Are you a DIY’er in the office or at home, do you like to create with your hands and your mind?
When you get a set of instructions to build a flat pack, bake a cake, or implement a project, do you immediately see how you can improve on them or embellish them to make the item more useful, more delicious, or more valuable to your colleagues and clients?
Welcome to change management or transformation management!
You see opportunities for enhancement everywhere, whether it's in streamlining office processes, refining customer experiences, or optimising team dynamics. It's that spark in your mind that makes you believe you can improve on the status quo, With all your heart, you know that your ideas will work, and the recipients will send grateful accolades your way when they see the results for themselves.
However, the path to introducing your innovations is a nuanced one. The question that often arises is whether to execute your changes by stealth or to openly announce your intentions and prove to others you can implement your ideas and improve on the original thoughts of someone else.
My advice? Proceed with caution! Even a seemingly minor tweak to a well-established recipe, be it for a cake or a business process, can carry unexpected consequences. It's like introducing a new ingredient that, unbeknownst to you, someone might be severely allergic to, or altering a workflow that unwittingly causes a ripple effect of technical or relational challenges.
I have written previously about change management (What’s Changed about Change Management) and about transitions (Reward the Transition, not the Destination), so my focus now is on you, the change maker.
What's happening when your hands are itching to tinker, and your brain is abuzz with creative energy? It's that unmistakable gut feeling that tells you that while the original concept is good, you can make it better.
Your hands are itching, your brain is abuzz, your gut is speaking to you, you can make it better.
YOU.
How come you get these urges? How come you can see improvements when it feels like no one else around you does? Well to quote an ancient text, we are all fearfully and wonderfully made. No two people are alike, so the answer may well be complex, however, there may be some factors that contribute to your ability to be creative and innovative.
These factors interact in complex ways, and being able to ‘tick the box’ on all or some of these factors does not guarantee your creativity; however, there are some great clues here that you might consider if you wish to continue to foster or grow creativity.
What's the SO WHAT message here? From a career perspective, it's essential to consider whether you can fully harness your creative side in your workplace. Are you able to positively leverage your professional opportunities, ensuring that you not only love what you do but also receive the appropriate recognition and rewards for your contributions?
If not, give me a call, and let's find your next step to a more satisfying and fulfilling career.
Do Something Great Photo by Clark Tibbs on Unsplash
Photo of light bulb in hands by Riccardo Annandale on Unsplash
Photo of Shirley taken at Sydney Opera House by Anna Kucera