Creating Creative People !!!

We live in a world of duplicates. Copying others' products and imitating other p eople are our values today. Many of us have become incapable of original thinkin g and creativity. Someone told me recently: "the only original thing about us is our original sin."

We are created to create. The divinity in us gets manifested through our creativ ity. It's our nature to become creative. All of us are capable of becoming bette r Michael Angelos, Mozarts, Edisons, and Bill Gates. So we don't need to copy an d imitate them.

The little child building castles on the seashore, the majestic Taj Mahal, the m ysterious Mona Lisa, the soul capturing symphony of Beethoven and the technologi cal miracles of modern men all proclaim human being's immense power to create.

Creativity is our ability to combine ideas and thoughts while innovation is the process of turning these ideas and thoughts into products and services. By our c reativity we bring to existence something new. It may be a new mechanical invent ion, a poem, a painting, a musical composition or a new architecture. It can be anything that is original and ingenious but useful and adding value to humanity.

We become creative and innovative when we become aware of our own selves, our en vironment and the universe. We need an element of curiosity and a lot of patienc e if we want to be creative. We must be open to new ideas and challenges, and sh ould have a sense of humour to become creative.

Human beings are born with a lot of creative thinking, imagination and inquisiti veness. Our childlike tendency to question what we don't understand diminishes a s we grow up. As children we are more innovative and creative. Psychologists say only 2% of adults use their creativity while 10% of seven year olds and 90% of five year olds think and act creatively. As adults we are afraid to change, to g ive up our views, to forgo our comfort zones, and to accept things new and chall enging. We find imitation easier than creation. We are terribly afraid to take r isks and are afraid of failures. As a consequence we create duplicates of everyt hing including ourselves, for we are poor imitations of our heroes.

Creativity is in a sense an act of liberation as it liberates us from our slaver y of habit and the tendency to copy and imitate other people. We need to constan tly reinvent and recreate ourselves. Alfred Perlman says: "if you have done some thing the same way for a year, look at it critically; if you have done it for tw o years, modify it; if you have done it for five years, throw it away and start over."

Success is the fruit of creativity. If we need success in our organisations, if we want our people to become successful and if we want ourselves to become succe ssful there is only one way: become creative.

Below are some tips to make your people creative and innovative:

1. Creative leaders make others creative

The main reason for people to be non-creative and non-performing is the presence of the non-creative leaders. If the leadership is creative and values imaginati on it will nurture creativity in its subordinates. Imagination is the beginning of creation. Spot creative people in your organisation and nurture their talents .

A creative leader will match the expertise, skills and talents of employees with organisation requirements. He will give them assignments that interest them and challenge them. Creativity flowers when they do work based on their aptitude, i nterests, skills and knowledge.

2. Provide resources and opportunities

Sufficient resources and opportunities are required to become creative. People n eed enough time, money, space, training and knowledge. Giving unrealistic deadli nes and inadequate budgets will kill the creativity of people. Creativity is a t alent, a skill that can be learnt through constant practice. The more opportunit ies we give to our people the more creative they become.

3. Participate the employees in all activities

Employee participation boosts their morale and makes them creative. If they become part of decision-making, execution and evaluation processes, they will develop a sense of ownership and will become creative to bring the best fo r the organisation. There is often a managerial attitude that only the top layer in the organisation is capable of creative thinking. But often the people at th e lower level are more creative than those at the top.

4. Become flexible

Too much of emphasis on production target, time, profit and productivity can par alyse the thinking capacity of people. We need to give them sufficient time and become a little more flexible if we want creative outputs. Fluctuations, imbalan ces, and disturbances are the ways to creativity.

5. Creative people are not slow workers or rebels

There is often a misconception that creative people are rebels. Those who think and act creatively and differently are considered as rebels and are soon checked out. They are courageous and curious to question the existing methods, systems and leadership. They are constantly looking out for better way to do things. Cre ativity comes when there is dissent and freedom for alternatives. They may be di sorderly and revolting but they are the innovators.

6. Reward, praise and support

Lack of proper salary, monetary rewards, support, and praise prevent people from becoming creative. Often creative people are those who are well-paid and have m ore free time to think. The ordinary mind, which has lot of creative energy, is preoccupied with its everyday existence. He has no time for creative thinking; n ot all are Walt Disney.

7. Create an atmosphere to win

People don't venture into creativity because they are afraid of failures, critic isms and punishments. Eliminate all forms of punishments and fears of failure fr om the organisation and create an atmosphere where people can freely experiment and make mistakes.

No one desires to lose and become a failure. Failures are part of success. This unquenchable desire to win has enabled many individuals to accomplish what was w ell beyond their wildest dreams. Resolute determination and boundless imaginatio n won them many trophies.

8. Create in your people the right attitude

There were three men breaking stones. A passer-by asked them: "What are you doin g?" "Breaking this damn rock", replied the first man. "Making a living", argued the second. "Building a beautiful home", beamed the third.

Creativity depends more than all on our attitude. Anyone can be creative if he h as the right attitude.

Courtesy: Joshy Thomas