Bringing creativity and innovation into your organization: Start your commitment to Active Care today!

By Kyoung Hee Choi

I believe creativity is something that you can learn and not something that you were simply born with. Creative people tend to be more curious, innovative and intuitive; values that are essential to the success in any career or business. Creativity is not a choice but rather an essential skill that will help advance your career and business. Almost everything can be digitized; but not creativity. Creativity and Innovation are some of the most important differentiators in a rapidly changing and evolving world where disruption has become a fact of life.

So how can we train ourselves to become more creative? It will take time and focus, just like going to the gym to get fit. Over time, if you go to the gym every day for 20 minutes, your health and fitness will improve. Creativity is the same. You cannot train in a day, but as you keep training, you will see improvements.

I would recommend 3 steps to start:

1. Start with “WHY NOT?”

I once was talking with a colleague about a new project that we were going to launch. Everyone was negative and was challenging on the project because of situations and challenges. “Not sure why are we doing this?” or “Not sure this will not work …”. I was always wondering and saying, “Why not?”. Consider the opposite perspective when confronted with changes or new ideas. What, why, when, who, where, and how are the best friends of creative & innovative people.

2. Keep observing and always have a curious mind

When you study art, you naturally learn a lot about observation. We train extensively on seeing an object then drawing it. It helps improve your power of observation and precision. Most of my friends who studied art, have “eagle eyes” or sharp observation skills because we trained the skills. Try practicing by focusing on one object for a long period of time and observe the difference. Also, you should always have a curious mind. It makes your mind active instead of passive. Curious people always ask questions and search for answers in their minds. Their minds are always active. Be open to learn.

3. Learn something different

Try something different in your life. If you never tried painting, try to learn how to paint. If you never tried to play an instrument, try to play one for fun. If you never tried boxing or yoga, give it a try. The things that you never tried in your life help you see different angles and views. It helps to create a more open mind.

Don’t set on a course to change everything overnight. Just create a daily routine or habit to train yourself to become more creative. While at Propulo we help organizations develop a Culture of Innovation to help organizations See opportunities, Solve them and Share and Embed the learnings, implementing these regular habits can help you personally and professionally. A creative mindset, in any profession, is the most valuable thing you can bring to your organizations. It can change your skills, mind and career.

To learn more about this, read more featured insights at Propulo Consulting.