Here's how you can assess and gauge creativity in the workplace.

Workplace creativity is all about reimagining established practices and challenging the status quo. It involves seeking fresh perspectives, questioning current norms, and experimenting with new ideas. Creative thinkers in the workplace are keen observers who identify inefficiencies, spot overlooked opportunities, and uncover hidden insights by paying attention to subtle cues. This mindset fuels smarter strategies, more efficient workflows, and the development of products and services that truly resonate with your audience. By cultivating a culture that embraces open-minded exploration, you empower your team to reshape processes, enhance experiences, and deliver groundbreaking solutions that give your organization a competitive edge.

There are so many ways where creativity can come into place. You can have little activities where you design the activities in a way that includes some creative things, maybe you can have a session where you tell each other what new you have observed in the creative market, etc. The more you talk about it, the more it comes into practice. And little things matters, you might get some time out of your where where you surf some new market trends and some other creative thing and you explain it to others. Allow them to come up with different creative ways, what they can do according to their convenience.

Some of the ways we follow at our agency to asses creativity are: 1) Portfolio Reviews: Regularly evaluate team members' portfolios to assess creativity and growth over time. 2) Idea Generation Metrics: Track the number and diversity of ideas generated in brainstorming sessions. 3) Project Outcomes: Review the success and innovation of completed projects against industry standards. 4) Peer Feedback: Use peer reviews to gauge how team members view each other's creativity. 5) Client Feedback: Collect and analyze client feedback on creativity and effectiveness of campaigns. 6) Creative Workshops: Assess engagement and output from creative workshops and training sessions.

To assess creativity in the workplace, start with a clear definition. Creativity isn’t just about art; it includes problem-solving, innovation, and seeing unique connections. For example, consider an employee who introduced an interactive dashboard to streamline project reporting. This innovation not only saved time but also improved clarity, showcasing creative problem-solving that benefits the whole team. Recognize such contributions as they highlight diverse creative efforts that enhance workplace dynamics.

Every person (esp. a marketing professional) has their own definition of creativity - some might think of it from product perspective, specific campaign, overall brand communication, etc. Hence, a leader's job should be to first define creativity from various perspectives and explain it to the team. Only then the team will be able to work accordingly. Once the definition is clear for both ends, a leader can assess.

Observe Behaviors: Assessing creativity effectively involves observing employee behaviors. Look for curiosity, evidenced by frequent questioning and the pursuit of new knowledge. Notice team members' attitudes towards risk and failure. Do they see setbacks as learning opportunities? Also, observe how they collaborate. Creativity thrives when ideas are exchanged freely among diverse perspectives. These behaviors are strong indicators of a work environment conducive to creative thinking.

I do not agree with this. You never know a person on your team might be sitting ideally for the majority of the day and all of a sudden come up with a fantastic idea. Tell me, is behaviour useful in such a case?

Cultivate a culture of curiosity by asking thought-provoking questions that challenge assumptions and encourage unconventional thinking. Utilize "What if...?" scenarios to push your team beyond current constraints and explore unexpected possibilities. In solution-oriented brainstorming sessions, frame questions with "How might we...?" to inspire tangible ideas for improvement. And don't underestimate the power of asking "Why?" to uncover hidden motivations, troubleshoot inefficiencies, and challenge long-held assumptions. Remember, there are no "wrong" answers – encouraging the pursuit of unexplored possibilities nurtures the "anything is possible" mindset crucial for innovation.

To gauge creativity, evaluate tangible outcomes like new concepts from brainstorming, product prototypes, or successful marketing campaigns. Focus on originality and effectiveness: Do these outputs solve problems or meet needs in innovative ways? Recognizing and rewarding such achievements not only validates creative efforts but also encourages others in the organization to think creatively and contribute new ideas.

Beautiful flowers don't bloom easily in the desert. Create an environment for your team to flourish by being open minded and praising the process of creativity.

Lead by example. Be very creative and others will follow suit. Incorporate innovation into as many parts of your organization as you can.