4 Ways to Boost Creativity - Interactive

Everyone can be creative in the new digital economy. As Peter Quarry says, it requires just four C skills: creativity, communication, critical thinking and collaboration. The digital economy is opening up ways for everyone to be creative. It doesn’t just mean being artistic – it’s more about ideas, solutions, alternatives, incremental improvements. Peter Quarry and Eve Ash discuss ways that mental capacity can be developed, perspectives changed, group power leveraged and making things actually happen. This course is designed to help people develop skills and enthusiasm for being creative and innovative.

Key Learning Points:

Peter Quarry explores boosting creativity through:

• Developing creativity
• Improving communication
• Harnessing critical thinking
• Ensuring collaboration
  

Peter Quarry offers tips on improving mental capacity through learning to be open, seeing things differently, spending more time on tasks and mood-boosting breaks. We can learn to use our brains differently by:

• Improving mental flexibility (being more open)
• Expanding horizons (doing different things)
• Increasing attention span (improving concentration
• Taking breaks
• Mood-boosting activities
  

Anyone can improve their ability to use their brain in different ways. Peter Quarry and Eve Ash explore techniques such as exposing yourself to new ideas and perspectives, changing daily routines and challenging your comfort zone. Studies have shown that our concentration spans – even IQs - are impaired by allowing constant interruption (eg. checking phones). Peter Quarry suggests the “Five More Technique” to keep yourself focused. Mood-boosting short breaks (eg. walks, games) also help concentration.

Encourage experimentation. To cultivate a creative culture, leaders should encourage experimentation and be tolerant of risk and mistakes If leaders want a more creative culture, according to Peter Quarry, let the team experiment, make mistakes and be tolerant. Value, reward and role-model creativity!

For Peter Quarry and Eve Ash, a genuinely creative culture is reliant on managers enabling time and space for experiments, realizing mistakes as learning opportunities and rewarding gems as they appear. Tolerance is important for creativity. Managers should also pair people from different backgrounds for improved cognitive diversity and demonstrate their own creativity.

Brainstorming is one way to leverage the power of groups. Too often, good ideas are checked by negativity, endless debate and snap judgments. Peter Quarry and Eve Ash endorse suspension of judgment, letting ideas flow, building on suggestions and having fun during the process. When brainstorming, avoid needless criticism and debate. Peter Quarry encourages continuous idea building, refinement and fun. Brainstorming is one way to leverage the power of groups.

Be tolerant of risk and mistakes. If leaders want a more creative culture, according to Peter Quarry, let the team experiment, make mistakes and be tolerant. Value, reward and role-model creativity!

This interactive course is one of the Insights and Strategies Series, featuring psychologist Eve Ash interviewing a range of experts and business leaders who share their experiences and practical strategies for achieving best practice.