The global pandemic of COVID-19 has led us to change our working habits dramatically but forcing remote, online working schemes to most professionals. The biggest debate these years is whether remote working should continue or not.
Scientific research in relation to remote working
Research into remote working and its impact on employee productivity is not new, but it rarely focuses on creativity. We keep reading theories stating that working from home destroys creativity. Business leaders are concerned that isolation is killing creativity and thus innovation. But how valid are these theories? Many studies have come to the exact opposite conclusions and in this article, we will state the main reasons why working remotely does not interfere with creativity.
Why creativity is not affected by remote working
The following are the main reasons why remote working does not affect the creativity of employees.
- Less interruptions
Creativity requires breaking down structured information, seeing it under a new glaze and discovering its connections to other ideas. The nature of the office may itself kill creativity due to the constant distractions. And it’s the very nature of remote work that supports or even forces these creative ways of thinking.
Remote work itself allows employees to maximize their creativity by managing interruptions more effectively. Even small interruptions can reduce work quality and output.
- Curating physical space to maximize creativity
To be creative, we need space, time, and concentration! The physical spaces in an office may help us focus, but it does not give us the motivation for creativity.
Working from home gives us the ability to decorate our space with things and colors, that inspire creativity. For example, by setting up a desk by the window or building a creative corner with different colors and lights. After all, each one of us is different but the office is the same for everyone.
- Positive emotions are important
Creativity requires thinking outside the box and applying knowledge in new and exciting ways. It really depends on emotions. Positive emotions correlate to increase creativity. It is also necessary for employees to feel engaged in the work and give their best.
In most 2020 studies, analyzed during the pandemic, work engagement increased and productivity too! One of the reasons was, that naturally there was more autonomy. The nature of working at home and sometimes being surrounded by family or children, could create stress, but since you got autonomy, you could spend 45 minutes on eating lunch with your spouse or doing yoga and still get your work done! So, stress is relieved.
- Personalizing needs according to personality is essential
Some people are happier in an office, often because of the conditions they face at home, or they are just more extraverted and enjoy people’s company. These individuals will be more creative in the office, of course. Others prefer working exclusively from home. They are more introverted and like to spend more time reflecting on their ideas. That makes them more productive and creative. Others prefer a hybrid model.
It is true that by going to the office, you get in touch with more people, exchange ideas and opinions. This can be achieved either by the hybrid model of working or by working twice per month from the office. It is not necessary though, to work every day in the office.
Conclusion
According to the statistics, 2020 was perhaps the most innovative year since World War II and all this happened while most of us were working from home, with a laptop through the internet.
Only people’s skills and minds can achieve innovation. Employers just need to create the appropriate circumstances, according to their employees’ personalities, for them to feel happy, comfortable, and engaged enough!
If you want to find more ways to manage your team, take the Quintax Personality Test and find out more about your professional personality traits and your leadership style!
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