Reflective Essay: Developing Innovative and Creative Thinking Skills

This essay is a competency reflection focusing on innovative and creative thinking skills. It emphasizes the importance of self-awareness in identifying personal strengths and competencies for professional success. The author identifies two key competencies: collaborative and community-building capacities, and the flexibility to work with others. The essay elaborates on these competencies by discussing traits such as creative problem-solving skills, a future-oriented vision, effective collaboration, and promoting diversity within teams. Each trait is analyzed using the 'What, So What, Now What' model, providing detailed reflections on the author's abilities and how they can be applied in organizational settings. The essay underscores the value of teamwork, innovation, and adaptability in achieving personal and organizational goals. Desklib provides a platform for students to access such solved assignments and past papers.

Running head: INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE THINKING

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It is not a very uncommon phenomenon to orient a person into believing that they know
not about themselves better than someone else does, or at least that someone else has the
potential to make one realize of what one could be in reality. That is not something which I
consider as always carrying the weight of a negative value judgement, like it is an attempt on
part of the other person to gas-light someone. It does not necessarily has to be like that always, it
could also be a genuine response emanating out of heart felt good intentions. In the long run
however, it is extremely crucial that we realize what our true potentials are, how competent are
we to deal with the challenges of the world. When we shall be approaching some organization
for the purpose of seeking our future prospects of securitizing our livelihood, or for the sake of
having the feeling of being important to oneself, it is very important, rather inevitable to be able
to reflect upon oneself and get a knowledge of what are the competencies that one possesses. In
the broader spectrum of life it is the confidence of the individual which is taken into account by
the others, and the opinion about oneself which is an offshoot of that confidence is not just
respected, but also considered as valid and authentic. After all, none other than the individual can
be the best provider of the account of what one is capable of, the capacities one is equipped with,
and an overall account of oneself. Having had that realization, which consider as one of the
greatest blessings of my life, I shall now be talking about two of the competencies which I
consider to be the most important and can help me reach the pinnacles of success, if I can utilize
them properly. They comprise of; the faculty of creative thinking which enables me to discover
the potential opportunities that might as well be of some benefit to me; and the necessary
flexibility to collaborate well with people and contribute my energies to the building of a
community for some specific purpose. This is in a nutshell a mention of the competencies I
possess. In the following sections I shall be elaborately discussing about these two competencies
in great detail, by providing accounts of the traits of each of them to describe them in a better
way.
The first competency of mine, which I shall be taking up for discussion is that of my
collaborative and community building capacities. This particular competency is in my opinion is
not something which many people possess given the selfish nature of human beings and their
propensity to just think about themselves alone without being bothered at all about anyone else
apart from themselves. That is so generic a phenomenon because human beings are by and large
guided by the competitive faculty more than the cooperative faculty, since the fear that someone
out there is waiting to jeopardize the prospects and opportunities tends to overpower the
consciousness. That is not a very healthy attitude and has the potential to inhibit the proper
functioning of any project which calls for a collective effort to be given. Since I am endowed
with the competency to be cooperative and be comfortable in being able to work for building up
a community, I can be more of an asset to an organization, than being a liability. In order be able
to describe this competency in a detailed manner, I shall talk about two traits which I identify
with, and has a connection to this particular competency.
The first trait exemplifying my inherent inclination towards working with a team and
channelize my energies to the success of an initiative, I would like to mention of my problem
solving skills in a creative way. What exactly does problem solving skills demand for! During
my school days, I had learnt from one of my favourite teachers that problems are an inevitable
part of human life. The more we try to avoid the problems of our lives, the more they try to hold
us on to their clutches. She is one of best human beings that I have ever come across in my life,
and her profound words have changed the way in which I used to view life during my salad days,

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thereby aiding my initiation into maturity. Thus to me problems are no big deal, as I view them
as the prime motivators of the zeal to live life, without which life is dull and without any
adventurous element to it.
Since I have already mentioned that I have that ability to think creatively, I shall also like
to explain that in a more detailed way which shall answer the question of the way in which the
trait can be analyzed. The faculty to think creatively is not just limited to being able to imagine
and channelize that for creating something useful. It is also necessary that the person who is a
creative thinker, or who at least claims to be one, must also be an effective problem solver. The
person shall by applying creative means and methods be able to overcome the inevitable
obstacles. It is enough to just be able to create, and not be equipped with the faculty to be able to
preserve that creation against the ravishes of the time. This is what accounts for the trait of being
a creative problem solver, and I possess this trait, which can be of great benefit to any
organization or initiative which I am likely to be a part of.
Now what shall be the actions that a creative solver of problems should resort to, is now
the question which needs to be viewed at. In response to the question I would like to provide a
list of qualities that I possess which can be channelized into action for deriving the benefits. It
demands the qualities of being open to the opportunities and ideas, being able to testify the
possible prospects and maintain the spirit of this innovation throughout.
Moving over to the second trait exemplifying the competency, it is the trait of being
focused about future prospects. It is very much related to the previous trait elaborated, as this
also calls for innovation and the spirit of being open to newer ideas and the zeal to explore newer
opportunities. This is in a very brief way that I can explain what the trait is all about.
Having defined the trait briefly, the discussion shall now be focusing upon the question
of what the trait entails, which shall draw us to the analysis of it. No organization or initiative
which has the target to maintain the continuity of its existence in the long run can be successful if
it does not have a futuristic vision. As it has already been discussed in the previous section that
life is full of challenges and obstacles, and they cannot be evaded at all. The same logic applies
for the other, and mores specific spheres of life which has to do with securing the means of
livelihood of an individual. Having a futuristic vision thereby preparing oneself to the needs that
are likely to crop up in future is also a method of facing the challenges of life since they are
constant and one must make up the mindset to be proactive forever to meet them and overcome
them.
Now the aspect of the course of action that is required to be taken to answer the so what
question requires attention. For shaping the vision that is future oriented, one must be analytical
of situations and must possess a very strong sense to predict the imminent dangers that are likely
to unleash their destructive effect. Predicting that is possible unless one delves deep into the
depths by means of extensive research and try to find the strengths and weaknesses of a system.
Another quality that is very much important for being futuristic in one’s approach, is the faculty
of veing curious apart from being imaginative. Unless an individual is curious, deriving the
informational nuances of a system is not possible. This goes as far as the course of action one is
supposed to undertake in order to be able to have a futuristic vision and also for the capability to
be abke to channelize that for the betterment of the initiative or organization one is like to be a
part of.

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Now the discussion shall be devoted to the second competency, which as it has already
been mentioned is that of and the necessary flexibility to collaborate well with people and
contribute my energies to the building of a community for some specific purpose. Modern
organizations are governed by the principle of team spirit and unity. The benefit of the
organization is viewed as the benefit of the individuals who form a part of the organization, and
the benefit of the individual components is viewed as not only the benefit of the organization but
also the fulfillment of the purpose of the organization, that is to distribute the gains amongst the
members forming it as per their requirements and as per the worth of their contributions. This is
precisely the way in which the competency can be defined in a brief but in a very expressive
way. Having defined it now the discussion shall be devoted to the aspect of the traits that
exemplify it.
The first trait of the abovementioned competency is about effective collaboration skills,
which answers the question of what the trait is all about. Collaboration and community building
skills call for the capability to be a part of team and work not only for securing the personal
benefits but also at the same time being mindlful of the benefits of the organization. It calls for
the capacity to work in a collectivity and promote the greater goal over the selfish, personal and
parochial goals. It is not being meant that one is not supposed to think one’s own interests but
then during the process, the broader picture must not be missed out.
I shall also like to explain that in a more detailed way which shall answer the question of
the way in which the trait can be analyzed. Working in a team signifies that the collaborator must
be acting a facilitator and not the one who would be acting authoritatively. Hence it is necessary
that the individual maintains his or her standpoint but at the same time is also open to the flow of
innovative ideas and divergent viewpoints.
In this section, the question of what are the necessary course of action that a collaborator
is supposed to take up shall be discussed. For building a team, and ensure that its continuity and
existence is consolidated, the team collaborator must first of all be a good listener, since a team
is supposed to function in a very democratic way without being autocratic. Analytical skills are
also required as the collaborator is also supposed to chalk out the best out of the options
presented and develop a master plan. Being a collaborator is a difficult and challenging task as
the responsibility of being the cementing agent falls on the person occupying the post.
The second trait that exemplifies this concerned competency is the trait of being the
promoter of diversity. This diversity is however concerns itself with the diversity within the team
or the community. The task of the individual is thus to ensure that difference is allowed to persist
and not inhibited as that would be against the spirit of democracy in the community or the group.
This particular role is not very different from the trait that has been discussed and previously, as
being a promoter of diversity is equivalent to being a facilitator of the team unity.
Now the question of what is the significance of being a promoter of diversity shall be
taken up following an analytical approach. This shall also be answering the question of so what
is the importance of the trait. As it has already been discussed that for the success of a team it is
essential that the collaborator behaves not in an autocratic way, or else the role of being a
facilitator shall be jeopardized, and that shall in turn defeat the purpose for which the group has
been formed. To be a facilitator it is thus necessary that the individual holding a post entailing a
lot if responsibility encourages diversity in the group. That shall be beneficial in the long run as

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the higher the degree of diversity, the higher shall be the flow of innovative ideas, and the better
and more innovative shall be the results.
Thus it is necessary that the promoter of diversity gives due recognition to the diversity
and does not try to homogenize the difference that exists within the team. The promoter of
diversity must keep in mind that the output of the member shall be better if they are allowed to
freely express themselves, which the individual occupying the role of being the promoter of
diversity must allow and encourage at all cost.
At the concluding section it thus becomes important to say the competencies and their
respective traits are quite inter-related and complementary to each other. The factors which are
quite common in the entire discussion have been that of flexibility and the relentless drive for
innovation. This is the central idea which can be deduced as the most important quality which
must be possessed by an individual to ensure success and development in the long run. Not just
for the long run, it is also necessary for short term goals as these are the basic pillars on which
rests the capacity to achieve success.