How to Increase Creativity in Your Business Career: 20 Actionable Steps

Do you feel stuck in your business career? Are you looking to increase creativity but not sure where to start? Let’s get started with some actionable steps!

Being creative is essential for success in many areas of life, including business.

We all have creativity that can be explored, but most of us don’t realise its potential or how much it can help us reach our goals.

If you want to maximise your potential as an entrepreneur or workplace professional, unlocking the power of your creative energy becomes invaluable. Luckily, there are lots of ways to tap into this wellspring of ideas and sharpen up your skills so you can create something truly remarkable.

Here is a comprehensive guide on how to increase creativity in your business career with 20 easy-to-follow steps.

The Big C; Creativity

Creativity is the ability to think outside the box and come up with new ideas, solutions, and approaches.

It involves using imagination and originality to create something that has never been seen before. Creativity can be applied to any field or profession, from art and design to business and marketing.

It’s a skill that can help you stand out in your career and make a lasting impression, and it is probably one of the most underrated business skills.

The Benefits Of Creativity In A Business Career

There are many benefits of creativity for a business career, which can all be used with different business models on different creative projects.

It can help you come up with new business ideas, solve problems more effectively, and develop strategies that are more effective than traditional approaches. Creativity in business helps ensure you stay ahead of the competition by allowing you to think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions.

Below are the top four benefits of creative thinking in a business career:

1. Increased profits

Creative thinking can help businesses increase their profits by finding new ways to reduce costs, increase revenue, and create greater efficiencies.

2. Improved problem-solving

Creative thinking can help businesses come up with innovative solutions to problems and develop new products and services that better serve the market and existing products or services.

3. Enhanced brand

Creative thinking can help businesses stand out from the competition by allowing them to think outside the box and come up with unique marketing strategies that might not otherwise have been thought of.

4. Improved customer experience

Creative thinking skills can help businesses create a better customer experience by finding new ways to engage customers and make their products or services more appealing.

To conclude, there are an almost endless number of benefits that creative thinking has on a business career, and the ones listed above are simply the main four.

Now that you have an understanding of the main benefits, let's dive into the top twenty ways to increase creativity in your business career.

20 Ways To Increase Creativity In Your Business Career

There are numerous ways to increase creativity in a business career. Below, we have outlined the top 20 ways that you can use today to help on your career journey and develop an even better creative mindset.

After reading the following list, you will be better at creating useful solutions to challenges and will have developed your critical thinking skills and abilities.

1. Let yourself be open-minded

One of the most important steps to encouraging creativity in your business career is to let yourself be open-minded to a wide range of potential ideas and solutions.

This means being willing to explore new ideas and approaches, even if they seem strange or unconventional at first. By allowing yourself to think outside the box and consider different perspectives, you can develop creative solutions that may not have been thought of before.

If you have ever been to a modern art gallery, think back to all the weird, wacky, and peculiar thought-provoking pieces and sculptures. There were all conceived off the back of raw creativity.

2. Commit yourself to creativity

Committing yourself to creativity is essential for encouraging creative thinking skills in your business career. This means dedicating time and resources to exploring new ideas, brainstorming solutions, and experimenting with different approaches. This practised over time will help to develop your creative skills and will in turn enable you to come up with even more innovative business ideas.

It also means being willing to take risks and try out new things, even if they don’t work out the first time. By committing yourself to creativity, you can come up with innovative solutions that can help your business succeed.

3. Become an expert

Becoming an expert in your field is a great way to increase your creative thinking skills in your business career.

By learning as much as you can about the industry, its trends, and the latest technologies, you can gain a better understanding of how to approach problems and come up with creative solutions.

Additionally, by staying up-to-date on the latest developments in your field, you can be better prepared to come up with innovative ideas and approaches.

4. Reward your curiosity

Rewarding your curiosity is a great way to encourage creative thinking in your business career. By rewarding yourself for exploring new ideas and approaches, you can be more motivated to think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions.

This could mean rewarding yourself with a small reward after coming up with a creative solution or taking time out of your day to explore something new. By rewarding your curiosity, you can be more motivated to come up with creative solutions.

5. Take risks

Taking risks is an important part of encouraging creative thinking in your business career. By taking risks, you can explore new ideas and approaches that may not have been thought of before.

This could mean trying out a new marketing strategy or launching a product that no one has ever seen before.

By taking risks, you can come up with innovative solutions that can help your business succeed. Additionally, by being willing to take risks, you can be better prepared to handle unexpected challenges.

However, taking risks can be daunting, and it is important to ensure that you are taking calculated risks and not just blindly jumping into something without considering the potential consequences.

6. Build Confidence

Building confidence is an important part of encouraging creative thinking in your business career. By believing in yourself and your abilities, you can be more willing to take risks and explore new ideas and approaches.

Confidence can also help you stay focused on the task at hand and come up with creative solutions that you may not have thought of before. Additionally, having confidence in yourself can help you stay motivated to come up with innovative solutions.

7. Make time for creativity

If you want to be creative and imaginative in your work and everyday life, it's important to make time for creative activities such as brainstorming sessions. By reserving time specifically for exploration and experimentation, you can come up with fresh solutions more easily.

This could mean taking a few hours out of your day to brainstorm or dedicating a specific day each week to exploring new ideas. What's more, by making time for creativity, you can be better prepared to come up with innovative solutions.

8. Overcome negativity

Negativity can be a major obstacle when it comes to encouraging creative thinking in your business career. It is important to recognize and overcome any negative thoughts or feelings that may be preventing you from exploring new ideas and approaches.

By recognising the source of the negativity, you can take steps to address it and move forward with more confidence. Additionally, by surrounding yourself with positive people who are supportive of your creative endeavours, you can be more motivated to come up with innovative solutions.

9. Fight the fear of failure

Fear of failure can be a major obstacle when it comes to encouraging creative thinking in your business career. It is important to recognize and overcome any fear of failure that may be preventing you from exploring new ideas and approaches.

Identifying the cause of your fear is key to overcoming it and keeping your goals SMART will help boost your confidence when tackling a challenge.

10. Brainstorm new ideas

Brainstorming is an important part of encouraging creative thinking in your business career. By taking the time to brainstorm new ideas, you can come up with innovative solutions that may not have been thought of before.

When brainstorming, it is important to be open-minded and think outside the box. Additionally, it can be helpful to involve other people in the process, as they may have different perspectives and insights that can help you come up with creative solutions.

11. Keep a creativity journal

Keeping a creativity journal is an effective way to encourage creative thinking in your business career. By writing down your ideas and thoughts, you can better organise them and explore different possibilities.

A creativity journal can also be a great place to document any successes or failures that you experience along the way. This can help you reflect on what worked and what didn't, allowing you to adjust your approach accordingly. Not only is it useful for work, but it can be highly beneficial to use in your everyday life.

Here at OCCO London, we have developed The Morning Mindset Journal, which takes the stress away from learning how to journal by guiding you through a morning routine. It helps you start your busy day with a calm and positive mindset, enabling you to be a more productive and happy creative thinker.

12. Explore multiple solutions

Exploring multiple solutions is an important part of encouraging creative and innovative thinking in your business career. By considering different approaches and ideas, you can come up with innovative solutions that may not have been thought of before.

To find the best solutions, it's important to be inventive and have an open mind. Additionally, involving others can help widen your outlook and give you new perspectives that may lead to unique solutions.

13. Try the six-hat technique

The six-hat technique is a powerful tool for encouraging creative lateral thinking in your business career. This technique helps aid the creative thinking process by breaking down the problem into six different perspectives and exploring each one in turn.

As individuals, we all have different views and creative thinking abilities, so it's useful to see things now and again from different perspectives.

The six-hat technique approach is made up of the following hat colours:

White

The white hat is used to explore the facts and figures of a problem. This involves looking at the data objectively and without bias. By exploring the facts, you can gain a better understanding of the situation and come up with more informed solutions.

Red

The red hat is used to explore the emotional aspects of a problem. This involves looking at the situation from an emotional perspective and considering how it might make you or others feel.

By exploring the emotions associated with a problem, you can gain insight into how best to approach it and come up with creative solutions.

Black

The black hat is used to explore the risks and drawbacks associated with a problem. This involves looking at the potential pitfalls of any proposed solutions and considering how they might affect the outcome.

By exploring the risks, you can identify any potential issues that may arise and come up with creative solutions to avoid them. Additionally, this approach can help you anticipate problems before they occur, allowing you to be better prepared.

Yellow

The yellow hat is used to explore the benefits and advantages associated with a problem. This involves looking at the potential positive outcomes of any proposed solutions and considering how they might benefit you or others.

By exploring the benefits, you can identify any potential opportunities that may arise and come up with creative solutions to take advantage of them.

Green

The green hat is used to explore the creative possibilities associated with a problem. This involves looking at the situation from an imaginative perspective and considering how it might be approached differently.

By exploring the creative possibilities, you can come up with innovative solutions that may not have been thought of before. This approach can help you think outside the box and come up with unique solutions that could give you a competitive edge.

Blue

The blue hat is used to explore the overall structure and process of a problem. This involves looking at the situation from a strategic perspective and considering how it might be approached in an organized manner.

By exploring the structure and process, you can identify any potential areas for improvement and come up with creative solutions to optimise them. What's more, this approach can help you develop a plan of action that will ensure your success.

In conclusion, the six-hat technique is a powerful tool for encouraging creative thinking in your business career. By breaking down the problem into six different perspectives and exploring each one in turn, you can gain insight into how best to approach it and come up with innovative solutions that could give you a competitive edge.

14. Look for inspiration

Inspiration can be a great source of creative ideas.

Whether it’s from nature, art, literature, or other sources, looking for inspiration can help you come up with unique solutions to your business problems. Try to take some time each day to explore different sources of inspiration and see what new ideas they bring to the table.

You can also look for inspiration in the work of others, such as successful entrepreneurs or innovators in your field.

15. Try storyboarding

Storyboarding is a great way to explore creative solutions to business problems. It involves creating a visual representation of the problem and then brainstorming potential solutions.

This can help you think outside the box and come up with innovative ideas that could give you an edge over your competitors.

When storyboarding, start by writing down the key elements of the problem, such as goals, objectives, and challenges. Then, draw a simple diagram or sketch to represent each element. Finally, brainstorm potential solutions and draw them onto the storyboard.

16. Take time to reflect

Reflection is an important part of any creative process. Taking time to reflect on your ideas and solutions can help you gain insight into how best to approach them.

When reflecting, try to look at the situation from different perspectives and consider how it might be approached differently. This will help you identify any potential areas for improvement and come up with creative solutions that could give you a competitive edge.

It can also help you develop a plan of action that will ensure your business and career success, and help you maintain high levels of job satisfaction.

17. Take a break

It's crucial to step away from your work for a break in the creative process. Doing so can give you a new outlook and provide unique solutions to business issues.

When taking a break, try to do something that will help you relax and clear your mind. This could be anything from going for a walk or listening to music, to reading a book, journaling, or making a vision board.

Taking some time away from your work can help you come back with fresh ideas and a renewed sense of creativity.

18. Challenge yourself

Challenging yourself is an important part of encouraging creative thinking in your business career. By pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and trying new things, you can be more prepared to come up with innovative solutions.

This could mean taking on a project that requires you to think outside the box or exploring a new industry that may not

19. Learn from your mistakes

Mistakes can be a valuable part of the creative process as they help people learn from their experiences and become better prepared for future projects.

This could mean reflecting on what went wrong and how you could have done things differently or taking time to analyse why a certain solution didn’t work. For example, communication is a highly common failure point in a business; therefore, learning from and implementing a course on communication skills would be highly beneficial to the productivity and efficiency of the business.

Learning from mistakes can help you become more creative and come up with better solutions in the future.

20. Use your network

Using the network of colleagues and talented team members around you, along with friends and family to help aid creative thinking, can be a great way to come up with innovative solutions.

By talking to people who have different perspectives and experiences, you can gain insight into how they approach problems and come up with creative solutions.

This could help you think of ideas that you may not have considered before and give you an edge over your competitors.

To conclude, there are a large number of ways in which you can encourage and increase your creativity within your business career. Introducing some of the techniques listed above will help you in your career as either an employee or a creative entrepreneur.

For all you business owners reading this, creativity is not just for creative people or your creative team. But instead, it is something everyone, including yourself as a business leader, should implement into their everyday business operations.

Frequently Asked Questions

The following are some of the most frequently asked questions about how creative thinking can help in business and in one's career.

How can businesses use creative thinking to solve business problems?

Businesses can use creative thinking to solve business problems by looking at the problem from different perspectives and considering how it could be approached differently.

This could involve brainstorming ideas, challenging yourself to think outside the box, and using your network of colleagues, friends, and family for insight.

Additionally, businesses can also learn from mistakes and take a break to clear their minds in order to come up with innovative solutions.

What is creativity in the workplace?

Creativity in the workplace is the ability to think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions to problems.

It involves using imagination, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking to develop new ideas that can help a business succeed. Creative thinking can be used in all aspects of a business, from marketing and product development to customer service and operations.

By encouraging creativity in the workplace, businesses can stay ahead of the competition and remain competitive.

Why is creativity important in business?

Creativity is important in business because it allows businesses to come up with innovative solutions to problems and stay ahead of the competition.

Creative thinking can help businesses develop new products and services, find new markets, and create better customer experiences. It also helps businesses become more efficient by finding ways to streamline processes and reduce costs.

By encouraging creativity in the workplace, businesses can remain competitive and find new ways to succeed.

Why is it important to use both creative and critical thinking in business?

It is important to use both creative and critical thinking in business because they are complementary skills.

Creative thinking helps businesses come up with innovative solutions, while critical thinking helps them evaluate those solutions and make sure they are viable.

Using both skills together can help businesses develop better products and services, find new markets, and create better customer experiences.

What are some examples of creative thinking in business?

Creative thinking in business can take many forms, from developing new products and services to finding new markets and creating better customer experiences.

For example, a business could use creative thinking to develop a new product or service that solves an existing problem. This could involve brainstorming ideas, researching the market, and testing prototypes.

Another example of creative thinking in business is finding new ways to market a product or service. This could involve using social media, creating viral campaigns, and leveraging influencers to reach new audiences.

Finally, businesses can also use creative thinking to find new ways to streamline processes and reduce costs. This could involve looking for new technologies that can automate tasks or finding ways to optimise existing processes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, you will now have a far better understanding of how to increase creativity in your business career.

Whether you are an employee or a creative entrepreneur, creative thinking is something that is worth encouraging the entire team to get really good at, as it will pay for itself again and again.

Creative thinking is an important skill for any business or creative to have in order to stay competitive and find new ways to succeed. It involves using imagination, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking to come up with innovative solutions.

If you would like to read further into creativity, and its importance for a creative business, have a read of our 'Creative Business Benefits: 12 Reasons Why Creativity Is Important' article. Additionally, if you now feel empowered and excited to set up your own creative business, click here.

We hope you found this article useful, and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to comment below and we will be in touch.