Why Being Creative at Work Can Feel Scary
New research explores a common psychological obstacle to creativity
Your boss stands in front of a whiteboard, wielding a dry-erase pen. “We’re just brainstorming!” she says. “There’s no such thing as a bad idea.”
You look around at your co-workers, hoping one of them will go first. As you clear your throat to speak, your palms start to sweat.
Are you overthinking it? Probably. But of course there are bad ideas in brainstorming. A few minutes ago, Greg suggested replacing everyone’s desk chair with a mini-treadmill.
And you’re probably not the only one who dreads the order to be “creative.” As new research explains: Creativity, especially at work, is super stressful. It’s much more than just generating ideas on command. Often, it can feel like a high-stakes baring of the soul — an invitation for your colleagues to view and critique the inner workings of your mind.
“There’s relatively little work on the consequences of actually sharing creative ideas,” says organizational psychologist Jack Goncalo, a professor at the University of Illinois. In the past, most research on workplace creativity has focused on strategies to enhance it, whether by switching up office floor plans, painting the walls aqua, or offering cash rewards for…
