmap to make them accessible to every individual. In this article, we will delve into the second skill, “Creative Thinking” For information on the first skill, please refer to Analytical Thinking.

Definition of Creative Thinking:

As per the Oxford Dictionary, creative thinking is “the use of imagination or original ideas to create something.”

Being imaginative and thinking outside the box is crucial for success in all sectors of a company.

We Should Truly Focus on Being Creative

Every human being engages in creative thinking daily, even if they might not recognize it. Deciding what to cook for the evening meal or choosing different paths to walk your dog are acts of creativity. In the workplace, deciding how to perform a task or present something is also an act of creativity.

The word “creative” can be triggering for some people, as there’s a belief that one needs a special gift to achieve it, whether as a painter, writer, or pianist. Even in science, the inventor or pioneer is revered for suggesting something completely original.

Creativity is an inherent trait in every human being. We don’t question this when we are children and freely express our creativity. However, as we grow up and engage in serious studies, our creative instincts may be inhibited.

There’s nothing more crucial for an organization in a world of constant change than having creative employees. Unfortunately, creativity is not something you can switch on and off at will. It grows when you choose to be creative. A small creative act today liberates the mind a little, and engaging in creative acts daily for a few weeks stimulates the brain to generate new ideas spontaneously. Continuing these small creative acts will soon make your brain recall the freedom of exploration from childhood.

How to Encourage Employees to Be Creative

Creative thinking isn’t a skill that can be easily trained into employees; it’s a way of using our minds that requires practice. Unfortunately, we need permission to unleash the creative genius when we become serious adults. We need encouragement to release our inhibitions and play again.

A bold organization must set employees free to play without evaluating the return on investment. If tangible outcomes are imposed on play, it risks stifling the creativity that one hopes to inspire. Sometimes, creating activities where the only outcome is the growth of your employees can be more beneficial.

Being creative also requires comfort with failure. Every great innovator throughout history invented something that was a complete failure, likely more failures than successes. What truly sets real pioneers apart is not just the quality of their creative endeavors, but the willingness to deal with wrong turns and significant errors. To help employees feel free to fail, you need to give them permission.

When you look at Google, Tesla, Apple, Microsoft, and other massive success stories, you cannot doubt the level of creativity on display. In the history of each of these companies are cautionary tales of epic failures that are shared to warn those less worthy away. However, the ambition of these failures resulted in the scale of the success. It is the nature of being creative.

Conclusion

• We never had an issue with being creative when we were children;
• We require permission to be creative and the freedom to do so without judgment;
• For every fantastic creative idea, there will be a dozen challenges — the trick is to keep going.

Written by: Ederson Corbari