Research shows that leaders around the world are no longer looking for breakneck efficiency, but instead for employees who do really great work—employees whose work goes beyond on-time completion and just doing what is asked. Leaders are looking for people who are less concerned about being perfect, and more concerned about improving outcomes.
The O.C. Tanner Great Work Study looked at over 1.7 million cases of what companies considered great work worldwide, and found that the skills that deliver such work are actually the opposite of sitting at one’s desk all day, putting in long hours, and getting the job done. They actually found 88% of great work starts with an employee asking an inquisitive question. Questions such as “Why don’t we …?” or “Should we try …? or “How can we improve on …?” are often found to be the catalysts for industry-changing ideas. But hyper-efficient employees don’t have time to stop and think of ideas. Furthermore, 72% of great work ideas succeed because the employee speaks to many people about their solution, and incorporates diverse knowledge and viewpoints into the design.
Most successful companies are no longer looking for their employees to have blind efficiency, completing tasks quickly and without question. Instead, the true goals of 21st century companies are: making a difference for customers, delivering new and innovative solutions, and creating a culture that strengthens teams, all of which companies feel will boost organizational success for years to come (Forbes, 2016).
So, helping your child develop their creative thinking skills now, will put them in good standing for when they are ready to enter the workforce. Homework time is mostly about deadlines and providing the particular answers that a teacher is looking for. You need to help your child find opportunities to think inquisitively and creatively. These skills will be important to their success in future careers. Your home can be looked at as an “organization”, with problems that may arise or innovations that may be needed to make things run smoothly. Involve your children in some of the problem solving or brainstorming that is sometimes needed in your home. “How can we cut back on screen time as a family?” “Where should we go on vacation?” “How can we stop the pipe from leaking?” “How should we rearrange the living room furniture?” “How can we streamline our bedtime ritual process?” These are just some examples of the decisions you may usually make yourself, but could include your children in, in order to give them an opportunity to practice coming up with innovative ideas or solutions.
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