In our daily work lives, we often team up with colleagues to tackle problems. For instance, we share ideas when discussing ways to make more money or when launching a new product. As we get to know our coworkers better, we might spot someone who’s especially good at thinking creatively or coming up with new ideas to help our organization. It could even be you!
A recent study from Georgia Tech explored how coworker creativity affects our work relationships. The results were quite interesting: People tend to build closer connections with coworkers they see as creative. And they’re even more likely to do this if their creative colleague is of a different gender or background, adding a unique dimension to workplace dynamics.
Creative colleagues
The researchers investigated whether having creative coworkers led to more and stronger connections as time went on, as more colleagues wanted to connect with them.
They believed that if a creative coworker’s network expanded, this person would be seen as a high achiever and gain a better position in the organization, especially if the organization valued and promoted creativity. In simpler terms, when an organization encourages creativity, the more coworkers build relationships with a creative colleague, the more others want to do the same. This boosted the creative person’s network and reputation in the organization.
What’s really interesting is that, according to their ideas, a creative coworker who belonged to a minority group or had a different background was perceived as even more creative and popular within the network. This is because coworkers, and previous research, suggested that minorities and those from diverse backgrounds often bring unique perspectives and ways of thinking, leading to more valuable creative insights.
Improving relationships
“Besides improving relationship opportunities for minority employees, this also provides advantages for employees in the majority since they can potentially benefit from learning from diverse other perspectives and acquiring resources from them,” the researchers explain.
According to the findings, people who bring creativity to the workplace are highly respected, which motivates others to build closer relationships with them. What’s more, if a creative employee’s network grows, they could be offered more opportunities in an organization, especially when the organization promotes creativity. Additionally, their research shows that being seen as a creative employee boosts their own and their coworkers’ confidence in their abilities.
The researchers believe that organizations should actively promote creativity at work. They suggest that organizations can achieve this by offering development opportunities that bring together colleagues who may not know each other, encouraging them to discuss potential solutions to organizational challenges. Hosting brainstorming meetings can also foster creativity among workers, as long as all ideas are treated equally.
“Our findings highlight practical opportunities for both employees and managers to enhance relationships closeness, especially for employees who are dissimilar from their coworkers, by being creative at work,” they conclude.
