When it comes to understanding how to boost creativity at the office, many people are at a loss. A drab corporate environment isn’t going to help inspire innovation. But these days, creativity is becoming a sought-after skill in the working world. Creativity is no longer a trait reserved for people in “artsy” professions; creative thinkers have unsurpassable problem solving skills and are an asset in every line of work. A creative work environment can help you to feel more creative on a day-to-day basis. It can help you to break out of regular patterns and take new routes to solving problems. Unconventional solutions will come naturally when you work in a creative environment. The following tips are just some suggestions on how to boost creativity in your workplace.
- Incorporate visuals into your work. Try incorporating graphics into your next presentation, or using a whiteboard to illustrate a sequence or flow of events. You will find that forcing your brain to think in a visual manner is helpful.
- Change up your routine. Try doing things opposite to what you normally would. Have a weekly meeting at the beginning of the day instead of at the end. Present from the back of the room. Start with your conclusion and work backwards in a report.
- Take breaks. Make your breaks constructive to creative thought. Spend some time doodling, reading a joke book, or doing a mental puzzle. You’ll find that the distraction will help you to get back to your work with a clear mind.
- Stop checking the clock. You’ll be surprised how much your sense of time affects what you think you can accomplish in a day. Try taking off your watch and going by your internal clock for a while. You’ll notice a big difference in your productivity and efficiency.
- Listen to music. Try listening to the radio at work. If you find talking on the radio distracts you too much, try a podcast of ambient or instrumental music. Music can help you to feel calm and relaxed, and it can also lead your brain to new ways of thinking.
- Do something else. A lot of companies have now started promoting flexi-hours in the workplace, a.k.a. work time that can be used for other purposes. Employees are encouraged to spend time reading a book or taking a class, in order to sharpen their skills and make sure their brains are being challenged.
- Work together. Ask Jim from accounting what he thinks about your management strategy. Or talk to your receptionist about the new company logo. You’ll be surprised to find that people outside of a particular department might have valuable comments when it comes to company matters.
Learning how to boost creativity in the office is simple, and it can help to maximize your potential. Whether you are looking to enhance your own abilities or you’re looking out for your employees, changing your office environment is the first place to start.
Three Techniques
Whether you’re an aspiring novelist or a working copywriter, creativity plays a role in your work.
Fiction writers and poetry writers need creativity for obvious reasons. They need to come up with creative story ideas and find memorable images that will ring true for readers and have an emotional impact.
The same can be true for copywriters and web writers. When you’re writing to sell, your words have to rise above the noise. To do that they have to be grabbing or moving, they have to be authentic, and they have to be memorable… otherwise readers will click away to another web page or drop your ad in the recycling bin.
Fortunately, creativity is something you can learn. Use any on of these three techniques to discover how to boost creativity in your own marketing writing.
Keep a Journal: People are bombarded with images every day. And experiences. And sensations. Breath-taking moments. Epiphanies. These are all potential sources of creativity in your writing. But, only if you keep track of them. If you don’t, some of your best potential inspiration will be lost.
The best way to keep track of these moments so that you can turn them into creativity boosters later is to keep a journal. Keeping a journal does not have to be a lengthy time commitment. Set aside 15 to 20 minutes – even 10 minutes is better than nothing – and during that time write down the most inspiring moments you’ve had in the last 24 hours. These moments could be anything from a description of the sky peaking through clouds to a metaphor that struck you while watching a child play to the way the breeze feels when it ruffles your hair.
Practice this on a regular basis, and you’ll notice your creative perception and your ability to describe things in a fresh way will start steadily grow. Plus, you’ll have a place to turn to whenever you’re stumped for a new image.
Do Things: Writers-whether you write fiction or marketing copy-need input. You can’t function as a writer if you’re always at your computer writing. Sometimes you need to go out, to interact, to experience, to challenge yourself, to try something new and unfamiliar.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to sign up for classes through your local community college or Parks and Recreation Department. Take a pottery class. Learn to dance the salsa. Try rock climbing.
Actual experiences are what feed a writer’s creativity, so make sure you have experiences as well as invent them.
Psychological Distance: A quick way to boost your creativity is to use psychological distance. That’s a fancy way of saying, “Look at something from a new angle.”
If you’re having a hard time coming up with a big idea for a new promotion, talking to members of your target audience can be immensely helpful. Or you can take the problem that the product you’re writing about attempts to solve and look at it from someone else’s point of view. You can also pretend you’ve got no deadlines and you’ve already succeeded. Sometimes a small change in how you look at your writing can make a big difference in the level of creativity you can bring to it.
