Introduction

In this course we already learned that emotional intelligence and creativity are related. Now, we are going to deepen our knowledge on the subject, as creativity is one of the extremely relevant skills in the context of changes and innovation that we are experiencing. To begin the subject, let's better understand what creativity is and how it can be developed. Next, we'll look at how a study has shown its relationship to emotional intelligence.

Creativity

Creativity can be understood as the capacity that an individual has to invent, innovate and create in any area. Creativity is considered an important aspect of human intelligence and is a competency increasingly required by organizations. Do you think you're creative? Do you want to improve your creativity? Kamanchek (2013) presents 12 steps that help you in this task:

• Break the rules: it's important to break some rules and try things that have never been tried before. When you have an idea, research and see if someone has already done it the way you thought.
• Don't be afraid to make mistakes: take risks, don't try to be perfect all the time. Creativity serves to explore the unknown and, for that, we need to keep in mind that we will often make mistakes. And one of the basic points for expanding our creative potential is to reconsider our fear of making mistakes, perhaps transforming the word into “test”.
• Have a friendly notebook: Take a notebook with you everywhere. If you have an idea, write it down and try to develop it.
• Run away from the computer: try to spend some time away from the computer (forget the cell phone too). Engage in activities like reading a book, listening to music, drawing, or taking a walk somewhere you've never been. “To be creative, it's essential to let your mind flow without being distracted by irrelevant external stimuli”, says Sérgio Navega (KAMANCHEK, 2013 apud NAVEGA). And, especially, during the day at work, look for moments of isolation and tranquility to let your mind wander and explore unusual regions, forget about Facebook, Twitter and chats in general for a while.
• Experience the different: It is important to live different experiences, such as traveling to unknown places, eating something exotic, reading a book that has nothing to do with your work, meeting people with a life different from yours.
• Rest: Relax. Vacations are essential for you to rethink the meaning of your life and personal dreams.

• Rebel: listen to your rebel side. Internally, subjectively and not publicly, we can question everything that is being done and proposed in our personal and professional lives, not just by ourselves, but by everyone around us, says Sérgio Navega (KAMANCHEK, 2013 apud NAVEGA).. “Nobody needs to know we're doing this. The objective is to seek different ways of thinking, associating ideas and acting"
• Insist: exhaust all possibilities of the same subject. Don't stop at the first idea.
• Look for several alternatives: there is no right or wrong answer. There are different possibilities. You have to generate a lot of possibilities before you find something that really makes sense. Our brain hates ambiguity, so it jumps to solutions very quickly. So look for 30 or 50 alternatives before starting to think about a choice.
• Taking action is important: take action. An idea is already a project of action. Try it on a small and large scale. Even in the planning phase, turn it into an action.
• Mix: have the courage to try new combinations, things that didn't seem to go together at first.
• Take a break: know your pace. Set aside time to think freely, while you walk, for example

Creativity and Emotional Intelligence

Creativity can be linked to other phenomena of people's personality. Some studies have shown that people who have both positive and negative moods have more creativity than people who have only one type of mood. Furthermore, other studies have shown that several facets of emotional intelligence can predict markers of creativity (GEHER; BETANCOURT; JEWELL, 2017). Geher, Betancourt and Jewell (2017), for example, showed that the empathic accuracy facet of emotional intelligence can positively predict creativity, that is, identifying whether a person is empathetic can help identify whether he/she is creative. This can be explained by the fact that the ability to know the feelings of others can generate the ability to create products that others find fun.

Let's get to know now, a study presented by Wilkinson that analyzed 250 employees at all hierarchical levels of two organizations in the public services sector. The researchers used a form of analysis called hierarchical regression analysis. They wanted to discover the relationship between emotional intelligence and creativity and, for that, they used a validated tool to measure emotional intelligence called the Wong Emotional Intelligence Scale (WEIS). WEIS is a scale based on the four dimensions of ability described in the domain of emotional intelligence:

• Assessment and expression of emotion.
• Assessment and recognition of emotion in the others.
• Emotion regulation.
• Using emotion to facilitate performance.

The study resulted in a number of findings. First, he demonstrated that there is a positive and significant relationship between emotional intelligence and creativity at work. However, this is not a direct relationship, i.e. emotional intelligence = creativity. Researchers found that emotional intelligence tends to lead to creativity if two conditions are present. What are those conditions? It is necessary that the individual has a “proactive” personality and that the organizational climate is favorable.

Let's start by introducing what a proactive personality is. Most surveys and tools, like the MBTI for example, are based on the "big 5 personality traits". However, a "proactive personality" is like a hidden gem. It has been shown to be closely related to a number of factors such as business success, for example. The 6 dimensions of a proactive personality are:

• Inclination to action.
• Identification and resolution of problems.
• Personal responsibility.
• Perseverance and persistence.
• Tolerant to change and uncertainty.
• Guidance for personal development.

Another study, published in the journal Human Relations in 2012, already found that individuals with a proactive personality were significantly more likely to 'create' their own work (increase the scope and function of their work, build better structural work resources and and increase their work challenges) compared to people who had a more passive personality.

The other important condition for emotional intelligence to impact creativity is the organizational climate. According to the study, the organizational climate needs to:

• Be cooperative.
• Be supportive.
• Have a good degree of work autonomy.
• Encourage involvement.
• Be an environment of trust.

With this, the study concludes that there is a link between creativity and emotional intelligence if the individual has a proactive personality and the work environment supports this. Both conditions need to be present.

In summary

In this class you learned that creativity is the ability of an individual to invent, innovate and create in any area. Creativity is considered an important aspect of human intelligence and is a competency increasingly required by organizations. You also learned about several tips on how to develop your creativity, such as breaking rules, having a notebook, not being afraid to make mistakes, spending time away from your computer and cell phone, trying something different and resting. Finally, you learned that emotional intelligence and creativity are related and that this relationship is positive when the person is proactive and the organizational climate is favorable.