The Importance of Creativity in Business

Think about some of your favorite companies and organizations — maybe you love all things Disney, Apple, Target, Adidas or Netflix. The list of popular companies is endless but they all have one thing in common that helped them succeed...creativity. These businesses know the importance of creativity and took it to the next level, becoming the leaders in innovation and setting the standards high for their competition.  

Whether you’re an entrepreneur who just started a new business, or a leader at a large institution, it’s crucial to foster creativity within your organization to promote new and fresh ideas in an age of technology. 

The importance of creativity in business

Having an organization that encompasses creativity into their everyday mindset can make or break the business. In fact, a study done by Forrester found that 82 percent of companies who participated in the survey believe there is a strong correlation between creativity and business results. With so many organizations competing for the same consumers, it is vital for your company to have the competitive edge. Consumers have a myriad of options to choose from when it comes to where they want to go for goods and services. You have to challenge the norm by coming up with innovative ideas to ensure that the public picks your business. 

Creativity in business isn’t just for products and services. Along with using innovative ideas specifically for products, you must also encourage creative thinking for brand growth and adaptation, digital marketing, and also company culture and teamwork. Creativity is what can help your company, products, services, and employees thrive. 

Becoming an outstanding leader who promotes creativity in your organization requires you to have a solid foundation of all aspects within management. By earning your graduate certificate online in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from NJIT you’ll develop and enhance skills related to new venture management, digital marketing, technological management and organization, and product development.    

How to foster creativity within your organization

Going from conventional thinking to creative brainstorming doesn’t happen overnight. There are steps you can take that can help with fostering imaginative thinking within your workplace. Inspire your colleagues and employees with by implementing the following ideas:

1) Set the stage for brainstorming

You can’t expect your employees to brainstorm effectively without the proper space and tools. Set your business up for success by designing an innovation-driven work environment that inspires creativity. One of the best ways to promote brainstorming is by providing your employees with a blank slate to write their ideas down. 

Hang up a large whiteboard and supply plenty of colorful dry erase markers to encourage colleagues as well as all employees to jot down ideas, discuss, and feed off of one another’s energy. You can also place blank sheets of paper around the office and break rooms so employees can scribble down their ideas no matter where they are when the sparks begin to fly. You’ll be able to see the growth in team building and in business benefits.

2) Hire diverse talent

A very common mistake when putting together a team is hiring a group of people who all think similarly, or that think exactly like you. Although this may originally seem like a good idea to decrease internal conflict, it may actually hurt your business in the long run. Building an innovative team starts with hiring a diverse set of workers. 

Assemble a group of people who you may not initially think to put together. Choose employees who come from all different cultural backgrounds, have contrasting viewpoints, bring various skill sets, and have different strengths and weaknesses. Encourage healthy debate among the group, and watch as your employees learn from each other, bring forward fresh thoughts, and have breakthroughs in their creative ideas.  

Being comfortable with the hiring process and learning how to onboard the right employees for your business or organization can take some time and training. With NJIT’s graduate certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, you’ll learn new management skills along with ways to develop your company into a prosperous place of work. 

3) Remove limitations

Believe it or not, confining your employees to a typical nine-to-five schedule can limit them from producing their best work. To maximize productivity and creativity, consider offering flexible arrangements such as modified work hours and the ability to work remotely from home. Not only will these accommodations help employees avoid burnout, but it has also been linked to improved work satisfaction, engagement, and fulfillment. 

If you’re concerned about how you’ll supervise your employees while they’re out of this office, think about having daily or weekly video meetings to check-in, creating clear expectations and deadlines, and helping coordinate arrangements with other team members. Remember, every employee is different — allowing each person to work in the conditions that best suit them, gives them the best opportunity to develop creative ideas and boost your business.     

4) Encourage individuality 

Think back to your days as an entry-level employee trying to gain knowledge and impress your supervisor. What made you feel appreciated, seen, and heard? Many will answer that question by saying they want supervisors to express their value and worth as an individual employee. So often with large corporations, individuals get bunched together and are viewed as a collective unit instead of separate talent. While you want a culture that fosters strong teamwork, you also don’t want to overlook praising individuality. 

When you encourage originality and individuality, employees will feel more respected and appreciated. In turn, they are more likely to put their best foot forward and spend time thinking of innovative ways to improve the business. Each and every employee is unique, and you should showcase that in the office. 

5) Reward creativity and support failure

Implementing a creative approach to the success of your business doesn’t come without taking risks. If you have a fear of failure and therefore don’t encourage risk taking, you may be weakening your team. Supporting experimentation and failure gives employees the freedom to try to think of new approaches, and unique ideas without worrying about the consequences. 

Even if an idea doesn’t work well in execution, it doesn’t have to be considered a failure. Instead, look at it as a teaching method for your employees to learn from what went wrong so they can improve going forward. Professionals need to know they can test their creativity out in a supportive work environment. 

Additionally, if you consistently reward creativity, your employees won’t feel scared to speak up regarding their ideas. Offer an open line of communication, and feedback to foster a healthy and creative office. 

6) Provide guidance

Giving your employees room to fail and grow can’t be done if you do everything yourself. Rather than taking lead on every project, empower your employees by guiding and allowing them to take charge how they see fit. You can still give direction — it’s actually encouraged so they have a goal in mind — just let them discover how to work as a team and use each other to enhance their creative skills. Ask them what they need from you, and be ready to give insightful and constructive feedback. 

Foster imaginative thinking with NJIT

Running a business or organization is no easy task. There is a lot of planning and preparation that goes into creating a successful office that inspires employees to think of original ideas for the organization’s benefit, especially during a time where technology is constantly advancing. Before you can expect your employees to start curating creative proposals, you need to ensure you have the expertise to lead your business.

By pursuing an innovation and entrepreneurship graduate certificate from NJIT, you’ll gain valuable knowledge that will transfer into your everyday office practices. Lead your employees with confidence, and watch as they begin producing creative ideas that your business will reward from. Apply today to start your journey into imaginative thinking.