You want to show your boss that you’re a creative thinker. What’s the best way to do it?

Going to start with the underlying assumption that you have a mismatch with your Manager relating to “creativity”. Either this is genuine or a perception. My start point would be to do a quick analysis of where this requirement to be more creative comes from. Are there elements of your creative thinking that you haven’t shared (ie it’s more a perception concern) or is there an expectation that you need to be more creative. And what measures “creativity” in your Manager’s mind? Prepare for a session with either a demonstration of your creativity as a straw man of what you believe - pressure test it with them. What would “good” look like? What would “great” look like? And then be open to their suggestions or guidance.

Why do you have to show your boss or anyone else for that matter ? Isn't it more important to be a creative thinker and to have that confidence in your abilities to find out of box solutions ? In my mind the willingness and ability to get into the details of the problem and the courage to take unconventional and/or unpopular stances are the most important part of being creative. You will not be really creative if you are just trying to 'show something to your boss'. You can't really be a people pleaser and come up with great solutions.

BRM in relation to the start of business and running its management affairs in any region of the world. Business requires patience and through patience, great things are accomplished. Management is responsible for the growth of the business. Effective decision-making and effective utilisation of resources should be applied at the right place as well as at the right time. Sometimes opportunities wait for us and sometimes we have to wait for the potential opportunities. Business prosperity, growth and sustainability depend upon the level of struggle, geographical circumstances and economic phases in the different regions. It can also be said that those opportunities that exist in one region may not be available in the other region............

Most of us look at the things/ events/ problems from our narrow world-view. First fundamental step for creative-thinkers is to visualize the problem from a holistic perspective for all stakeholders/ affected parties. Next we need to ascertain we are primarily solving for whom, while optimizing for remaining. While we aspire for a win-win solution for all, but it's not practically possible in most situations. As a professional, we need to prioritize.

Creative thinking arises in ones mind when there is a task,challenge or a problem to solve.Ideas are generally created during crisis situation. If you are experienced enough with situations you may find realistic solutions with out of the box or creative thinking.

The most important step, after understanding the problem and deciding the primary stakeholder for whom we are solving, while optimizing for others, is to brainstorm for possible solutions. Creative-thinkers need to be free, radical, unrestrained and even impractical while just listing the alternative solutions. Don't shoot down any idea. Don't solve for tomorrow's problem, with yesterday's thinking, try to visualize all evolving solutions arising from recent changes in tech etc. Research for similar problems being solved in different industries/ domains, how are they approaching it. Interact with young minds for a fresh perspective. Don't just rely on "experts", talk to frontline employees & customers.

Agree. I find it’s helpful to sketch out a straw man of the actual problem and then a straw man of possiable solutions. Thinking big, without boundaries, helps to come up with more creative ideas and the details can be then refined and built around this.

One unconventional way I've demonstrated my creativity to my boss is by proposing a "Creativity Day" where team members are encouraged to step away from their daily tasks and engage in creative activities unrelated to work. This could include art workshops, improv classes, or even outdoor adventures. By fostering an environment that values creativity and experimentation, I not only showcase my own creative thinking but also inspire my colleagues to think outside the box. Additionally, I actively contribute ideas during brainstorming sessions and offer creative solutions to challenges, demonstrating my ability to approach problems from unique perspectives. Through these initiatives, I've been able to showcase my creativity to my boss

Nao tenha medo de dar ideias, mesmo que nao esteja em um ambiente preparado para a criatividade. Empresas que se interessam devem valorizar a iniciativa de oferta de ideias, sem julgá-las.

Eu creio que cada vez mais a for?a intelectual humano exigirá desenvolver seus talentos, além da IA. Ha tempos os trabalhos manuais, primeiro só os repetitivos e agora cada vez mais os mais complexos s?o feitos por máquinas há um bom tempo, fazendo o que fazíamos manualmente com muito mais eficácia e precis?o e tempo de execu??o. Agora cada vez mais chegou a vez de reproduzir o pensamento humano e nossas potencialidades. Eu creio que algoritmos e avan?ando para IA, s?o ferramentas maravilhosas. Mas a alma humana eu tenho absoluta certeza que jamais será substituída.

My journey in start-ups has taught me to incorporate a 'fail fast, learn fast' philosophy to help keep an open-mind but not lose sight of the end goal. It fosters a culture of experimentation and learning, crucial for innovation. The evaluation phase is critical for distilling the essence of creativity into actionable solutions. Diversity of feedback is crucial, involving stakeholders in this phase not only provides diverse insights but also ensures buy-in, a crucial factor for successful implementation. Moreover, organizing cross-functional review sessions has proven invaluable for demonstrating a willingness and capability to lead with minimal directon. Creative problem solving is helpful, but cultivating it effectively is valuable.

I believe that you should analyse the situation and help support any solution that can resolve or further improve the process. Whether that is the right result or not, it’s always good to have as many solutions on the table to review and analyse to work out the best practice for all mutual parties.

Have you ever heard the saying “ it’s always done like this”. Time changes other depts change. Does you talk create value? Does it mitigate risk? How can it be done differently? What are other teams doing? Learn the current process then ask questions and purpose change.

Within the realm of the IT business industry, CLPS Incorporated faced a crucial decision. After generating a multitude of ideas, they meticulously evaluated and selected the most promising options based on originality, usefulness, and alignment with their objectives. Through feedback, experiments, and prototypes, they refined their choices and ultimately transformed the standout idea into a groundbreaking solution, propelling CLPS Incorporated to unparalleled success.

Filtering the noise. After brainstorming, evaluation is key. Clear criteria & rigorous assessment ensure we prioritize the most impactful solutions. #creativity #innovation

Effective communication of your idea is as crucial as the idea itself. I've learned the importance of storytelling in this process—framing your solution within a story that resonates with your audience can significantly enhance its impact. In presenting ideas to leadership, clarity and persuasion are key. Use data to ground your idea in reality, while employing narrative to craft a vision of the future with the proposed solution in place. This approach addresses both the logical and emotional aspects of decision-making. Demonstrating preparedness to answer questions, an understanding of the driving forceds behind the decision, and reinforcing the robustness of the proposal as well as your credibility as a strategic player longterm.

Know your target audience so that you don’t get burnt. Not every person may see the big picture, see the detail or see your dream. Just give the details that that person needs or they may find your ideas to not be effective for them.

Consider proposing innovative solutions to existing challenges, suggesting creative approaches during team discussions, and showcasing your ability to think outside the box in problem-solving. Providing tangible examples of your creativity in action can make a lasting impression on your boss.

Si l'idée, la proposition, n'est pas simple à présenter, c'est qu'il manque quelque chose, peut-être de majeur, dans l'élaboration de la proposition. Toujours partir du pourquoi, puis le comment, et enfin le résultat attendu et les KPIs qui vont avec.

Do not keep your ideas to yourself, share and communicate… explain why you have those thoughts, and who knows you might just solve a problem.

Sharing brainstorming with your team and management can be the most rewarding and appreciative experience in finding creative solutions. Being part of an environment that encourages different thinking will create a dynamic of complementing and improving suggested ideas. Creativity thrives in an energized room. Embrace this energy of listening and contributing.

As noted elsewhere, the ability to collaborate, accept constructive feedback and alternative concepts is critical to personal/professional growth but also harmonizing team dynamics and advancement of the solution(s).

In this brutal world, both words are very rare to watch while always present on paper (business documents??). The best possible way to adhere to all such lovey-dovey is to be transparent and honest with yourself first and then make an impact on people around you. Rest all is just "GYAN.".

Open minds fuel innovation: Creative thinking thrives on diverse perspectives. Actively listening to feedback & embracing collaboration lead to stronger solutions. #growthmindset #teamwork

In a structured environment, you want to respect the leader. If you are a true team player, you are often aware of troubles inside and out of your department that could potentially help it run better if issues are tackled. Being humble and receptive to ideas from others, especially when problem solving, helps to build team spirit and morale in any setting. Narrowing down solutions to even the smallest of issues can help the leader focus on their leadership role. It alleviates them from having to form strategy on a level where a team should be competent enough to identify and resolve. With this mindset, I’ve grown to be placed in seats that I would not have otherwise had I not had the understanding of the implementation of structure.

First of all you need to think yourself as a business consultant and solution provider and not an employee. Keep all of your discussions solution oriented and not problem oriented. Carry out market research and competitive landscaping to understand about market scenario and strengths/weaknesses of competitors. Use these information to create correct strategies for your organization. Understand bottlenecks and plan improvement projects to achieve critical business objectives. Overall you need to be a solution provider, having highest level of awareness about your industry and show your credibility as strategy formulator.

Actually, one thing I believe is extremely important is to be "Courageous".... Courageous enough to be able to stand tall and challenge the status quo. Be resourceful and always aim to be a problem solver than merely being a good problem identifier.

Getting to the root of the problem is really important. Often what appears to be the problem may not be one or could be the fall out of actual problem. Hence getting to the root cause is really very important. Once root cause is identified two approaches can be adopted. Firstly if someone has solved it before, replicate the solution. If not, ideation amongst diverse groups should be done and best identified solutions should be applied iteratively. I am sure your boss will find you creative, effective and efficient.

While the steps described here are useful as tools to boost creative process, I’d take a step back and reconsider the whole point of wanting / needing to show your boss that you actually are a creative thinker. This is something that should be (more or less) visible rather naturally in your behaviors and actions and generally picked up by a good people manager. So my underlying advice is: don’t force it as it won’t look naturally and serve the purpose. Use your skills and knowledge in the topics/areas you’re comfortable with - this is where the creativeness stands out.

Try to think outside the box ??,put a creative solution on the table and try to identify the problem and propose many valid solutions.