We all know one. The person who always seems to be away with the fairies, dreaming their way through the workday. The person who needs to have their often outlandish ideas brought back to earth – their outlandish ideas that are exceptionally creative, and can often spark a way of thinking about a problem that you had not considered before…
“Creative Dreamers are very often creative problem solvers as well,” says Eileen Thornhill, Director of The LLC Academy. “They tend to come up with unusual solutions to complicated issues that, while not always directly implementable, can lead to entirely new ideas and trains of thought that can provide entirely original resolutions to age old problems. And while it can be frustrating to wait for them to get to the point, this creativity is something worth nurturing if you are looking for new ways of doing business.”
In business, as in life, we have to allow for all kinds of personalities, strengths and weaknesses if we are to truly embrace diversity. “There can be a tendency when running a business to want to employ people like ourselves,” says Thornhill. “While this can be beneficial, as it is far easier to communicate with people who are like us, we run the risk of creating a workforce of ‘yes-men’ who think the same way we do. The danger here is, of course, a lack of diversity of ideas and opinions that can lead to stagnation and a lack of creativity. It is difference that leads to originality, different perspectives and new ideas.”
So, how do we support our creative dreamers, especially if we ourselves are managers focused on getting the job done as efficiently as possible?
“Firstly, we have to be comfortable with providing room for difference to flourish,” says Thornhill. “This means allowing for different styles of communication, as well as moving from a hard and fast way of doing things to encouraging a sense of play in the workplace. The LLC Academy, in addition to offering programmes focused on the growth and development of your team’s skillset, also offers personal assessments and profiling that can help you to learn how better to manage your team.”
Personal assessments and profiling include tools like Enneagram Personality Profiling, Personal Development Analysis, the Keirsey Temperament Sorter and the Thomas Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument. “After all, different personalities will require different management styles,” says Thornhill. “And what better way to manage a range of different personalities than to fully understand their needs, desires, and ways of doing things?”
It takes all kinds of people to make a successful business. The LLC Academy offers a range of programmes dedicated to increasing the skillset of your workforce, and at the same time, ensures that your business benefits from the points that can be accrued through these programmes for your B-BBEE scorecard. We also offer Personal Assessments and Profiling that can help you understand and manage your teams better. Speak to our consultants if you’d like to know more.