The Turbulence of the Pandemic on Organizational Creativity
The pandemic has had a profound impact on every organization around the world. My colleague Laura Switalski and I interviewed corporate leaders in North America and the UK to pull the hood up on organizational creativity during this time.
Be sure to read the full insight paper. Get your copy below.
Briefly, here's what we learned:
#1: Covid-19 created optimal conditions in the workplace for creativity to thrive and innovation to ensue. To maintain these conditions, leaders need to become more deliberate in the processes they apply and the work environment they shape to sustain their ability to innovate.
The disruption and uncertainty brought by the pandemic created the perfect environment for creativity to occur spontaneously. Simply put, if an organization was to survive, it had to be creative. For organizations that achieved creative outcomes under extraordinary conditions, the challenge ahead is to avoid reverting to the old ways of operating when employees enter into the everyday workflow of the future.
#2: People’s creativity has been driven by intrinsic motivation. To sustain people’s motivation to be creative, leaders must communicate and lead from their organization’s mission, vision, values with authenticity and passion while trusting their people to get the job done.
The threat of losing clients, customers, revenue, and one’s job became primary motivators in quickly developing new products and services. Necessity is the mother of invention and, as the pandemic hit, people stepped up to give their best to solve all kinds of challenges. But look closer and you’ll discover that the organizations that best fueled creativity were the ones who tapped into a sense of greater purpose, rallying their people to be “all in this together” for the greater good.
#3: Well-being and creativity are closely interrelated. Organizations need to support people’s physical and psychological well-being to strengthen their capacity for creativity.
The pandemic has left in its wake a large group of people who are exhausted, anxious, and in some cases, burnt out. Organizations that invest in their people’s well-being will not only make it easier to attract and retain talent, they will create conditions ripe for creativity and innovation. By the same token, developing people’s creativity skills can strengthen their resourcefulness, resilience and ability to cope with stress and uncertainty.
#4: The pressure of the pandemic created a highly productive work environment. However, productivity does not equal creativity. Organizations that want to thrive need to nurture creative thinking and the power of imagination to go beyond efficient problem solving.
Speed and productivity was critical for achieving success during the pandemic crisis but they’re not enough for long-term success. Organizations also need the power of imagination to unveil new opportunities and overcome the challenges associated with a rapidly changing world.
#5: People, process and environment work together as a system for creativity. This system needs to become part of a strategy that is applied every day at work.
Too often the focus is solely on breakthrough results, rather than the process of how to achieve them. We found that how people worked during the pandemic was the biggest predictor of exceptional outcomes made at record speed.
“As competition intensifies, the need for creative thinking increases. It is no longer enough to do the same thing better . . . no longer enough to be efficient and solve problems.”
Edward de Bono