Creativity, vital for many modern jobs, can be promoted in both individual work and among an organization. Various ways can be implied to motivate workers to be more innovative, which overall leads to the improvement of their performance. Furthermore, managers can promote creativity directly and indirectly. To increase creativity in people, groups, and organizations, first, one must understand the group’s unique characteristics and then promote efficacy.
While a large organization has a varied workforce that generalizations are impossible, good managers can identify the unique groups and teams within an organization. The makeup of these smaller groups must be understood to best communicate with them. The research shows that the distinctions between individuals from Gen X and Gen Z are essential to consider. For example, Gen X prefers indirect communication while Gen Z works best when their team is a part of their social network (Luthans et al., 2015). Both time limits and discipline help foster creativity, but the precise dimensions of what discipline looks like and what time limits are acceptable vary from group to group. Gen Z values productivity over set hours at the office may chafe against hard limits on time, while Gen X values flexibility, and may dislike some forms of creative discipline (Luthans et al., 2015). Understanding the generational makeup of the various teams and groups in an organization is vital to promote creativity and effective work.
Furthermore, group norms are a vital part of understanding how to promote creativity. Different groups and teams make group decisions following four patterns described by psychologists (Luthans et al., 2015). Creative work can be disrupted when the group reaches an impasse or encounter a significant problem. To help the group resume its work and not disturb any creative process they might be engaged in, it is crucial to understand how the group operates. The design company Ideo succeeds because it makes sure rank and authority do not overwhelm creativity, meaning management should be careful when intervening in groups (Gearyinteractive, 2011). This allows the supervisor or manager to present solutions that the group will accept more readily.
Another way to promote creativity in individuals and the workplace is to increase their efficacy. Studies suggest that efficacy is particularly significant in the workplace because of the connection between self-efficacy and improved work performance (Luthans et al., 2015). In particular, researchers discovered that efficacy could be used in initiating the creative process in various companies. Creative self-efficacy emphasizes the understanding of workers that they can be creative in their work tasks. Overall, it was determined this type of self-efficacy motivated creative problem-solving actions beyond the other impacts of business-oriented self-efficacy. At my workplace, NextEra Energy, which has nearly 14000 employees, it is vital to learn how to identify groups and their unique characteristics.
Promoting creativity in NextEra Energy requires both a thorough understanding of the groups and the active promotion of efficacy. Individuals, particularly those of different generations, have varying approaches to work, communication, and efficacy. Furthermore, groups within an organization tend to develop specific strategies for problem-solving through day-to-day interaction. To promote creativity among such groups requires knowledge of how the various elements within a group interact. This allows for solutions that benefit each group’s approach to work the most. Lastly, it is vital to promote self-efficacy among people engaged in creative work, as it is a predictor for positive and creative performance.
References
Gearyinteractive. (2011). The Deep Dive [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Luthans, F., Luthans, B. C., & Luthans, K. W. (2015). Organizational behavior: An evidence-based approach (13th ed.). Information Age Publishing.