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Using creativity to prepare your business for future challenges

It is inevitable that difficult situations arise every year, but the near future poses unique challenges for UK businesses and it’s essential to prepare.

Drew Rowlands at IVE, a creative development agency based in West Yorkshire, spoke to Bdaily about some of the key challenges, how to prepare and how creativity can be used to combat them.

Challenge: Brexit uncertainty

The vote for Brexit came as a shock to many; it may yet be a great opportunity for businesses in the UK, but, as its true impact is still unclear, it can be difficult to plan for an uncertain future. Savvy CEO’s are following the news and trying to anticipate likely outcomes, but this poses risks, especially if decisions are made on incorrect data. In contrast, whilst it’s important not to make Brexit assumptions based solely on the media, being overly cautious could cause people to miss out on key opportunities, such as investment which may support future growth.

Solution

Having creative skills allows management teams and their employees to be flexible and adaptable to change. A creative insight supports a ‘bigger picture’ approach amidst change, identifying opportunities in potential challenges, before they become impossible issues to resolve.

Challenge: Artificial intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly “normal” part of modern society, with most people carrying around their own ‘intelligent assistant’ in their mobile phones.

We can split the UK employment landscape into three main industries: agriculture, manufacturing and service. Whilst AI will likely affect all sectors, it is believed the greatest impact will be within the service industry, which currently accounts for over 70 per cent of all employment.

A wide range of roles will inevitably vanish; replaced by new technology. People will therefore need to be equipped with skills that they can apply to often diverse contexts. Adaptability, thinking outside the box and a mind-set that can make connections between experiences and apply learning flexibly, will become crucial for employment. Solution

A fundamental difference between AI and human intelligence is our capacity to be creative and it is imperative that this skill is nurtured. Data capture, interpretation and solution focused application will shape our society, so we must take every opportunity to develop creativity to ensure technology is used to its best quality.

Challenge: Skills gap

Job roles have changed rapidly in recent years with developments in technology and this will only continue; however, schools are not keeping up with the changes, leaving young adults unprepared for the world of work.

There is a real tension across the education system, as teachers are encouraged to focus on a narrow range of STEM subjects, perceived to be crucial to employability. However, this has resulted in a skills gap within a range of sectors, particularly the creative, digital and technical industries.

According to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills the digital, technical and creative sector will need 1.2 million new workers by 2022 in order to keep up with its growth, equivalent to approximately half the current workforce, and 78% of senior executives in the creative industries stated that new entrants into the workforce lacked general soft skills.

Solution

Education and business leaders need to show a commitment towards training and creative development. It is essential that we ensure the workforce of tomorrow are equipped with skills they can apply to a diverse range of contexts.

The IVE solution: Training creativity

We believe that creativity is an essential human capacity, contributing to all aspects of our daily lives, and arguably one of the most important skills for dealing with the challenges of the modern world.

IVE, formerly CapeUK, has been researching creativity and the creative process for 20 years. We are now putting our findings into practice by offering business consultancy and creative training.

Our courses provide support development and training to both business owners and their employees to develop creativity. They provide tools to encourage creativity and incorporate it into business practices as well as a method for evaluating and reflecting on how creativity has been embedded into the business.

To find out more visit www.weareive.org

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by IVE .