Ways to Boost Creativity at Work in Nigeria: 11 Attributes of Creative People

Creative individuals exist in various industries and there are certain traits that set them apart from others. From being intuitive to ambitious, here are some traits that are common among creative individuals listed below.

Table of Contents

11 Tips to Boost Creativity at Work

Curiousity

Creative people are often curious about the world around them, the way it operates and how they can take advantage. Learning new skills and looking for ways to think outside of the box keeps creative people engaged and motivated. To be creative at work, you need to embrace curiousity and ask questions at will.

Creatives don’t just accept ‘no’ for an answer, they always want to know ‘why’ and are ready to go against the status quo. Asking ‘what if’ questions is also part of being curious. Creatives are always looking for ways to disrupt the trend and identify and introduce new ideas to the workplace.

Open-Mindedness and Free-Spiritedness

Being open- minded means you are always open to new ideas and accepting of others’ opinions. Creatives are moved by unusual ideas and collaborate easily with others. They understand that there’s potential in random opinions, so they relate freely with people and always benefit from them.

Being open-minded means trying new things, whether it be choosing a new colleague to work with or going through a new, unfamiliar route to work. To be creative at work means to be open to new experiences and not shying away from opportunities to try something different.

Read also: 10 interpersonal skills for career development

Flexibility

Flexible people are highly adaptable to change. In the workplace and life in general, change is constant and can either be disruptive or yielding. Being creative at work requires that changes in plan do not throw easily you off, instead, you should welcome it. It is inevitable that you’ll have to work with new teammates or learn the basics of a new tool. As a creative, you need to see these changes as opportunities rather than obstacles.

Creatives are also accepting of their mistakes and the mistakes of others. In every successful workplace or business setting, these people are the often the peace makers and motivators among colleagues.

Independent thinking/Taking initiative

Creatives are able to take on new challenges and work independently with little to no supervision. They may ask questions concerning a task from time to time but they are typically go-getters and enjoy working on their own. Working independently may also involve working with a team but that the creative trusts his or her own instincts to do the job effectively. Challenges turn into opportunity as the creative feels turning to themselves for answers helps to build new skills and become more resourceful. Working independently allows for more focus and reflection which is easier individually than with collaborating with a group or team.

Read also: Smart ways to avoid distractions at work

Risk-Taking

Sometimes, creativity at work means that you are big on risk taking. Whether an idea or experiment fails or not, you are always willing to take a chance and do the needful. Risk takers learn from their mistakes, and understand that without risk, innovation will be non-existent.

Creatives take risks because they see the reward involved. Either the action is a fail, and you learn something new, or the risk brings forth expected results or greater outcomes – it’s a win-win situation. Creatives never shy away from risk taking because it offers the potential for growth and self-improvement.

Intuitive

When generating ideas, creatives always trust their gut feelings. In most cases, this is a good thing because it means that you are self-aware, and have the ability to use empathy is several decision-making process as opposed to using logic alone to solve problems.

Creativity at work benefits from intuitiveness because it thinking outside the box is fully embraced.

Ambitious

Creatives commit to achieve the goals they set for themselves through hard work and dedication. You’re willing to outdo yourself by setting the bar higher and higher each time for various projects you may take on. For the ambitious, goals are never small and always audacious.

As a creative at work, you will typically break down tasks into manageable ones to achieve audacious goals without feeling overwhelmed along the way. This is key for the creative in being ambitious in any given project that is undertaken.

Energetic

Creatives dive into their work with vigour and vitality. As a creative at work, you have a zest for what you’re doing and equally infect those around you with this same zeal. This drive often translates to accomplished tasks, met deadlines, and great results. This passion and energy can cause excitement while accomplishing tasks and ensures there’s hardly ever a dull moment. This enthusiasm can bolster a team and drive more creativity at work from idea generation to successful collaborations.

Objectivity

To be creative at work also means to be objective. You realise the importance of reviewing and seeking the advice of others before you proceed with an action that would affect all or part of the organization. For example, a corporate journalist may want to submit a first draft of his work to the firm publisher but will understand that he or she needs to consult an editor to revise what he wrote for best results.

The writer understands that there should be more than just one draft before making submission and will carefully take time to review without bias before submission. A creative person is objective and consults others when the need arises.

Sensitivity

Creative individuals are often sensitive which means you’re in touch with your feelings. Sensitivity helps in relating well with people and building stronger and lasting relationships. Being sensitive means you’re aware of the feelings of others, and are much better at relating with people. Creativity at work requires sensitivity especially if you’re working in customer-centric fields or non-profit organizations where the focus is on people.

Attention to Detail

This trait means to always be on the lookout for details that may seem minor to others. As a creative at work, you should be ready and dedicated enough to produce desired results and this involves attention to detail. Creatives often don’t see the extra time needed to accomplish a task as a pain but rather as a natural part of the process. Creatives will address a problem from all angles to see the best way to go about solving it.

Read also: Personal development guide for Nigerians

With this particular trait, you’ll be an asset to whatever organization you find yourself, both in Nigeria and abroad.

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