You’ve probably heard of creative decision making if you work for a company that likes to cover all its bases. We’re going to explain why creativity is crucial for assisting people in making wise decisions because many of us who don’t work for businesses have also heard of it.
The average person frequently does not link creativity and decision-making. People who are creative tend to write books, build things, sculpt, and splatter paint on easels. The typical person is unaware of how many decisions the creative process entails and why creative people can be such excellent decision makers.
First of all, creativity enhances the standard of people’s decisions. The implication of this is that when making a decision, a person considers more options and has a wider range of options from which to choose. This makes creative people perfect for finding solutions to problems that don’t just have one clear answer, like those that are urgent and won’t need to be repeated.
Divergent thinking is very different from traditional thinking because it attempts to analyze the issue and divide it into manageable components. Divergent thinking enables you to address various aspects of the problem so you can see the problem as a whole rather than attempting to approach the problem in a logical, predefined way.
Because they are already familiar with the procedures involved in making important decisions, creative people are excellent decision-makers. Choosing where to place the next brush stroke on a painting might not seem like a big deal to you, but the artist might feel as though their entire lives depend on that stroke.
The Role of Creativity in Decision Making
8 benefits of creative decision-making
Creative decision-making in business has many benefits, including:
Fostering collaboration and partnerships
When a team uses creative thinking, they can come up with even more ideas, especially when one person’s idea inspires another to come up with a solution. It strengthens team building while fostering collaboration and innovation across the entire group.
Driving progress and originality
Creative decision-making promotes productivity, progress and innovation. Employees who work in environments where their leaders value creativity are free to use techniques other than the conventional or previously used ones to solve problems. The capacity to discover fresh approaches to a problem or method can lead to suggestions that also increase effectiveness.
Encouraging positivity
Positive thinkers frequently see a challenge as a chance for growth rather than a problem, and this perspective can inspire original ideas. The idea that every potential solution is worth exploring is established by encouraging a creative decision-making environment. As team members feel appreciated, this can boost company morale.
Strengthening commitment
When employees have clarity and a sense of contribution, they are more likely to trust a process, leader, or company. Employee support can be increased by letting them know that logical exploration of all options and creative decision-making contributed to the final result.
Improving the quality of decisions
Most problems have multiple possible solutions, and using creativity in decision-making can increase the number of available options. The quality of the decisions your team makes can improve when there are more options to consider.
Developing logical reasoning and critical thinking
Making decisions with creativity can help you avoid overthinking by encouraging useful ways to investigate the situation. When you’re free to look at a subject from various angles, your final decision’s logic and reasoning may be strengthened.
Increasing company growth
Clarity regarding roles, purposes, and processes may be improved in organizations that encourage creative decision-making. By establishing priorities clearly, one can later improve sales, revenue, or hiring growth.
Building a positive reputation
An individual or leader can develop a reputation for being a considerate, inclusive contributor who generates ideas by encouraging creative thinking. Continue to develop concepts for solutions as you exercise creative decision-making, and share them with team members and stakeholders. This can assist you in establishing and preserving a reputation as a talented assistant.
What is creative decision-making?
The capacity to take into account all viewpoints and find a novel solution to a problem is known as creative decision-making. It may help a company come up with new or improved options, present a fresh approach, or even locate a brand-new good or service to sell. Businesses are better able to weigh all available options when tackling a problem or completing a task when they combine analytical thinking with creative decision-making.
Creative decision-making involves other attributes and skills, including:
Examples of creative decision-making
Here are a few situations where making imaginative decisions can be beneficial for business:
Staying in business
A storm damages the restaurant’s dining area, preventing customers from dining there even though the kitchen is still open and fully functional. The owner of the restaurant encourages the staff to come up with innovative ideas to maintain sales and let staff continue working while repairs are being made.
The employees develop several solutions, including:
Employee commitment is bolstered by this use of creative decision-making, which enables them to feel invested in the result and inspired to come up with thoughtful solutions. Furthermore, a few of these concepts may later prove to be successful business strategies to keep applying even after the restaurant repairs and renovations are finished.
Saving money or increasing revenue
Without increasing fares or buying more aircraft to operate, an airline wants to boost profits. Teams are asked to work together, conduct organizational efficiency analyses, and identify areas for improvement that could result in cost savings or revenue growth by the leaders of various departments.
Teams look into a range of innovative approaches to boost profits, cut costs, and increase efficiency, including:
The airline is able to increase revenue while decreasing costs thanks to this cross-departmental research and innovative decision-making.
Developing a documentation system to increase efficiency
Several staff members of a small business operate in various time zones and frequently work on the same tasks or projects. The team complains about production overlap and the difficulty in determining who is working on what task and when others are working on related tasks. The company owner is looking for a solution that enables effective collaboration across time zones and is accessible across those time zones.
The company owner looks into affordable software and purchases one that permits teams to work safely and securely while:
The approach encourages innovative decision-making, increases effectiveness, fosters teamwork, and raises employee morale.
Tips for making creative decisions
Here are some pointers to promote innovative judgment at work:
Ways to promote creative decision-making
You can foster a creative mindset through doing creative activities. Here are a few suggestions:
FAQ
What are the steps in creative decision-making?
- Ask for what you want.
- Appreciate new ideas.
- Reward effort, not just success.
- Combine ideas and constraints.
- Start small.
- Don’t brainstorm.
- Create space.
What are the 3 types of decision-making?
- Stage 1: Preparation. The preparation stage of the creative process involves gathering data and materials, identifying sources of inspiration, and learning about the project or issue at hand.
- Stage 2: Incubation. …
- Stage 3: Illumination. …
- Stage 4: Verification.
