7 Ways to Unleash the Power of Creativity in your Career

Elsa had a brilliant idea that could change the entire engineering process. How could she not have thought about it before? The idea was so simple, yet so revolutionary. It would save so much time and energy that would otherwise be painfully spent on humongous, ineffective spreadsheets. She was so excited she could barely sit in place…

Have you ever been in Elsa’s shoes? And if you’ve been, you know how excited you get when you come up with a bright and innovative idea at work? Whether it’s to replace an unnecessary meeting with a quick email status update (hint hint), or to reduce a cumbersome process into an easier, more manageable Excel spreadsheet, showing creativity at work doesn’t just feel great. It also makes you stand out, helps ease yours and everyone else’s work, in addition to inspiring those around you to do the same…

Yet, in today’s Big Corporate environment, many a times, we feel restricted by the lack of resources, or the politics, or just the fear to be wrong…What if you go ahead and submit an idea no one listens to? Or even worse, one that makes you look or feel stupid? As a result, creativity and innovation take a backseat, as we continue doing the same unproductive things over and over again, including attending long, winded meetings with about zero purpose…But I digress…

Instead, what we can do is dare to go against the grain and tickle that creative nerd e of ours to come up with new, exciting, and efficient opportunities at work. Here are 7 ways to go about it in a non-boring, let-meswitch-thigs-up-a-bit way:

Charge your creative batteries: First things first, you have to fuel your creative tank. How else will you come up with the idea of the century at work? This means reading inspiring books and articles, browsing online ideas, talking to people around you. It also means just raising your head off of your phone, and looking at what’s happening in the world. Get ideas from wherever you can, and think about who you can apply them to your work…
Brainstorm a storm: Nothing like putting your brain cells together to come up with creative seeds. Even better, brainstorm with your team or other people around you. Just do a basic brain dump of whatever comes to mind, and pick out the best ideas of the bunch.
Share your ideas: The biggest mistake that many among us make is to keep our genius to ourselves. Chances are, someone else has thought about the same thing you have before. Or that they also have great insight that could complement your awesome ideas. Share your ideas and run them by people who can help you evaluate them and assess whether you’re onto something…or you need to take a slight mental break.
Test-drive them: Pick a small project that you can apply your idea(s) to, and run a small test-drive. That way, in case it doesn’t exactly turn into the success story you’re hoping for, you can still limit the damages. In any case, you’d have tried, and would have results to show for…
Do it for the team: Think of your creativity as the biggest advantage you can give to your team. Every time you’re tempted to shrink back and dial down some of the great ideas you have that can really serve your team, think about taking the “creative” hit for everyone. And enjoy the “shero” feeling too…
Reach out to the high powers: There’s nothing wrong with running a fantastic idea by the high powers that can help turn it into reality. Why not share your idea with your managers, or your boss’s boss? If you’re not so sure, you can suggest it in passing in quick, casual tone to see how they react. Or if you’re more certain, raise your hand at the big department’s meeting and outline your creation. Remember, you can’t blame anyone for not approving of an idea they don’t know about…
Now implement: If you’ve obtained approval for your ideas, or even a slight nudge in your direction, you can go ahead and implement them. Why not take your initial test-drive one step further, and fully apply your idea to an entire, more significant project. Always document the results and show the benefits of your innovation though!