Characteristics of imaginative people


What makes one person more likely to use their imagination than another? Just as importantly, what makes one person feel that he or she is allowed or even required to be imaginative? If creativity is important to your organisation, how can you select employees who will meet your needs? If you employ creative people, how can you ensure you meet their needs and maximise their creative and imaginative potential? To understand the answers to these questions, we must first explore the characteristics of creative and imaginative people.

We will look at four recognised characteristics of imaginative and creative individuals: motivation, expertise, risk-taking and social skills.

1. Motivation

Studies indicate that one of the core attributes of creative people is a high degree of self-motivation. Creative individuals also demonstrate some degree of self-satisfaction. They either feel that they have made a difference or that they can make a difference to the way things happen. They want to feel that they are contributing to the success of the task. They are enthusiastic, attracted by the challenge and feel that they are working on something important. Their primary motivation is not money (which is not to say that the money is not important to them, it is just that other needs take priority).

The challenge for the organisation is to provide an environment that allows for each of its members to see their role as something important and that their participation is critical. It is equally important to provide a recognition system that matches these motivating factors.

2. Expertise

In order to be creative in an organisational setting, some understanding of the area of expertise is necessary. It is difficult to be creative without a critical mass of knowledge related to the particular area, combining a depth of experience and currency with present issues.

In addition, expertise in one area is often set against a wider understanding of other fields and this allows for the taking of an idea from one situation and extending it to another.

It is important, therefore, for the organisation to provide opportunities for its people to maintain and develop their level of expertise, and thereby retain and grow their ability to be creative.

3. Risk taking

Creative people take risks. To be imaginative requires a willingness to try something different, to see something in a different way. This means that both people and structures need to be flexible enough to accommodate unconventional approaches or ideas. The inability to take risks is perhaps the largest obstacle to creativity and the potential associated learning. This issue will be addressed in greater detail later.

4. Social skills

It may come as a surprise that social skills have a significant impact on our ability to be imaginative. Although reclusive, individual geniuses do exist, in general creative people exhibit good team skills. They are broadminded, good listeners and able to promote good rapport with others.

As indicated above, the ability to draw upon ideas from outside of a core area of knowledge is an important element of creativity. This ability is enhanced by ease in building relationships and accessing from them the knowledge, skills and support required for the innovation process.

start sidebar
Wanted: Creative person

We are seeking the services of a creative person to work within our organisation.The successful candidate will possess an active imagination and will be encouraged to use it.You must have an ability to dream and imagine beyond any perceived or current limits.

Persistency is an essential requirement, as is an ability to accept unstructured environments. All our employees must enjoy their work and have a high level of self- appreciation and self worth ” we expect you to value yourself as highly as we do.

Members of staff must have a willingness to ask questions and not feel embarrassed, a joy for learning and the confidence to ask for what you want. In addition, employees must understand that because you ask does not mean that you will receive, but that your request will be considered on its merits.

These criteria apply to all staff at all levels in the organisation ”creativity has no prejudice.

end sidebar
 



Innovation and Imagination at Work 2004
Innovation and Imagination at Work 2004
ISBN: N/A
EAN: N/A
Year: 2005
Pages: 116

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net