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ARTICLE
e up with their Creativity Under the Gun
best ideas when time is
by Teresa ,Constance ,
tight, right?
and Steven
Wrong.
New sections to
guide you through
the article:
• The Idea in Brief
• The Idea at Work
• Exploring Further. . .
PRODUCT NUMBER 1571
THE IDEA IN BRIEF Creativity Under the Gun
Your most creative employees generate their But time pressure and distractions usually rule.
best ideas under tight deadlines, right? Wrong. On highest-pressure days, most people are 45%
While time pressure may make people feel more less likely to think creatively than on lower-
creative, it usually prevents them from actually pressure days.
DO thinkingNOTcreatively—juggling new ideas untilCOPY
Still, in anizations, creativity thrives
they collide in original and ultimately profitable
despite brutal deadlines. How? Managers mini-
ways. When creativity is under the gun, it usu-
mize time pressure’s toll and use it to inspire
ally gets killed.
fresh thinking. They enable people to stay
What’s a manager to do? pany’s ability immersed in important work—without inter-
to develop the products and services of tomor- ruption. And they make it crystal clear that the
row depends on the highest levels of creativity. urgency is legitimate.
THE IDEA AT WORK
PROTECTING CREATIVITY
Creativity can flourish or fade under all kinds of the transistor, the laser beam—earning
time pressure. Here’s what makes the difference: researchers seven Nobel prizes.
On a mission: High-pressure, creative days are • On low-pressure days, encourage people
filled with focus and meaningful urgency. to play with ideas and develop something
People concentrate on one project for most of new. 3M famously encourages scientists to
the day, feel engaged in their work, and under- devote 15% of their workweeks to creative
stand why their project is crucial. If th