Suggestions for Getting Those Creative Juices Flowing Again

Here are four ways to spark creativity at work when your brain’s in a rut.

Everyone has creativity when they are confronted with new problems to solve or new ideas to think about. But creativity can fade when you get bored or discouraged. Here are some work-related suggestions to help.

Think new: Meet new people at work. Talk to new clients. Ask for new assignments. Learn something new — a new program, a new product, a new process. If you do something new every month, you won’t just add to your resume; you’ll reinvigorate yourself.

Look for intersections: A lot of creativity occurs at the crossroads of different people and ideas. Look for places where your department intersects with other departments. What do they do that helps your department? That gets in the way? Volunteer for any cross-functional activity you can, whether it’s a day of service or a new product team.

Capitalize on obstacles: Every obstacle is an opportunity for research and analysis. Why is it there? Who does it serve? What are its effects? What are other ways of getting the results you want? Start by selecting obstacles you can change, and move on from there. You’ll build a reputation as a problem solver.

Share what you know: Nothing makes you clarify your thoughts like sharing what you know, whether it’s in a blog post, at a training session or as a mentor. Look for those opportunities. Volunteer. You’ll be surprised at how engaged and happy they make you feel.

Copyright 2018 Harvard Business School Publishing Corp. Distributed by The New York Times Syndicate.