How can we combine the benefits of working from home with the benefits of working in the office to be at our creative best? Mark Simmonds finds out
In 2020, GENIUS YOU carried out a study involving more than 2,000 respondents from 17 multi-nationals across 10 sectors. The study analysed information extracted from a psychometric survey completed by respondents in the period 2015-2020 which explored the creative strengths of individuals.
Were they at the more generative end of the creative process, characterised by the Explorer and the Detective, or were they at the evaluative, analytical, decision-making end of the creative spectrum, characterised by the Judge? The results were conclusive.
Across all the companies with a significant sample size, the Judge won hands down. This suggests that companies place more importance on the science of selection rather than the art of creation.
It also contained one open-ended question which asked respondents to comment on the state of creativity and innovation in their own company. A number of key themes emerged that represented obstacles to a creative workplace. ‘Time poverty’ and the ‘burden of process overload’ accounted for 23% of all responses. One verbatim quotation sums things up nicely: ‘Our biggest downfall within the business is not giving enough time to creative thinking. We need to put importance on thinking as much as doing. The team are constantly executing projects but spend little time crafting new ideas.’
In a nutshell, the working environment was not conducive to the process of creativity. It was viewed as stifling, suffocating. Too little time to be creative, too many corporate processes getting in the way.
Covid-19’s silver lining…
The year 2020 will forever be remembered as the year we were visited by Covid-19, and it has undoubtedly created carnage and untold suffering across the world. But will it have one legacy, one silver living that might reshape our working lives and have a positive long-lasting impact on our levels of productivity and creativity? A migration towards home working, either part-time or full-time.
For many thousands of enlightened working professionals, this is what has happened during the various versions of lockdown, semi-lockdown and imposed isolation:
1The commuters used to travelling in and out of big cities have saved themselves hours of stressful journey time getting to and from work – standing in overcrowded tubes and trains or sitting in stationery traffic.
2They have maximised the time that has been gifted to them. Where possible, they have managed to avoid simply substituting endless face to face meetings in the workplace with endless Zoom to Zoom meetings in the spare room at home. They have been disciplined with their timetable, allocating time and space for creativity rather than simply maintaining high levels of productivity throughout the day. Thinking ‘BIG’ and strategically rather than drowning in the nitty gritty of the day to day operation.
3They have come to view their new workplace as paradise rather than prison. Their converted spare room home offices are now adorned with plants on window sills, photographs of loved ones all around and bookshelves balanced with work projects and home hobbies. There is easy access to their ‘Costa Kitchen’ where they enjoy coffee and casual chit chat with other family members. They might have made a 30 minute afternoon nap a permanent fixture in their daily routine and they have embraced the outdoors to regenerate flagging batteries at different points of the day.
4And the net effect of 1,2 and 3 has been to reduce overall levels of stress. A quick detour is required to explain the relationship between stress and creativity. It is not a healthy one. Albert Einstein had a theory called combinatory play. He would set himself a problem, a tough nut to crack and then he would simply forget about it, consciously at least. He would go and do something enjoyable and relaxing, in his case, playing the violin. He would sleep on it and allow the brain’s neurotransmitters to start talking to one another, cross-fertilising in the world of the sub-conscious. And then more often than not, the magic of the night would give birth to an idea that would pop out of nowhere first thing in the morning. The creative brain does not respond well to stressful situations. It requires a relaxed mind to flourish. Where are you more relaxed? Home or office?
The counter argument…
But not everybody in the working world has relished the opportunity of setting up office in the home during the last eight months. I think there are three main reasons why.
First, the pace in many organisations has not slowed down much during Covid times and this has often resulted in death by Zoom or murder by Microsoft. At least with back to back meetings in the corporate environment, you have the relative luxury of corridor walks in between to exchange quips and glances with colleagues and get a bit of daily exercise. Zoom to Zoom doesn’t do that.
Second, it is also fair to say that the many extroverts amongst us have suffered from the lack of physical contact and enforced isolation. Getting your energy from somebody in the flesh is not quite the same as getting it through a screen. Creativity requires energy to fuel it.
And third, the absence of office structures and systems has meant that many professionals have found it hard to adjust to working from home. Days seep into evenings and weeks merging into weekends. Somewhat ironically, creativity does require a certain amount of timetabling and discipline, and it often doesn’t flourish in a day without boundaries.
During the past few weeks the ‘is home working good or bad for your creative health’ argument has been placed high on the agenda by the leading Bank of England policymaker Professor Jonathan Haskell who claims that home work has failed to boost productivity. Andy Haldane, the Chief Economist at the same institution has also stated that working from home risks stifling creativity. Both argue that it is the lack of social interaction in the flesh that represents one reason why we are less creative and productive at home. On that point, the introverts are unlikely to agree. J.K. Rowling is a self-confessed introvert and probably one of the most creative thinkers of our generation. I doubt if she has ever missed office tittle tattle. We are all different.
The balanced view…
Here’s the thing. The question, ‘is home working good or bad for your health’ is probably not the right one because it demands a binary answer. A better question would be: ‘how can we combine the benefits of working from home with the benefits of working in the office to be at our creative best?’
Now if we could answer that question and implement the solution, we really would become a highly creative and productive nation. This really does represent a once in a lifetime opportunity to change the professional landscape.
And that would be very exciting.
Mark Simmonds is a creativity, insight and innovation expert and the founder of GENIUS YOU – a company which helps teams develop winning ideas by strengthening creative muscles
