Creativity
in the
Workplace
What is Creativity?
• “The ability to transcend traditional ideas,
rules, patterns, relationships, or the like,
and to create meaningful new ideas,
forms, methods, interpretations, etc” 1
• Developing something new that is found to
have value
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Removing Blocks
• Remove blocks to creativity
– Create an environment where people are
encouraged to question
• Psychological, Environmental, Cultural
• Encourage, don’t criticize ideas in the
early
Creative Business Environment
• Bring together employees with diverse backgrounds and
experiences
– A diverse group is able to bring different perspectives
to a project
• Encourage collaboration and communication
– Sharing ideas and working together can lead to more
innovative ideas
• Physical Environment
– Google’s offices have designated spaces for play
Hiring and Recruitment
• Characteristics of a creative employee
– Open-minded and intelligent
– Confident, and takes risk
– Able to fail, but learn and move forward
– Challenge assumptions
– Continue to learn and grow
Hiring and Recruitment-Cont.
• Evaluating creativity in the recruiting process
– Pre-employment tests can indicate creative
potential
• Use benchmarking and compare candidate results.
• Ex. High score on Creativity Motivation, low score on
Following Rules and Procedures
– Abstract questions in an interview can
demonstrate candidates thought process
Training for Creativity
• Duty as a manager to help unlock creative
potential
– Everyone has creative potential, but it is
restricted as we conform
• Encourage people to constantly question why
things are the way they are
• Devise system of feedback so that people seek
advice and work together
Other Creativity Techniques
• Exercises in creativity
– Practice in creativity unlocks potential, helps you be more
innovative in the future
– Learn to fail
• Recognizing your faults and failures allows you to move forward
and grow. Manager needs to create environment where people
are willing to recognize and work with mistakes rather than
cover for themselves and shifting blame.
– Time to relax and play
• More productive if you take breaks and come back than if you
try to force yourself through a project
Microsoft
• You are creative
– Being really motivated and refusing to give up
– Developing your problem solving skills and
applying them to real issues
– Building up other work-related skills
– Becoming more skilled in accessing key
information
Microsoft: Core Qualities
Microsoft: Facing Challenges
• Try seeing things from a different viewpoint
• Look for analogies
• Make connections with other areas of work
• Think about all the features of the situation or
product you want to improve
• Visualize your goals in detail and mentally work
backwards to your current situation
Microsoft: Advice for Bosses
• Building an innovative culture in which creativity
is expected
• Fostering a positive, ‘can-do’ attitude
• Challenging assumptions and encouraging you
to do the same
• Making sure your ideas and those of your
colleagues are fully considered
• Valuing you and your colleagues, whilst
encouraging creativity at least some of the time
Questions
???
Works Cited
• Cunningham, J Barton and MacGregor, James N. "Training Insightful Problem
Solving: Effects of Realistic and Puzzle-Like Contexts", Creativity Research
Journal. 2008
• Beeftink, Flora; van Eere, Wendelien; Rutte, Christel. "The Effect of Interruptions
and Breaks on Insight and Impasses: Do You Need a Break Right Now?",
Creativity Research Journal. 2008
• Bies, Robert. Classnotes. 2009
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