Due to accelerated technological change, professions are evolving more and more quickly. It’s no wonder that “soft skills” are increasingly valued by recruiters. Communication skills, the ability to learn or the ability to work in a team are skills that are in demand. Among these “soft skills,” creativity stands out as an essential asset. Not only does this allow you to adapt and innovate in an ever-evolving market, but it also helps you stand out from the competition.
Creativity consists of a process in which imagination takes shape, with stages of preparation, incubation, illumination and verification. Applied to work, creativity means the search for original and innovative ideas, taking into account the budget and time constraints as well as the resources allocated to the project. Let's find out how you can strengthen this essential skill with simple actions and concrete examples – and as promised, without the help of advanced technologies like ChatGPT.
How can you promote creativity in everyday life?
The key to success lies in the fact that the creative mind, like any soft skill, requires regular nurturing to promote skill improvement or development!
1. Free your mind!
The most important thing is to give yourself moments of pause to let your mind wander and change your environment to gain a real perspective!
For example, set aside a 10-minute meditation session every day before work or after lunch to clear your mind and prepare the ground for innovative ideas. Is solo meditation not your thing? So plan a daily 15-minute walk, away from phones or distractions, to stimulate your creative thinking by observing your surroundings. Or a pool session. In short, something that suits you.
The aim is to switch off your mind and let yourself be guided by instinctive thoughts. By freeing the mind, the most innovative ideas often arise and complex problems find solutions by allowing the mind to associate ideas that are a priori distant.
2. Questioning, the engine of creativity!
Awaken the child in you by allowing yourself to ask all sorts of questions! This ability to question our environment, to question what fascinates and challenges us, allows us to understand, learn and expand our view of the world. Observing situations, abandoning hasty judgments, and taking a step back rather than reacting instinctively are effective ways to develop open-mindedness and a creative mind.
For example, before starting a project, list all the questions that come to mind to set the boundaries and framework. This may seem contradictory, but it is important to define the framework in which creativity develops, especially at work or when implementing a new project. Without a framework, the possibilities seem endless, making it difficult to put imagined ideas into action.
You can also organize brainstorming sessions with colleagues from different departments to share different perspectives and ideas. Pay attention to the wording and use as many open-ended, thought-provoking questions as possible.
3. Break your routine!
When the creative mind becomes too lazy: Get out of the routine! And to break up with her, there's nothing better than embarking on a new project, a new activity, or meeting new people. This is a natural extension of daily curiosity. Leaving your comfort zone and trying something new becomes an easy step. Banish the word failure from your vocabulary and instead view failure as an opportunity to get to know yourself better, understand yourself better and get back on your feet and see what works. Or not. And why.
For example, we invite you to take part in a workshop or a course in an area that is completely new to you, such as a pottery or programming course. You can also change your weekly work routine by taking on new challenges, such as giving public speeches or leading a meeting. A small step is still a step: all these changes are welcome.
4. Get inspired regularly
Coco Chanel said: “Creativity is the art of hiding your sources,” and yes, creativity cannot do without inspiration! It is therefore important to identify sources of inspiration. The ones that enliven and inspire your creativity by reading interviews, listening to podcasts, attending plays, watching talk shows or even visiting a museum!
Now plan monthly visits to different cultural places, such as museums, exhibitions or shows, to broaden your horizons. For example, in the workplace, you could start a book club where an inspiring book is selected and discussed each month to stimulate ideas and knowledge sharing. And yes, outside work activities have concrete, positive effects on your professional skills as measured by researchers!
In summary, fostering creativity in the workplace is a constant journey that requires conscious and diverse action. It is an essential soft skill in the modern world of work that goes beyond mere imagination and translates into adapted and innovative solutions.
Note
This column was written by an outside contributor. Les Echos START does not pay him, nor did he pay for the publication of this text. The decision to publish was therefore made solely based on editorial criteria.