To Be Creative, Build Relationships
So often we hear the word creativity or be creative thrown around, especially in the working world. Bosses or leaders want employees to get creative with their sales pitch or in how they’re solving a problem. The issue with using the term creative so broadly though is that the definition is different for each person. Everyone has their own idea or definition of creativity and what it means to them.
This fact is apparent when we work really hard on getting creative with a project, only for supervisors or clients to say it isn’t the right direction of creative that he/she had in mind. This begs the question how can we get an understanding of the right kind of creative and implement it in a way that others were hoping?
This is where knowing your boss, client or audience as a person is important. Never underestimate the power of building real relationships! When you really get to know the people you are working with or doing a project for, you have the ability to get inside their brains and understand how they think. If you listen carefully enough, you’ll pick up tidbits of information about their likes, dislikes, hobbies, values, morals, and more. In turn, this will provide a frame of reference the next time they ask you to get creative! With an understanding of their personality, you’ll think and execute in their creative space, with some room to add your flair.
Moving forward as we get out of our winter-blues creative slumps, lets remember that knowing the people we are working for makes a huge difference in how we can be creative and effective for them. That being said, get out there and enjoy time getting to know them! It will make your life easier and more enjoyable in the long run.
Happy relationship building —
Amelia
