#BookClub – Creativity in Business
I’ve had a book on my desk since I attended a Public Relations Global Network meeting in Portugal almost a year ago. It’s titled Creativity in Business, by Igor Byttebier and Ramon Vullings.
Admittedly, I’m not much of a book reader.
But, recently, I dusted it off and started thumbing through it. Among my first findings in understanding creativity are what the authors called the five most important misconceptions.
- “You’re either creative or you’re not. You can’t learn it.” Creativity is a skill and like any skill, some people have more natural talent than others. We can always improve upon our skills.
- “Creativity is batik work or flower arranging. It’s for softies.” Wrong. Creativity has become one of the most important developmental aspects for both individuals and organizations.
- “My boss keeps me from being creative.” You are the only one who decides how to use and develop your creative potential. Some environments do promote creativity better than others.
- “I don’t have the time for creativity.” Creativity doesn’t take a lot of time – it takes focus.
- “We already do brainstorming sessions.” If not done properly and rules are not adhered to, they can result in frustration for both the idea-seeker and the idea-providers.
I also found a great quote in the book from John Steinbeck: “Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them and pretty soon you have a dozen.”
