Is remote work making teams less creative?

Teams function differently since working remotely became popular. Being able to do so without having to travel, having flexible hours and working from anywhere can all lead to improved work experiences for team members.

However, the creative process can sometimes become more difficult than when working from an office. When working in an office, a lot of ideas were created from accidental events. Quick chit chat with someone you may not normally speak to about works can provide ideas. These types of interactions will not happen as frequently when working from home, so there is less opportunity to share idea randomly. Most online meetings follow an agenda and are fairly structured.

When you consider how someone may be joining/attending the meeting, many may see that there is no space for random ideas to come and grow within the meeting. 

Therefore, your team may not feel as creative as they used to; you may see patterns such as not having as many moments when a random idea is shared, structured more rather than flowing discussions with free thought, only having work by discussing work items, and having lower energy during brainstorming sessions.

That said, working from home does not only equal to “creativity has stopped”. 

In fact working remotely provides teams with many of the same benefits and some new ones as well that will foster and promote creativity. 

Now members have time and are able to put out creative ideas without interruption from others around them. 

Additionally members of your teams can work together from different geographic areas and time zones. As long as you set up the environment correctly, teams can continue to be creative while working from home.

The difference between teams that work remotely and their counterparts has to do with the way that they use remote working arrangements.

It’s not enough for teams to have virtual meeting space; they need to have an environment that allows for open dialogue, encourages people to share ideas, and creates a culture where people feel safe speaking up.

Instead of wondering if remote work stifles creativity, ask yourself; Are you creating an environment that nurtures the growth of ideas no matter what type of job or where you work?