‘Creative’ is the Job Word

LinkedIn has just published it’s top ten words most frequently used by professionals to describe themselves.

http://blog.linkedin.com/2011/12/13/buzzwords-redux/

This year’s number one word is ‘creative’. ‘Creative’ took the number one spot in many countries across the world and wasn’t even on the list last year.

What is changing? We’ve been talking about that change for a long time at AtTask. What is driving it is a shift in workplace dynamics. The Facebook generation enters the workforce with different expectations and ambitions than previous generations. Those expectations are leading to a realization that the only competitive edge anybody can have in this day and age is the ability to be creative.

Possessing this ability is both individual and organizational. Individuals cannot be creative if that creativity is stifled by management or by organizational rigidity. Hence, creativity is equally important in leadership and executional levels.

Today’s workforce comes to work for different reasons than in the past. They are ready to go all-in for organizations that let them solve problems creatively and collaboratively. They are equally ready to bail from organizations that can’t grasp this dynamic.

Today, more than ever, well-established companies are having to compete with startups for top talent and it’s precisely for this reason. People value their ability to make a difference through creative expression more than ever. To me, the LinkedIn numbers are just a validation of the importance of this dynamic.