As the global economy drives fast out of the era of knowledge into a new economic landscape, companies like Google and Apple are leading the way leaving those who fail to embrace the change lifeless in their dusty tracks.
For the last two decades, corporate competition has been driven by market efficiency. Companies have gotten ahead of their opponents by accumulating the knowledge necessary to lower their costs and reduce their inputs. It was the race of processes and information that was the competitive advantage.
Knowledge became a company's power, and the company who held the most dominated the stock market.
It is not surprising then that the demand for knowledge soared and in doing so multiplied the market supply. Soon, the economy became so effective at sharing knowledge that anyone who wanted it had it. Its possession became a necessity for survival, but the ability to provide a distinct competitive advantage had severely diminished.
Then the new competitor entered the race. Creativity in its unconventional nature, lack of measurability and uncomfortable subjectivity was something that most boardrooms would avoid. It is something that cannot not be programmed into software or produced by technology. It requires people, passion and collaboration, and while these characteristics may cause most CEO's to steer away, it is also these characteristics that make it more valuable than ever.
Being competitive in today's ideas-driven economy requires businesses to refocus their attention away from processes and cost cutting, and instead towards enriching their value propositions and discovering new markets. Companies must tirelessly innovate and create unique solutions in order to respond quickly and effectively to the constant changes in the global market.
Being creative is no longer the quirky exception, it's the definition.
The good news is that although you may feel like you have lost the creativity that colourfully painted your childhood, creativity is much like a muscle. With a few incremental changes, it can be harnessed and trained, on both a personal and organisational level.
Here are three simple ways that you can start increasing your personal and organisational creativity today:
1. Increase intrinsic motivation
Intrinsic motivation almost always yields superior creative results when compared to extrinsic motivation and therefore should be encouraged whenever possible. On a personal level, look at your own goals and work out what motivates you. Ask yourself questions like "If money was in ample supply, what would I choose to do in life?" Answering these questions will help you to discover where you are intrinsic motivated.
On an organisational level, try to motivate and support your employees with encouragement and benefits that are not based on extrinsic sources such as financial benefits or promotions. Encourage them to be passionate about their work, and delegate work that they are likely to be intrinsically interested in.
2. Be curious
Exploring the unknown is the only way new discoveries are made - doing the same thing as everyone else will only produce the exact same results. Work on manifesting an environment within yourself and your organisation where exploration and rejection of the status quo is considered a positive path to discovering more.
3. Manage fear
Exploring the unknown naturally breeds fear. The issue with fear is that when left unmanaged, it removes the ability of our minds to think creatively. Our fight or flight response is initiated, eliminating the ability of our minds to think logically. Instead, our energy is drawn towards survival and reducing risk, killing any hope of creativity or innovation. To stay on the path of innovation means you will have to face the unknown and face possible failure. Using methods such as pre-determining the "worst-case scenario", reshaping your view of failures as lessons and accepting failure as a part of the process are all ways you can help manage you and your organisations fear.
"Here's what you have to do: you need to let your employee know, I expect you to be the first one to think of good ideas. If you are not sure that it's going to work I want you to expect that I am going to appreciate that you were clever to try it and found a lesson that will benefit our company even if that one idea didn't work"
Michael Jones, Chief Technology Advocate, Google
Inspiration and information for this article came from Kevin Popovic (Founder of creative communications agency Ideahaus), and his Creativity and Innovation class at San Diego State University.
About Samantha Saunders
Samantha is a dedicated business professional who will graduate in December 2015 with a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in International Business. She will be graduating with a diverse portfolio of entrepreneurial experience from San Diego State University, University of California Los Angeles and the University of Canberra. Currently interning at Lighthouse Business Innovation Centre, post-graduation she plans to begin work as a global entrepreneur helping starts ups, and eventually start her own consulting firm.
