High expectations are placed upon the team members who are specifically considered to be creative. In order for them to achieve these expectations, prominent clauses need to be established. And to achieve solutions within innovative teams, a creative mind requires a proactive team that loves continuous learning.
In today's work environment, teamwork is vital to tackle increasingly complex challenges. In the realm of innovation, creativity plays a significant role.
If we search, we can find numerous concepts about the origins of creativity, its direction, and how we can develop it in each individual. In daily work life and when collaborating in a team, it's widely accepted that the more creative a person is, the more creatively effective the group becomes.
If we look for studies on this topic, such as the one by Merlo & Mann, they have stated that creativity within teams stems from the creativity of each individual.
In most cases, team members are happy to have a creative mind and innovative solutions ready.
Facing this, a question we should ask is:
“How is it possible for creative individuals to fail together?”
Creative individuals are both a blessing and a curse
A 2020 study by Li & Li asserts that in highly creative work teams, creative individuals can have both a positive and negative influence on the team's overall creativity. The study sheds light on when teams benefit from truly creative individuals.
This significant study focused on individuals who are exceptionally creative compared to the rest of the team members, and their impact on the team's overall creativity.
Two distinct studies were conducted—one with research teams and another with sales teams from different sectors. Team leaders were asked about the team's collaboration, and department heads were asked about how creativity unfolds within the team.
Several conclusions can be drawn from this:
- It confirms that creative minds play a central role in teams (because other team members rely on these individuals for significant insights) and have a positive influence on the team.
- The positive effect on the team is not the only outcome; by inhibiting the desire to learn among less creative team members, a negative influence can arise.
- Despite this, a willingness to collaborate among team members is observed, which helps neutralize the negative influence through effective team coordination and interactions.
To shine, “creative minds” require a central role, a dynamic team, and efficient harmonized cooperation.
The interactions of high-performing team members who are especially creative need to be analyzed as they can contribute to the team's overall profitability. When designing teamwork, it's crucial to recognize that creative minds will be leveraging their full potential and assuming a central role within the team.
Other team members need to understand that their contributions are valued and require investment in their growth. Conversely, a common approach must be found to prevent individual team members from overly depending on the creative mind of the team, which could result in their domination or a lesser contribution to the collective team mind. We must understand that creative minds draw from others' ideas and use diverse information to uncover new solutions.
In conclusion, practical coordination, shared goals, and cooperative efforts are undoubtedly worthwhile. This approach allows all team members to contribute and participate with their ideas, reducing the pressure on the creative minds within the team.
This way, there will be more opportunities for “creative minds” to fully express themselves alongside the team.
