Do you feel that you do not have time to rethink your company’s strategy? To be creative you need to remove yourself for a while from your everyday tasks so that you can contemplate strategic scenarios from your business or even your personal life.
Creativity
If we talk about creativity we often think mainly about start-ups, or new entrepreneurial ideas however, when we are faced with daily challenges, “disruptive” thinking becomes more integral especially in this world of constant cultural and technological changes.
The pace of life nowadays is frantic and we have a lot of information at our disposal to optimize processes and decisions. We all wake up to numerous WhatsApp messages and have notifications flashing up throughout the day from our email accounts, Skype and Hangout.
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We already know how our day is going to play out as we have it broken down into tasks. This level of information is now part of our lives, but it often stifles our capacity for creative thinking.
In his book “Too Fast to Think: How to Reclaim your Creativity in a Hyper-connected Work Culture” Chris Lewis deals with this issue precisely by arguing that amidst the chaos of information, our creative ability to provide answers and successful strategies is being reduced.
According to the author, the pressure of this information overload is changing human behavior, and not always in a good way.
8 ways in which we can enhance our creativity:
He identifies stress as a key result of this overload of information, and furthermore, the constant interruptions or distractions are spiralling out of control, which in turn leads to reduced focus on creativity. Considering this, Lewis suggests eight ways in which we can enhance our creativity.
1. Silence: Creativity needs concentration
It is important to find time and a space that is removed from noise and distraction, so that you can connect with your senses and promote creative thinking
2. Commit
Take the time to listen to the voices that really matter, including your leadership team and your clients.This will help you to find a resolution to their concerns and challenges, and allow you to deal with any other potential dilemmas that may arise.
3. Free thinking:
To boost creativity you need to think freely, make extrapolations and also taking into account your own wishes or desired outcomes.
4. Relax – Creativity requires patience
You may not like the length of the creative process, but you must be calm while you are going through it.
Practice taking a step back or slowing the pace of your day from time to time.
5. Release
Make sure you have a regular routine in regards to sleeping, exercising and healthy eating.These are not trivial things; you also need to find time for activities that may kick-start your creativity, for example dance, art, hobbies or non-work relationships.
6. Repeat
Experimentation and Repetition are the key.Use creativity to create new ideas, but also don´t forget that you could modify some that have worked before and therefore could to be successful again.
7. Play
Creativity can happen when you are doing what you enjoy and love.Take the time to explore new ideas and have in-depth conversations with other people who are already involved in whatever you are looking to explore.
Also, if some elements are not your area of strength of expertise, for example finance, find somebody whose strength is in this area so that you can combine your creative capabilities.
8. Teaching
The best business mentors often learn from their apprentices as an exchange of inspiration and ideas can occur for both parties.
Additionally, it is important that creativity in business is not just reliant on one person. Through collaboration, commitment to your customer and public recognition of each innovation you can bring about change in a team and harness their creativity.
What have you done today to encourage creativity in your business? Don´t delay anymore start practising now!
