The 4 important aspects of corporate creativity!
The Creativity test will provide you not just with the insights into your own creativity but also the creativity of your team and your company. That is why the test touches upon the following 4 key aspects:
1. Personal creativity: Your personal attitude towards creativity.
2. Team creativity: The influence of team behaviour on creativity.
3. Leadership: How the leadership style of your manager influences creativity.
4. Corporate creativity: How your company fosters creativity.
Personal Creativity
Personal Creativity is about the perception you have towards your own creativity. Many people think they are not creative, at the same time they think others are creative. Important for a creative attitude is to start sharing your ideas, taking risks and showing perseverance to pursue your idea. The reaction of your environment and colleagues towards your ideas is of course also influencing your creative self-image. To boost your creativity you could consider learning creativity techniques and apply these to your work; involving your colleagues at the same time! In that way you build confidence and inspire others to look at situations in a creative way.
Team Creativity
Team Creativity means that your team uses each other’s creativity and puts it into good use. A crucial basis for creativity is that the team is open towards ideas, without the fear that others will steel or benefit from it. You have to feel free to share ideas because you know that you are appreciated for it, and that your ideas get a chance. It is fantastic if there is a team building spirit where motivation, knowledge exchange and inspiration are important aspects. Putting diversity to optimal use will lead to cross-pollination.
Leadership
Clear commitment from top management gives the employees the necessary room to innovate. Next to that, the leadership style of your manager drives the level of creativity in your team: the attitude towards creative ideas, and how to stimulate and appreciate them. Often a simple ‘Well done!” does the trick. Without taking risks, successful innovation won’t happen: sometimes the boss has to ‘look the other way’.
Corporate Creativity
A creative culture is something that each company should pursue to guarantee its existence. Your company should be clear about its innovation strategy. Top management must express the importance of it, support it and give guidance to their people. There should be stimuli that offer support and room to creativity (instead of blocking it); for example allowing time for creativity, budget, reward for good ideas. Many companies have an idea management system where ideas are valued with timely personal feedback to the originators of the ideas. A nice working environment is a must to stimulate creativity: provide air, space, and room for discoveries (get out of the office!).
References:
Mostert N. (2015). Belbin, the way forward for innovation teams. Journal of Creativity and Business Innovation, Vol. 1, 2015. http://www.journalcbi.com/belbin-for-innovation-teams.html
Mostert N. (2014). New Product Development. Diverging conversations through facilitation – 24 cases, 74-77. http://www.2facilitate.nl/welkom/publicaties/diverging-conversations-through-facilitation-24-targeted-cases/
Mostert N. (2008). Measuring creativity – How to measure creativity on 8 different levels in your organization. HRM Review, Volume VIII, Issue XII, 37-46. http://mccim.nl/publications/how-to-measure-creativity.pdf
Mostert N (2007). Diversity of the mind as the key to successful creativity at Unilever. Creativity and Innovation Management, Volume 16, no 1, 93-90. http://mccim.nl/publications/diversity-of-the-mind.pdf and http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/117967136/abstract
Mostert NM & Bruins Slot H (2004). Creativity, the knowledge connector. Knowledge Management Tools and Techniques, Practitioners and Experts Evaluate KM Solutions, 255-269. http://books.google.com/books/elsevier?id=pRwl4JrQmYEC&pg=PA255&dq=the+knowledge+connector#PPA261,M1
Mostert N.M. (2001) . Creativity in organizations can be measured and acquired. Chemical Innovation, Volume 31, no. 11, 50-53. http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/ci/31/i11/html/11manage.html