So, why does all this matter? Let’s consider one of the most common occurrences in the client-agency relationship: the killer deadline. One of the issues with the killer deadline can be the short-circuiting of the very reason you’ve hired the agency in the first place: the quest for creativity and maybe even “THE BIG IDEA”. It turns out that this wonderful rainbow of talents, while perfectly capable of meeting a tough deadline with some really strong work, might not be able to deliver the very best, given difficult time constraints from clients. And that’s not an excuse; it’s science.
According to the Harvard Business Review, while creative ideas can be sparked under pressure, the best creative work happens when the people responsible for ideas have time. The research correlations between time pressures and the ability to think creatively are vivid. One of the key components of creative thinking is a concept Einstein referred to as “combinatorial play”, an idea that refers to allowing some cognitive breathing room so seemingly unrelated ideas collide in interesting ways to create high levels of novelty.
“… research suggests that the success of the combinatorial process depends both on having sufficient time to create the balls to juggle — exploring concepts and learning things that might somehow be useful — and having sufficient time to devote to the actual juggling.”
Under pressure, it can be difficult for creators to achieve the required focus and time they need to collaborate with co-workers to find the best answers. Want some great ideas? Hold a brainstorming meeting on a Friday and see what your creative team comes up with while mowing their lawns over the weekend.
However, the article does point out that absence of time pressure isn’t a panacea for creativity. Other individual work factors such as the feeling of being on Autopilot and general lack of engagement can lead to low creative output, regardless of available time to be creative.