Is Your Organization Creative?

Creativity is a key component of any company or organization, whether it’s in developing new products and services, inspiring the workforce or developing a strong brand.

A recent study done for Adobe found that companies that embrace creativity – even if they are in industries that aren’t seen as creative – thrive. They “outperform peers and competitors on key business performance indicators” like revenues and profit.

What makes a company “creative”?

According to the report, a majority of companies self-described as creative:

1. Set goals around creative outcomes.
2. Collaborate with customers to achieve creative goals.
3. See executives prioritizing creative outcomes.
4. Fund initiatives developed in a creative process.

Some of the key findings of the study

• 61% of companies don’t see themselves as creative.

• More than half of firms described as “fostering creativity” increased revenue by 10% or more. Only one-fifth of those not described that way increased revenues by double digits.

• More than two-thirds of creative companies have won awards as best places to work. Only a quarter of non-creative companies won these same awards.

• Creativity requires leadership support.

My two cents

Another thing that successful, creative companies do is to liaison with creative people and value their contributions. My best experiences as a graphic designer and problem solver are with people who are not necessarily creative the same way I am, but who value creative approaches to business challenges, like those that I can provide. Those tend to be their best experiences too.