This year, 17 June marked the end of Quality of Life at Work Week. Organized by the French national agency for improving working conditions (Anact), the main theme of the event was well-being at work in the digital age.
We’ve decided to take the opportunity to focus on creativity both as a source of well-being and a way to improve performance at work. After all, at Agorize, we put creativity at the heart of our processes – so we thought we’d share our tips to improve motivation and engagement among your employees.
Creativity and well-being at work, or how to motivate your employees
Whenever people start a creative process, they get into what’s called the ‘flow’. This mindset is one of the 5 factors of happiness as set out by the psychologist Martin Seligman. Specifically, it’s an intense feeling of enjoyment that plunges us into a state of utmost concentration, motivation, and commitment.
Creativity improves quality of life at work
To understand the importance of this flow, just look at the negative consequences of poor well-being at work – both for the employee and for the company. A study by Anact shows that 50% of days on which employees are absent are down to levels of stress that they deal with poorly and that is poorly managed by bosses. By encouraging your teams to be more creative, you’ll avoid repeated sick leave.
The study’s authors also recommend that employers implement a Quality of Working Life (QWL) plan. And given the results that this type of approach can give, it’s not surprising – the absenteeism rate is halved, turnover falls by 7%, and more. There are real competitive advantages for companies who devote more time and resources to their employees’ well-being.
Creativity, well-being and performance
Another study, this time by Sodexo in 2014, shows that 80% of directors of SMEs with between 10 and 100 employees consider QWL to be a key factor in their company’s performance.
How can creativity have such an effect on QWL and performance? Simply because it results in an ultra-positive chain reaction – the development of individual and collective pride, recognition, better self-awareness, and more self-confidence and confidence in the team. The benefits are so significant that we should all consider creativity to be an essential factor in QWL.
In actual fact, creativity doesn’t just contribute to employee well-being, but it also makes it easier to improve QWL.
Creativity – an essential aspect of your employees' good physical health
Another aspect that can’t be ignored is the fact that creativity is linked with better physical health. Several studies have proved that people who regularly stimulate their creativity react better to ageing and illness – mainly because they can better manage doubt and uncertainty by adapting and adjusting their behaviour to face the unknown.
As an example, according to Ruth Richards, who invented the term ‘everyday creativity’, expressive writing improves our immune system. And simply thinking about an upcoming creative session generates a feeling of positivity that reduces stress levels and improves well-being.
QWL as a driver of profitability
Still not convinced? Maybe the results of this International Labour Organization (ILO) study will change your mind: a company that puts a QWL plan in place is 3.5 times more creative and 12.5 times more profitable than a company that doesn’t have a QWL plan. Creativity is a major driving force for your project teams and an unbelievable driver of productivity.
Well-being at work, like time management, means different things to different people – we all motivate ourselves and manage our emotions in different ways. And it’s these differences that make teamwork such a powerful force.
You can’t say it too often: creativity is unlimited, and your employees will without a doubt have a host of hidden talents waiting to be discovered. Whether through decorating your offices, attending writing workshops, or creating music scores, all that creative spirits want is to express themselves – and it will boost your performance.