Creativity and Personality

Creativity and Personality.

Is there a relationship between personality and creativity? Well, Yes - definitely, and well, No - not really.

There is no such thing as a ‘Creative’ Personality and we all have creativity within us.?But Yes, personality does affect how we each approach creativity and each other.

Personality is the combination of traits that makes us all unique. There are lots of ways to look at personality and just like us, it’s a complicated subject. I love the classic model called Big Five Personality Traits because it is simple, clear and makes sense to me.?

The Big Five our -

Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.

Everyone elements of all of them within our personalities, with each on a sliding scale.

They impact everything from creativity in teams, to our creative motivators, the creative work environment that works for us, our output performance levels, and even how we can use creative thinking to deal with conflict.

Describe the 5 traits.

1?? - Openness - How open a person is to new ideas and experiences

2?? - Conscientiousness - How goal-directed, persistent, and organized a person is

3?? - Extraversion - How much a person is energized by the outside world

4?? - Agreeableness - How much a person puts others' interests and needs ahead of their own

5?? - Neuroticism - How sensitive a person is to stress and negative emotional triggers

(Taken from www.truity.com)

Neuroticism can be seen as a negative personality trait. But individuals high in neuroticism can also be hugely creative, using their emotional experiences to turbocharge their creativity. This is a highly controversial area and involves the ‘myth’ of the neurotic creative genius.

I’m not a qualified psychiatrist so if you want to know more about that subject here is a link to the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience - https://www.dhirubhai.net/company/kingsioppn/

I will also put a link to some external resources in the comments section.

Personality traits can show us how people behave and interact with others. A better understanding of personality can help leaders, managers and teams work better together.?These are my thoughts as they relate to Creativity and what I have observed over the years.

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Teamwork and Creativity

Great Teamwork is fabulous for driving creativity levels in the workplace.

?Openness will start the flow of creative thinking by helping others see new ideas and think outside the box.

?Conscientiousness in the team will ensure that everyone contributes to the team's creative efforts.

?Extraversion will help power effective communication and collaboration. This helps others to bounce ideas off each other and build on each one. Introverts in your team might need the opposite quiet space, alone time break out rooms

?Agreeableness will set the tone for a positive work environment where everyone feels comfortable expressing their ideas and taking risks.

?However, neuroticism can hinder creativity by expressing anxiety, being the devil’s advocate and voicing self-doubts. But it can also be empathetic and attuned to the needs of teammates, the emotions and perspectives of others.

To encourage creativity in teams, embrace experimentation and risk-taking. Provide opportunities for cross-functional collaboration for new ideas. Don’t forget to praise and reward creative thinking and innovation.?This will promote continuous improvement and development in your team.

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Motivators and Creativity

Finding the key motivators will really drive creativity levels in the workplace.

?Openness will drive creativity through the motivation to seek out new experiences and opportunities.

?Conscientiousness will motivate individuals to get things done and achieve goals and deadlines.?Use creativity to promote productivity.

?Extraversion will motivate individuals to seek out new connections and like-minded people that will lead to fresh ideas and approaches.

?Agreeableness will motivate by working towards the common good, promoting collaboration and a shared endeavour.

?However, neuroticism can hinder motivation by promoting anxiety and fear of failure. But remember it is also highly attuned to potential problems or obstacles, allowing things to be seen before they arise

As a manager know your team’s motivators and play to their strengths and interests. Find what part of each team member’s personality type motivates them and you will start to fly and creativity levels along with it.

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The Work Environment and Creativity

A great work environment can positively impact creativity.

?Openness will thrive in an environment that encourages experimentation and taking risks.

?Conscientiousness will excel in an environment that values accountability and responsibility.

?Extraversion will thrive in a social and collaborative environment that encourages communication and interaction.

?Agreeableness will excel in an environment that values teamwork and collaboration.

?However, neuroticism can suffer in an environment that is stressful or lacks the extra support needed. However, it can also be detail-oriented and ensure tasks are completed thoroughly and to a high standard.

To create a work environment that promotes creativity. Encourage open communication and collaboration. Remember a flexible and supportive work environment with a positive work-life balance can reduce stress which helps promote creativity.

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High performance and Creativity

High performance and creativity are linked. They both require you to achieve your goals and push the boundaries of what is possible.

?Openness will drive creativity by encouraging people to seek out new innovative experiences and ideas.

?Conscientiousness will contribute to high performance because tasks are completed to a high standard.

?Extraversion will champion effective communication and collaboration, enhancing team performance and creativity.

?Agreeableness will encourage high performance by contributing to a positive work environment built on collaboration and teamwork.

?However, neuroticism can both hinder high performance through anxiety and stress but also motivate one to work harder and push for excellence. This can lead to stellar levels of achievement/success…but beware of burnout

To get to high performance and creativity you will need to go through forming, storming, and norming before you reach performing - knowing your team’s personalities will greatly help you navigate safely and swiftly through this journey.

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Managing conflict and Creativity

Conflict can arise in any workplace and all too often it is mixed up with personalities.

?Openness will help people approach conflict with an open mind, and seek out new perspectives and solutions. But will struggle with people in the team that are less open-minded or stubborn

?Conscientiousness will ensure that individuals are accountable and responsible for their actions, promoting a fair and equitable resolution to the conflict. But everyone needs to pull their weight.

?Extraversion will want to talk about it, wanting people to express their perspectives, and just sit down and talk about it. But it might struggle with those that don’t want to approach issues in that way

?Agreeableness will want everyone to feel comfortable expressing their opinions and concerns, promoting a collaborative approach to conflict resolution. But will struggle with people they perceive as being unnecessarily difficult or argumentative.

?However, neuroticism can make the conflict even more challenging by promoting anxiety and emotional distress. But it can also be highly attuned to other emotions and perspectives. This could allow them to approach conflict with empathy and understanding.

???Active listening is key. One person’s lively debate is another person’s full-blown argument. We all have our ways of dealing with conflict, so understanding personality types will help you better manage these situations. One size does not fit all.

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Next steps and application.

Understanding the big five personalities (impact on Creativity) will help you understand yourself and your team better.?

??Understanding personalities will create a more positive work environment. Consistently playing to each person’s personality strengths will super-charge the creativity and the performance of your team.?

? Of course, the opposite is equally true, being forced to do things not suited to your personality type means that even reaching mediocre will be a struggle.

CTA – Why not take a Big 5 personality test? Takes five minutes - I’ll put a link to one in the comments.