ANALYTICAL SKILLS

Analytical skills refer to the ability to process, understand, and articulate complex processes to reach a conclusion. They are inherently important in all areas of life, although they usually find more use in decisionmaking. Students, entrepreneurs, and key leaders are often expected to have sharp analytical skills, but it is actually important for every individualno matter his place in the societyto have above-average analytical skills. With sound analytical thinking, a person can clearly decipher and understand a situation and arrive at a good decision.

There are several ways to improve analytical skills, and following are some of them.

Solve problems. When you solve problems, you allow your mind to think deeply and objectively, which, if done consistently, will help develop sharper analytical skills. Several techniques have to be implemented when solving problems. For example, discuss the problem with yourself or with someone else in a different perspective. This will help you see areas that you might have not known before and which can lead you to workable solutions. You can also break down the problem into smaller proportions.

Reflect a lot. Reflecting should be a habit, as it encourages the flow of thoughts and pushes them from the subconscious to the conscious state of mind. Reflecting usually begins with rapid thoughts, which will progressively take on a more fluid and sound form. It happens at different intensities and pacing.

Write your thoughts. Writing is usually taken as an aid to reflecting. It helps the mind by brushing through the thoughts and going through them bit by bit. There are many writing forms that can improve analytical ability, which include journals, poetry, and notes.

Analytical skills can be improved in some other ways. Mind exercises, reading, and solving Math problems can also be of help. For better results, practice these methods on a regular basis.

Analytical Skills Interview Questions. Problem solving skills and analytical skills are a requirement for all people in the workplace. But there are many misconceptions as to what the actual capabilities of analysis and how the interviewer will know the extent to which skills you have. You do not have to have a doctorate in physics to have good analytical skills. In fact you may not have in depth by means of education, but still very analytical. You should not be pessimistic about the extent of your analytical resources. So what the interviewer is really trying to figure out? So, you might have a bachelors degree in mathematics but you still need to be able to apply theory to practice. In a job interview, you will need to have some answers that have been prepared on a situation where you have a problem you need to be solved. Some examples are How do you deal with clients, customers or employees? How do you deal with problems during production? How do you deal with employees who are out? Have you ever given a task that seems impossible and how do you approach? All these are problems that require analysis to find a solution and be relevant in a job interview situation. If the interview, you asked a question that seems odd, for example, if you suddenly were asked nineteen multiplied by nineteen, do not be unnerved. This is a question of the reaction. Interviewers are more concerned with the answers and how you arrive at the answer. With this kind of interview questions, they examine your thought process and your analytical skills. And be prepared to face such questions as following examples : Tell me about a task that really tested your analytical abilities? Tell me about a tricky situation for which you found a very simple solution? Can you tell me about a time when you discovered a more efficient way to do a work task? Have you ever been in a real dilemma at work? What did you do to get out of it? Tell me about an assignment you worked on in which you had to amass a huge amount of data, and then analyze it?

Can you tell me about a situation where your analysis of a problem was deemed to be incorrect? What would you have done differently?

Critical and analytical thinking skills

Home > Study skills > Thinking > Critical and analytical thinking skills Using critical and analytical thinking may seem daunting at first, but there by following a series of clearly defined steps, you can start to use such skills sooner than you may have imagined.

What is critical and analytical thinking? Identifying the main line of reasoning in what you read you write Critically evaluating the line of reasoning for what you read or write Identifying hidden agendas in your sources and in your own writing Evaluating evidence in the text Looking for bias Identifying the writers conclusions Critical skills when writing

You may also like to listen to our free audio download on critical analysis. What is critical and analytical thinking? Critical analytical thinking is a key part of university study. Many first year students receive comments such as 'not analytical enough' on their early assignments. You will find that you develop your critical and analytical skills as you go through university. In brief, this means looking very closely at the detail and not taking what you read or hear for granted. Your tutors will expect you to:

Evaluate how far materials are appropriate, and up-to-date. Evaluate how far the evidence or examples used in materials really proves the point that the author claims. To weigh up opinions, arguments or solutions against appropriate criteria. To think a line of reasoning through to its logical conclusion. Check for hidden bias or hidden assumptions. Check whether the evidence and argument really support the conclusions.

You will need to do this for materials that you read. For example, when you cite a source of evidence for your own arguments, you will need to be sure that the evidence really does support your point, and is accurate and reliable. You are expected to be very critical of your sources, using evidence that has been well researched rather than just your own opinion or what your friends think.

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Identifying the main line of reasoning in what you read or write

What is the main argument or line of reasoning? Is the line of reasoning clear from the text?

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Critically evaluating the line of reasoning for what you read or write

Note any statements from the text which strengthen its line of reasoning or prove the argument. What statements, if any, undermine the argument? Are points made in the best logical order?

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Identifying hidden agendas in your sources and in your own writing

What hidden agendas might the writer have that might make you question the contents or conclusions of the passage? Consider what they might hope to gain through writing this piece. What information might be missing that could paint a different picture?

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Evaluating evidence in the text

What kinds of evidence or examples does the writer use? How reliable and useful is this evidence? Does it really support the argument? Is the evidence strong enough? Is the data up-to-date? Does the text use reliable sources? What are these? What makes you think they are or are not reliable?

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Looking for bias

Do you think there may be any bias in the text? Give reasons and examples. Comment on any statistics used. Are these likely to give a true and full picture? Does their writing reflect a political viewpoint? Who might disagree with the writer?

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Identifying the writer's conclusions

Does the evidence support the writer's conclusions? Does the line of reasoning lead you to make the same conclusions?

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Critical skills when writing

Apply the same rigour to your own writing as you do to analysing source materials. Work out early on what your conclusion is and write this down where you can see it easily. Use this as a guide for what to read, what experiments to run, what examples to use.

Before you begin your main piece of writing for an assignment, write your conclusion on a piece of paper and stick this at the top of the computer. Keep referring back to this to ensure that all of your writing leads towards this conclusion. The outline plan for your writing should map out how each paragraph leads your reader towards the conclusion. Ensure that your conclusion can be supported by the evidence. If you cannot find the evidence to support your position, you may need to change your conclusion.

How to develop analytical skills

In our day to day life whether official, personal or social, we have to deal with complications. Some situations are easy to handle with but other are complex which snatch the peace of mind because our brain gets stuck on how best to handle such state of affair. This is where our Analytical Skills help us. The prime purpose for the Analysis of any given situation is to get to know the root cause(s) of the issue, to forecast the impact and to plan corrective/preventive actions strategy. So basically analytical skill is to visualize a given situation, task, project or issue from several angles in order to breakdown it into smaller steps. Below are different situations where our analytical skills are required. I shall give advices in each category accordingly:
1) When Summarizing Large Amount of Data: In this situation, I highly recommend using Pivot Tables feature of MS Excel in order to generate reports. The Pivot Reports feature allows us playing with the data in several ways to generate multi dimensional reports. We can breakdown large amount of data in different sheets to apply Pivot Reports separately as well. Youtube is a very good source of videos for learning this skill. Pivot table can also generate reports for Trends and Forecast in two to three dimensions. 2) When Resolving Conflicts in Office: In this case, listen to all parties which are having difference of opinion. List down the positive and negative input factors and after-effects based on feedback from individuals. Make it in tabular format and review this with your manager to see which one is the best option to go for. Then call for a meeting to elaborate the overall picture based on your fair analysis and convince personnel for the option which is in the best interest of the company. 3) When Being Assigned a large project: in this case you need to make a high level agenda (High Level Project Deliverables) and then start working on WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) and then assign each task to relevant resource. While making WBS you can have a meeting with your Team Leads and other stake holders. You can consider Fishbone diagram to analyze the inputs of any task. The article written by Junaid Tahir (mjunaidtahir at gmail dot com) 4) When Resolving a Technical issue: The advice here is to consult the product guide to see the possible root causes, consult the SME (Subject Matter Expert) for opinion or consult the Lesson Learnt Register. For all kind of issues resolutions, I always recommend two things. First is to take corrective action to fix the issue, Second is to take Preventive Action (fix the root cause permanently) so that the issues do not pop up again. Six Sigma's DMAIC is another recommended way for analyzing and improving. If you want to learn Six Sigma, either do google search or drop me an email mjunaidtahir at gmail dot com so I can share my knowledge

5) When purchasing something: Let us take the example of mobile phone. When you want to purchase a new mobile you need to ask yourself: do I need touch screen, do I need wifi, do I really need to purchase new mobile, what is my budget? do I need 5MP camera, do I need iphone or Android, do I need 4 inch screen or less? What other specs do I need to consider. So Basically you are analyzing your demands to come up with the right mobile which is to be purchased. 6) When handling family conflicts: Being a sensitive subject, this is something where you need much more than analytical skills; For each family member involved in the conflict, you have to have sense of feelings, emotions study, stress absorption power, age factor, relationship level and convincing power so in my opinion this is the most difficult part of practicing your analytical skills. You have to consistently guide everyone about 'forgive and forget' policy. You have to calmly listen to each party and take adequate time to analyze all aspects (as mentioned a couple of lines back) vigilantly before concluding something on the brawl.https://groups.google.com/group/ParadigmWisdom

Conclusion: Analytical skills can make your life easier in almost all aspects of decision making or problem solving, however, it's not only the matter of considering all the options and the inputs, its matter of considering the weight of each option as well. For example, for a given situation you have two options having equal number of advantages or disadvantages so in order to conclude in such situation you have to consider the weight of each option. While doing your analysis you might want to consider the difference between Urgent and Important things. If that is the case please read my articlehttp://paradigmwisdom.blogspot.com/2012/01/learn-todifferentiate-between-urgent.html Develop and Sharpen your analytical skills to take steps for reducing stress in your life consequently ensuring the peace of mind.

Organizational skills
Tips for Developing Organizational Skills in Children Developing good organizational skills is a key ingredient for success in school and in life. Although some people by nature are more organized than others, anyone can put routines and systems in place to help a child become more organized. The Coordinated Campaign for Learning Disabilities has compiled a list of strategies that parents can use to help their child develop good organizational skills. 1) Use checklists Help your child get into the habit of using a "to-do" list. Checklists can be used to list assignments and household chores and to remind children to bring appropriate materials to class. It is recommended that children keep a small pad or notebook dedicated to listing homework assignments. Crossing completed items off the list will help children feel a sense of accomplishment. 2) Organize homework assignments Before beginning a homework session, encourage your child to number assignments in the order in

which they are to be done. Children should start with one that's not too long or difficult but avoid saving the longest or hardest assignments for last. 3) Set a designated study space Children should study in the same place every night where supplies and materials are close at hand. This space doesn't have to be a bedroom, but it should be a quiet place with few distractions. Young children may want their study space near a parent. This should be encouraged, as parents can then have the opportunity to monitor progress and encourage good study habits. 4) Set a designated study time Children should know that a certain time every day is reserved for studying and doing homework. The best time is usually not right after school, as most children benefit from time to unwind first. Parents should include their child in making this decision. Even if your child does not have homework, the reserved time should be used to review the day's lessons, read for pleasure or work on an upcoming project. 5) Keep organized notebooks Help your child keep track of papers by organizing them in a binder or notebook. The purpose of a notebook is to help keep track of and remember the material for each day's classes and to organize the material later to prepare for tests and quizzes. Use dividers to separate class notes, or color-code notebooks. Having separate "to do" and "done" folders helps organize worksheets, notices and items to be signed by parents as well as provide a central place to store completed assignments. 6) Conduct a weekly clean-up Children should be encouraged to go through and sort out book bags and notebooks on a weekly basis. Old tests and papers should be organized and kept in a separate file at home. 7) Create a household schedule Try to establish and stick to a regular dinnertime and a regular bedtime. This will help your child fall into a pattern when at home. Children with a regular bedtime go to school well rested. Try to limit television watching and computer play to specific amounts of time during the day. 8) Keep a master calendar Keep a large wall-sized calendar for the household that lists the family's commitments, schedules for extracurricular activities, days off from school and major events at home and at school. Note dates when your children have big exams or due dates for projects. This will help family members keep track of each other's activities and avoid scheduling conflicts 9) Prepare for the day ahead Before your child goes to bed he/she should pack schoolwork and books in a book bag. Clothes should be ironed and laid out with shoes, socks and accessories. This will cut down on morning confusion and allow your child to prepare for the day ahead 10) Provide necessary support while your child learns to become more organized Help your child develop organizational skills by photocopying checklists and schedules and taping them to the refrigerator. Give children gentle reminders about filling in calendar dates and keeping papers and materials organized. Most important, set a good example.

Developing organizational skills and understanding how they apply to a business setting is essential to any business person. The same personal organizational skills that are used daily can easily be applied to a small business setting. Organization in an office or business can improve the culture of the business as well as the bottom line as less time will be wasted searching for needed items during the day.

Step 1
Develop goals and benefits. To successfully understand how organizational skills can have a positive impact on the business, start with a list of the problems that are caused by the lack of organization. This may include wasted time during the day, additional time helping customers because needed files

cant be located, a lack of direction and not knowing what to do next. Once problems have been identified, look at the benefits that will be acquired by getting organized. Then set the goals that can be reached through organization. Instead of setting a goal of organizing the filing system, set the goal to speed up response time to customer inquiries. This relates the problem and goal to the benefit, which is more motivational than simply having an organized file cabinet.

Step 2
Start small. One of the most overwhelming aspects of getting organized is getting started as the list of what needs to be organized is often large. To stay on track and maintain motivation, start small by focusing on just one aspect of one room in the office building. For instance, perhaps the first task will be to organize the top of the desk in the executive office. This will make an immediate impact on the look of the office while quickly creating a feeling of accomplishment.

Step 3
Categorize all items. When organizing any office or space, use three piles. The first pile will be for items to keep, the second pile is for items to throw away and the third pile is for items to donate. Be careful when putting things into the trash and donation piles that sensitive information is not included. Depending on the business, a fourth pile may be needed for items that should be shredded before being disposed.

Step 4
Create a list. With the help of everyone in the office, create an overall list of what in the business needs to be organized. Assign the tasks to different people in the organization with instructions to cross off the master list when the task is complete. For a more complicated organizational task, such as an office supply closet that multiple people have access to, make sure the organization system is explained to everyone so it can be maintained over time.

The rich, successful, and affluent have gotten where they are today not by scurrying about and doing whatever they wanted, but by simply having a little organization in their business and everyday lives. You dont even need to be rich to find benefits in b eing organized either; having a means of optimizing your time and efficiency through proper time management with the development of good organizational skills. Developing good organizational skills and time management will definitely take some effort on the part of the person, and will not pay off unless he or she is wholly dedicated to a better and more efficient lifestyle. Some may say that a plan is a list of things that dont happen, but having one can sometimes mean the difference between success and f ailure in life. Its good to leave some things to chance, but for everything else, it helps to be organized. Planning your everyday routine in a step by step sequence can be a good way to start developing organizational skills. These individual aspects of habit development aid volumes in getting a workable system made to overcome nearly type of inconvenience and difficulties in your everyday life. Organizational skills can be essential to your day to day lifestyle because they provide valuable assistance in correctly planning your everyday tasks which need to be completed. There are in fact training programs available specifically for the development of organizational skills in addition to

arranging your own personal program made for your own lifestyle. Organizing is definitely an essential component of such training programs. The amount of time in a given day can be rather limited, but with a little organizational skill, you will have more than enough time to get your work done. Try to arrange your work into time intervals which allow for certain amounts of work to be done at a given time. This can decrease the amount of time wasted, as now you will actually be doing work instead of simply trying to get something done. Work On Your Interpersonal Skills Organizational skills arent limited to your time and work, as they also extend to your materials and workspace as well. Keep everything that you need or the things that you may need later on within arms reach. You could go the extra step by organizing them in a certain order to make things easier for yourself, especially if you handle large volumes of documents. This will help you save a great deal of time, and may actually increase your productivity. Working with your new found organizational skills can also make your work and everyday routine more methodical and deliberate; you will be a lot more conscious and sure of what you are and will be doing later. Knowing what you will be doing beforehand can also be a good way of alleviating stress, making your daily functioning more efficient in turn. Breaking down and organizing your work and daily routine into small errands, will help you achieve smaller goals which can be used to gain rewards quicker. This can also be a great way to measure completed tasks, and how good a job you have been doing leading up to better opportunities thus making it easier for you to reach your goals. Stress can always affect work flow, so it is important to pace yourself when doing work. Part of a well developed organizational skill is to take your work one step at a time. Finish a task at hand before moving onto another, but if the first task seems too difficult or strenuous, set it aside and do the next task or relax if you have the time to spare. Organizing your work flow into manageable steps and procedures can indeed increase your productivity.

Benefits of Organizational Skills

Developing good organizational skills may even help you finish tasks to the letter and ahead of schedule. This will give the worker some valuable time to rest and relax, or to even get a head start organizing more tasks ahead. Getting the leg up on your co workers may also get you a promotion or raise you may have been thinking about. A sense of true professionalism can be gained when one displays qualities of good organizational skills and time management. The image of reliability and having control of a situation is typical of a person who is organized as he or she is able to handle tasks of particular importance better than somebody who lacks organization. The trust and reliance of customers on your company or organization can be won over with workers who have great organizational skills. An efficient workplace is also an extremely advantageous one to have. A company which has workers who are organized are more efficient, creating more time to mingle and reel in customers with quality

service and products. More time created for productive work can mean the difference between a successful and failing business. Stress reduction can be a great benefit of an organized workplace, as workers with good organizational skills and time management may not end up wasting time on useless banter. Disorganization can prove to be the opposite, but workers who have their stuff together will feel more confident and will not have to feel anxious or nervous about missing deadlines or getting mixed up with the many problems that can arise from disorganization. Whether you work hard at your office or desire to better in school or at home, there is no limit to the many benefits you will gain when developing good organizational skills.

ETHICAL SKILLS

Arrive to work at least 15 minutes before you're scheduled start time. This offers the ability to mentally prepare for tasks. Plan to work the time and days agreed upon. Schedule all appointments outside of the times you've committed to your employer. A great attendance record is an essential attribute of a strong work ethic. 2
Maintain a professional demeanor at all times. Be cordial and friendly to all staff in the company. Refrain from allowing your home life to spill over into your employment environment. Conversations should focus primarily on work related issues. Respect yourself and others.

3
Put a positive spin on negative comments. A positive attitude is crucial to having a strong work ethic. Bring a fresh perspective to problems at work.

4
Developing a strong work ethic involves taking initiative. Attempt to solve problems at work independently. Use your training materials to assist in locating a solution. Be confident and self-motivated in your ability to handle job responsibilities.

5
Honor your commitments. Being dependable creates confidence in your capacity to handle more responsibility. Seek to serve the interest of the company's goals, objectives and mission. Do your part to create a productive place to work.

6
Strive to do the job right the first time. Quality and quantity of work is a direct reflection of personal character and integrity. A productive worker with strong work ethic takes the time to produce quality work. Take pride in your work.

Respect what others contribute to the work environment. Concentrate on your job and commitment to a proactive attitude. Be a team player. Help others at work without being asked.

8
Go the extra mile whenever necessary to ensure that your verbal and written interactions with others are productive. Communication skills are an indispensable asset to any organization. Use empathy and self control when diffusing disagreements.

Read more: How to Develop a Strong Work Ethic | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2045949_developwork-ethic.html#ixzz1qTR5bhEI

We have values and employment principles that guide our relationship with the Government, community and each other but what do these mean in practice? Ethical behaviour means always taking the high road when making decisions, and for managers it also means leading the way in managing yourself and your staff. Are you ready to get started? The two development guides in the Ethics Resource Kit cover each of the values and employment principles and how they apply to your work. Why not try a chapter a week and before long you will be well on your way to becoming an ethics champion. There are tips for sustaining an ethical workplace so you can make ethics a natural part of the way your organisation works. Try these activities:

lead your team in discussing a workplace problem in your next team meeting start a discussion about the values and principles the next time you have to make a major decision read the code of conduct, examine your own behaviour and challenge misconduct in the workplace speak to HR about how you can get involved in developing a values based organisation.

Put the values and employment principles on display, not only through your behaviour, but also by hanging posters in your foyer, lunch room or workplace. Keep a set of the postcards at your desk. Use them to work through a tricky situation or send one to the person who most epitomises your favourite value or principle.

CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE SKILLS

I answered an interestingquestion on Quora today about creativity andinnovative thinking. Ive encountered this question in its many forms several times over in my lifetime. I remember one of the earliest being when I was in high school. The principal and a few teachers formed a very small research committee that included 5 of their top students, which included me (I wore glasses and looked smarter back then). The goal was to create a program to spark, encourage, and guide the creative power of the students in the school. We were seeking the holy grail of trying to find a program and process that was already successful. We discovered that no one was completely successful, although there were some interesting aspects of the different programs. Fast forward to my career in Silicon Valley and history has been repeating itself at every company where I either worked as an employee or consulted.

Everyone wants to find a way for their employees and their organizations to be more innovative. Ive studied this innovation problem, researched the creativity literature, read dozens of books, and tested many different approaches throughout the years with my own organizations. A lot of approaches failed. But, I finally found a mix of techniques that I believe give an organization the best chance of success increating and sustaining a viable innovation process that delivers results. I am working on documenting this approach and hope to share it with you soon. But, first let me share some tips that I think any individual can apply to improve their own innovative thinking skills.

First, I personally believe that original thinking and innovationonly occurs when you are uncomfortable. What I mean by that is that if you are continually immersed in your comfortable daily routine at home, on the commute, at work, etc.; your mind runs on autopilot. To spark creativity, you need to overload your sensory system and shock your system into a higher level of alertness. I find that one of the best ways to do this is to travel. International travel seems to have the largest impact, as you can imagine. When you are surrounded by a completely new environment (e.g., different languages, different food, new sights and sounds, etc.), you are entirely awake absorbing the data around you. You are exposed to novel experiences and novel solutions to problems (at least they are novel to you). It makes you think about things differently.

Second, to make the most of this new heightened state, you need easy access to tools to capture your impressions, thoughts, and new ideas. This can be asimple paper notebook that is small enough to slide into your pocket or use something like Evernote on your mobile device (take notes, take photos). It is important that it is easily accessible and you can quickly jot down ideas. You dont want to lug around and fumble with a laptop when youre trying to capture a flash of inspiration. I recommend that you get into the habit of carrying this note-taking device with you at all times. Constantly observe the world around you and use it to capture opportunities. Another similar technique is to create a This Sucks list. As you go about your daily routine, take note of irritating events and failures. For example, It sucks

that I have to wait in line for xyz and I cant believe that there isnt a better way to handle abc. Each of these is an opportunity for a solution or as Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay, used to say; Look for friction in the system and create a solution that reduces or removes that friction (paraphrased).

Third, shake up your daily routine. I know that you cant always go for a trip when you need to be creative. So, you can apply simpler versions of this process locally. Take a new route to work. Use different transportation. Explore a new neighborhood on foot. Meet new people. Go to a concert. Try new food. Just make sure that you shock yourself out of your usual comfort zone. Some of this is covered by an approach called Design Thinking. Tim Brown, of IDEO, wrote anexcellent article (PDF) on this in the June 2008 issue of the Harvard Business Review.

Finally, a last interesting technique is to try to view the world through the eyes of a child. If you have children, then you know that they have very creative and unique interpretations of the world around them. I love hearing how they view problems and the solutions they offer. You can try this for yourself by approaching the problem you are trying to solve as if you have absolutely no knowledge of any solutions (e.g., youve never interacted with the software/tool before). It isnt easy to clear your mind and play a completely naive role. But, the more you practice it, the better you will become and the more interesting observations you will make. You can follow me on Quora. Im also starting to answer interesting questions onFocus (a business expert network).

ou may not believe that you are especially creative, but you probably possess various skills and attributes that will help in creative projects. If you are going to enhance your creative performance and potential, you need to know what skills you already have, and what areas you need to build on. To do this, you need to determine skills that are essential to organizations seeking to fill creative positions. You also need to be mindful of desirable skills contributing to your ability to be creative. While some may feel communication and technical skills to be essential, others may emphasize openmindedness, shaping skills, or a willingness to take risks. Essential creative personality attributes Generally, the experts agree that communication skills, a willingness to take risks, open-mindedness, and persistence are essential attributes for creativity. Communication skillsBeing able to communicate your idea to team members, stakeholders, and consumers is essential for any innovator. Explaining your idea, and the benefits of it, is vital for securing buy-in. Without this, no innovator would get far. Risk-takingA willingness to take risks is an essential attribute for anyone being creative and innovative at work. New ideas and innovations can only be found if you are prepared to push against conventions, challenge others, and do things in a different way. Open-mindednessBeing open-minded is an essential attribute for being creative and innovative. Being open-minded makes you receptive to new ideas, and you are able to look at organizational problems and processes in a different way. PersistenceInnovators claim that their ideas have succeeded through sheer persistence and tenacity. They have refused to let an idea fizzle out, and often kept working away despite the reluctance shown by their organizations. Desirable creative personality attributes You may think that analytical skillsthe ability to back up your ideas and prove their worthwould be essential. Or that without technical ability, it's unlikely that you can make useful contributions. But provided that your team has a mix of these attributes, they are not essential in any single person. Technical abilityA specific technical ability or gift is certainly a desirable attribute. However, it is not just the technically gifted who can have creative ideas. You can have insight without this. Shaping skillsHaving the skills to shape ideas into workable and implementable solutions is desirable in any creative team. But often there are other contributors in a team who can do this. It is not essential for every creative person to possess this skill. Analytical skillsGood analytical skills can certainly back up your ideas in any creative assignment. But since many creative tasks require teamwork, it is not essential that every creative contributor in the group has the ability to back up their ideas with analysis. People who are good at communication, taking risks, and being perceptive and determined have all of the essential attributes, whereas those who are analytical, are technically able, or can mold ideas have desirable attributes. Your personal attributes clearly play an important role in determining how creative or innovative you are. Remember that you can learn many of the attributes that can help you to be more creative and innovative. If you are committed to the development of new skills, you can become more creative in your working life.