Creativity is the ability to generate and apply unique, innovative ideas, and solutions to problems or challenges in the workplace. This skill is essential for developing new products, improving processes, and fostering a culture of innovation within a company.
Related: Best Performance Review Examples for 48 Key Skills
2000+ Performance Review Phrases: The Complete List (Performance Feedback Examples)
Performance Review Questions: Creativity
1. Has the employee come up with any innovative ideas or solutions to problems that have positively impacted the company?
2. Does the employee regularly think outside the box and offer unique perspectives or approaches to tasks?
3. Has the employee demonstrated a willingness to take risks and try new things?
4. Has the employee shown an ability to adapt to changing circumstances and come up with creative solutions on the fly?
5. Does the employee regularly contribute to brainstorming sessions and offer valuable insights and ideas?
6. Has the employee demonstrated an ability to combine existing ideas in new and interesting ways?
7. Has the employee shown a passion for creativity and a desire to continuously improve their skills in this area?
8. Has the employee received positive feedback from colleagues or managers regarding their creativity or innovative thinking?
9. Has the employee taken on any projects or initiatives that required a high degree of creativity or outside-the-box thinking?
10. Has the employee demonstrated an ability to communicate their creative ideas effectively to others and garner support for them?
5 โ Outstanding
When an employee demonstrates a high level of creativity, they go above and beyond to generate innovative ideas and solutions. Their creative thinking significantly contributes to the success of their team and organization. They embrace challenges and harness their imagination effectively, positively impacting the work environment and performance.
Example Phrases
- Consistently generates innovative ideas that directly contribute to the success of the team
- Excels at developing original solutions to complex problems
- Expertly adapts to new situations and embraces change with creative solutions
- Effectively encourages creative problem-solving among team members
- Displays a strong ability to think outside the box and create innovative strategies
- Consistently generates innovative ideas and solutions
- Actively seeks different perspectives and approaches
- Inspires others with their creativity
- Consistently introduces original ideas that bring significant value to the team
- Regularly evaluates processes and finds innovative ways to improve efficiency
- Exhibits exceptional problem-solving skills, resulting in creative solutions
- Serves as a role model for creativity and innovation, consistently inspiring others to think outside the box
- Demonstrates an exceptional ability to generate groundbreaking ideas that drive significant business value and growth
- Proactively seeks out and embraces new challenges, leveraging creativity to develop revolutionary solutions
- Consistently goes above and beyond to foster a culture of creativity and innovation within the team and organization
- Demonstrates a remarkable ability to synthesize diverse perspectives and ideas into cohesive, innovative strategies
- Effectively champions creative ideas and secures buy-in from key stakeholders, driving successful implementation
- Consistently challenges the status quo and pushes boundaries, leading to transformative breakthroughs
- Demonstrates an innate curiosity and passion for exploration, constantly seeking out new opportunities for creative expression
- Consistently delivers creative work that sets new standards of excellence and raises the bar for the entire organization
- Demonstrates an exceptional ability to adapt and innovate in the face of change, ensuring continued success and growth
- Proactively seeks out and incorporates diverse perspectives, fostering an environment of inclusive creativity
- Consistently goes above and beyond to provide mentorship and guidance to others, nurturing their creative potential
- Demonstrates a deep understanding of the strategic value of creativity, effectively aligning innovative efforts with organizational goals
Paragraph Examples:
“Jason consistently generates innovative ideas that directly contribute to the success of his team. His in-depth understanding of the company’s needs allows him to develop original solutions to complex problems. His adaptability and openness to change have resulted in creative solutions that improve the team’s performance. Jason skillfully encourages creative problem-solving among his peers, fostering a thriving environment for innovation.”
“Amanda excels at harnessing her creativity to find unique approaches to projects. She effectively adapts to new situations with a positive attitude, developing innovative strategies that consistently exceed expectations. Displaying a strong ability to think outside the box, Amanda’s continuous creative input has led to notable improvements in the team’s overall performance.”
“Michael demonstrates exceptional creative thinking skills in every task he undertakes. Embracing challenges, he constantly explores new avenues and generates innovative ideas that significantly contribute to the company’s overall growth. His ability to combine intuition and logic allows for effective problem-solving that consistently meets and exceeds the expectations of his team and supervisors.”
“Jennifer consistently demonstrates an impressive level of creativity in her work. Her innovative ideas have led to significant improvement in our department’s procedures, leading to increased efficiency. Jennifer thinks outside the box and isn’t afraid to propose bold solutions to unique problems. Her approach to brainstorming sessions is instrumental in extracting the best ideas, contributing significantly to team’s groundbreaking projects.”
“Jane consistently demonstrates outstanding creativity in her role as a Product Designer. Her ability to generate innovative ideas has led to the development of multiple unique products, which in turn have boosted company revenue. She actively seeks different perspectives and approaches, inspiring her team members to embrace their creative abilities.”
4 โ Exceeds Expectations
Example Phrases
- Frequently develops creative ideas and solutions
- Welcomes new challenges as opportunities for innovation
- Encourages colleagues to be creative and shares ideas openly
- Often contributes fresh, innovative ideas that positively impact the team
- Routinely experiments with alternative approaches to tasks and challenges
- Effectively adapts to change and is not afraid to take calculated risks
- Consistently demonstrates a strong ability to generate creative ideas and solutions that drive positive results
- Proactively seeks out new challenges and opportunities to apply innovative thinking and problem-solving skills
- Effectively collaborates with team members to foster a culture of creativity and encourages the sharing of diverse ideas
- Regularly contributes unique and valuable insights that lead to significant improvements in processes or outcomes
- Demonstrates a willingness to experiment with new approaches and take calculated risks to achieve innovative results
- Effectively adapts to change and embraces new ideas and perspectives with enthusiasm and flexibility
- Consistently goes above and beyond to find creative solutions to complex problems, often exceeding expectations
- Demonstrates a keen ability to think outside the box and challenge conventional thinking, leading to breakthrough ideas
- Proactively shares creative ideas and insights with others, inspiring and motivating team members to innovate
- Consistently delivers high-quality, imaginative work that showcases originality and creative flair
- Demonstrates a strong understanding of the value of creativity in driving business success and competitive advantage
- Proactively seeks out opportunities to learn and develop new creative skills and techniques to enhance performance
- Consistently provides constructive feedback and guidance to help others develop their creative potential and skills
- Demonstrates a passionate commitment to fostering an environment that encourages and rewards creative thinking and innovation
Paragraph Examples:
“Jane consistently goes beyond the requirements of her role by contributing innovative ideas and exploring alternative approaches to challenges. She effectively adapts to change and isn’t afraid to take calculated risks in search of creative solutions. Jane’s willingness to experiment has led to improved processes and positive outcomes for the team. With her receptiveness to feedback and ability to balance creativity with practicality, Jane continues to excel in her performance.”
“Michael consistently goes above and beyond in his creative efforts. He is always brimming with fresh new ideas that have made our projects stand out in the crowd. His approach to presenting novel concepts has inspired other team members to come up with their own innovative solutions. Michael’s active participation in brainstorming sessions has helped create a culture of creativity in the department.”
3 – Meets Expectations
In a performance review, the rating of “Meets Expectations” for creativity reflects an employee who consistently displays a good level of creativity in their role. They are able to come up with new ideas and approaches, and effectively implement them in their work.
Example Phrases
- Consistently demonstrates a satisfactory level of creativity in their work, meeting expectations for their role
- Regularly contributes creative ideas during brainstorming sessions
- Demonstrates a good understanding of creative problem-solving techniques
- Able to adapt existing methods or processes to improve efficiency
- Offers unique perspectives when analyzing problems or situations
- Displays a satisfactory level of creative thinking
- Adapts to new situations and finds ways to address challenges
- Willing to collaborate and contribute creative ideas
- Displays a willingness to explore new ideas and find creative solutions
- Receptive to feedback and implements suggestions to improve their creative output
- Balances creativity with practicality, considering project constraints
- Regularly contributes ideas and suggestions during brainstorming sessions and team discussions
- Effectively applies creative problem-solving techniques to address challenges and find suitable solutions
- Demonstrates an ability to adapt existing methods or processes to improve efficiency and effectiveness
- Offers unique perspectives and insights when analyzing problems or situations, contributing to a well-rounded approach
- Displays a willingness to explore new ideas and approaches, while remaining open to feedback and suggestions
- Collaborates effectively with team members to generate and refine creative ideas and solutions
- Demonstrates a good understanding of the balance between creativity and practicality, considering project constraints and resources
- Consistently delivers work that incorporates an appropriate level of creativity, in line with project requirements and expectations
- Shows a willingness to learn and develop their creative skills, actively seeking out feedback and opportunities for growth
- Effectively communicates creative ideas and concepts to team members and stakeholders, ensuring clarity and understanding
- Demonstrates an ability to think outside the box when needed, while also recognizing when conventional approaches are more suitable
- Consistently meets deadlines and delivers creative work that aligns with project goals and objectives
- Contributes to a positive and supportive team environment that encourages creative thinking and collaboration
Paragraph Examples:
“During the development of our latest product, Jane consistently offered unique and innovative ideas that helped shape the final design. Her willingness to think outside the box was instrumental in enhancing the product’s functionality and aesthetic appeal, and her creative input played a major role in our success.”
“John’s ingenuity in identifying bottlenecks and offering creative solutions has significantly increased the efficiency of our production process. By implementing a new scheduling system and optimizing equipment usage, he has not only minimized downtime but also inspired his coworkers to adopt a more creative approach to problem-solving.”
“Lucy meets expectations in terms of creativity. She regularly contributes useful ideas during team discussions and is unafraid to think beyond conventional methods. Occasionally, she requires some guidance to fine-tune her ideas, but she demonstrates a willingness to adapt and learn from others. Lucy’s creative approach to solving problems has benefited the team on multiple occasions.”
“(Employee name) consistently displays a solid level of creativity in their work. They often participate in brainstorming sessions, contributing valuable and innovative ideas to the team. Their problem-solving skills are evident, as they are able to analyze complex issues and offer unique perspectives on how to address them.”
“In their role, (Employee name) meets expectations for creativity by regularly suggesting improvements to existing processes and methods. Their ability to adapt and modify these aspects of their work demonstrates a good understanding of creative problem-solving techniques. Their contributions positively impact the efficiency and productivity of the team.”
Employees who meet expectations in creativity bring new ideas, perspectives, and solutions to the table, helping to improve processes, solve problems, and drive innovation. Through effective performance review, managers can acknowledge and encourage the creative potential of their team members, supporting their growth and development in this skill.
2 – Needs Improvement
Creativity is a valuable skill that refers to the ability to generate original ideas, think outside the box, and find innovative solutions to complex problems. Employees with strong creativity skills are often able to develop fresh perspectives and contribute to the growth and success of the company. In this section, we will provide examples of performance review phrases and paragraphs for employees who need improvement in their creativity skills.
Example Phrases
- Struggles to think creatively under pressure or faced with challenges
- Shows limited adaptability in new situations
- Reluctant to share ideas or cooperate with others
- Struggles to think outside the box and tends to rely on conventional methods
- Hesitant to take risks or step outside his/her comfort zone to find creative solutions
- Fails to consistently incorporate feedback into the creative process
- Struggles to approach tasks with a fresh perspective
- Reluctant to experiment with new ideas
- Has difficulty adapting to change
- Lacks imaginative problem-solving methods
- Unwilling to think outside the box
- Demonstrates a limited ability to generate creative ideas and solutions, often relying on conventional approaches
- Rarely contributes new or innovative suggestions during brainstorming sessions or team discussions
- Struggles to effectively apply creative problem-solving techniques, often defaulting to tried-and-true methods
- Shows resistance to adapting existing processes or exploring new approaches, even when they could improve efficiency
- Offers limited unique perspectives or insights when analyzing problems, often deferring to others’ opinions
- Hesitates to explore new ideas or take calculated risks, preferring to stay within their comfort zone
- Collaborates inconsistently with team members on creative projects, sometimes failing to contribute meaningfully
- Struggles to balance creativity with practicality, often proposing ideas that are not feasible within project constraints
- Delivers work that lacks a consistent level of creativity, often falling short of expectations or requirements
- Shows limited initiative in seeking out opportunities to develop and improve their creative skills
- Has difficulty effectively communicating creative ideas and concepts, leading to confusion or misunderstandings
- Tends to rely on conventional thinking, even when situations call for more innovative approaches
- Occasionally misses deadlines or delivers creative work that fails to align with project goals and objectives
- Sometimes contributes to a team environment that stifles creative thinking or discourages collaboration
Paragraph Examples:
“While Tom has shown glimpses of creativity, he still needs to work on harnessing his imaginative potential consistently. He could benefit from seeking inspiration, participating more in brainstorming sessions, and collaborating with other team members to refine his ideas. Tom’s creativity has the potential to grow, and with proper guidance and encouragement, he can significantly contribute to the team’s innovation.”
“Jane is a hardworking employee, but her lack of creativity has limited her potential for growth within the company. Her performance review indicates that she is often reliant on conventional approaches to problem-solving, missing out on opportunities to discover innovative solutions and drive change. To enhance her creativity, Jane could benefit from participating in workshops or seeking out new resources to broaden her understanding of various techniques and methods. Additionally, collaborative efforts with her teammates could inspire new perspectives and encourage a more creative mindset in her work.”
“Marie is skilled in her job, but her limited creativity has hindered her ability to excel. Her performance review indicates that her work, although competent, is often lacking in originality. This repetition can result in a stagnation of ideas and stifle progress in her projects. To overcome this creativity barrier, it is essential for Marie to challenge herself by exploring different techniques, seeking out inspiration, and collaborating more closely with her colleagues. This could be achieved through brainstorming sessions and engagement in creative discussions. By embracing creativity and innovation, Marie will be better positioned to help the company achieve its long-term goals.”
To address the creativity gap for employees who have received a rating of 2 (Needs Improvement), managers should identify areas for development and provide resources or offer training opportunities to help them build their creative skills. Approaching these employees with support and encouragement can foster a more innovative mindset and enable them to better contribute to the company’s success.
1 – Unacceptable
Example Phrases
- Rarely demonstrates creative thinking
- Unable to generate new ideas or approaches to solve problems
- Disinterested in seeking innovative opportunities or solutions
- Demonstrates a lack of effort to approach problems with creativity
- Repeatedly dismisses innovative ideas without consideration
- Resistant to change and becomes overly defensive when challenged on stagnant thinking
- Displays minimal creativity in her work
- Stagnates, showing no growth in creative thinking
- Rejects creative ideas without valid reasoning
- Does not contribute to brainstorming sessions
- Resistant to incorporating new techniques or methods
- Consistently fails to demonstrate any creative thinking or generate new ideas, even when explicitly encouraged
- Actively disrupts or derails brainstorming sessions and team discussions, discouraging others from sharing innovative suggestions
- Demonstrates a complete inability to apply creative problem-solving techniques, relying solely on outdated or ineffective methods
- Adamantly refuses to adapt existing processes or explore new approaches, even when current methods are clearly inefficient or ineffective
- Offers no unique perspectives or insights when analyzing problems, instead relying on groupthink or echo chambers
- Actively avoids exploring new ideas or taking any risks, staunchly remaining within their comfort zone to the detriment of the team
- Consistently fails to collaborate with team members on creative projects, often undermining or sabotaging efforts
- Demonstrates a complete disregard for balancing creativity with practicality, proposing ideas that are entirely unfeasible or detrimental to project success
- Delivers work that is consistently devoid of creativity, failing to meet even the most basic expectations or requirements
- Shows no interest or initiative in developing their creative skills, actively refusing opportunities for growth and improvement
- Consistently fails to communicate creative ideas and concepts effectively, leading to significant confusion, misunderstandings, and project failures
- Rigidly adheres to conventional thinking, even when it directly hinders progress or success
- Regularly misses deadlines or delivers creative work that is entirely misaligned with project goals and objectives, causing major setbacks
- Actively contributes to a toxic team environment that stifles creative thinking, discourages collaboration, and undermines innovation
- Demonstrates a blatant disregard for the value of creativity, openly expressing disdain or contempt for innovative ideas and approaches
Paragraph Examples:
“Unfortunately, Sarah has consistently failed to demonstrate creativity in her work. Her reluctance to suggest new ideas and inability to think beyond traditional solutions have limited her potential for innovation. To improve, Sarah needs to actively participate in brainstorming sessions, be open to feedback, and embrace unconventional thinking to enhance her creative skills in the workplace.”
“John’s performance in the area of creativity has been lacking and is rated as unacceptable. He tends to approach tasks in the same way, with no variations or attempts to think outside the box. John seldom generates new ideas during team brainstorming sessions and relies heavily on existing methods. This hinders the team’s progress and stifles innovation.”
“Sophie’s creativity level has been consistently unsatisfactory this year. She is reluctant to embrace change and is often resistant to adapting her methods. Her projects lack originality and her unwillingness to experiment with new ideas and techniques has negatively affected the team’s overall performance. Sophie’s resistance to exploring and implementing fresh approaches is holding the team back from achieving its full potential.”
“Jason’s unwillingness to engage in creative problem-solving has become evident over this review period. He frequently dismisses his colleagues’ ideas without considering their merits and sticks to outdated methods. This greatly impacts the team’s ability to stay competitive in an ever-evolving market. Additionally, his lack of unique ideas has contributed to a decline in overall team morale.”
Employees who consistently demonstrate reluctance to develop or implement innovative ideas, dismiss new concepts without due consideration, or resist change can negatively impact their teams and hinder overall progress. Proper guidance and encouragement from supervisors can help foster an environment that promotes creative thinking and boosts employees’ performance in this area.