Creativity at work is often framed as something important. But is the opportunity to actually be creative available to everyone?
Employees with more autonomy, seniority, or schedule flexibility may have greater room to step back, think laterally, and develop new ideas. By contrast, some experts say other workers—women, parents, caregivers, junior-level staff—may face tighter schedules, heavier workloads, and fewer chances to take part in creative problem-solving or brainstorming.
Fast Company talked to workplace experts who explained that, while time for unstructured thinking is great, it’s actually a privilege reserved for few people in an organization—and also what leaders can do to change that.
The workers who get left out
Workers who are higher up tend to have more control over their own schedules, and “often have more opportunities to step back, think strategically and explore new ideas,” says Fernanda Anzek, managing director at HR services platform Insperity in Houston. “Meanwhile, employees managing high-volume workloads or execution-focused responsibilities may have less time and fewer opportunities to do the same,” she adds.
Senior-level roles are often by nature built for more macro thinking and top-level strategy, which often demands creativity and an ability to think outside the box. But it creates an imbalance. To address this imbalance, organizations should prioritize broader access to creative exploration and implementation.
“Organizations that want to foster innovation need to recognize that creativity depends on both time and permission,” Anzek says. “If only certain employees have the space to think beyond day-to-day responsibilities, companies risk overlooking valuable ideas from the people closest to the work.
“The expectation for creativity and innovation should be clear across all roles,” she continues.