Creativity has long been synonymous with the tortured artist. The maverick. The distinct mind that thinks outside the collective box. While we’re happy to accept that creativity demands some hard work, creators are typically expected to shoulder the burden alone. 

But the myth of the lone genius is just that, a myth. Homer’s Iliad chopped and changed through its oral retelling (and there’s debate over whether he even existed). Shakespeare worked with other writers constantly, with collaboration common practice in Elizabethan England. Heck, most TV shows today pass through a writers’ room. And it’s prevalent in art too; you might think you're admiring a Rembrandt, but experts tell us he delegated lots of his painting to assistants. 

It’s perhaps a bitter pill to swallow for many creative minds, but collaboration and shared ideas lie behind many of the world’s masterpieces. And our research has found that business benefits from a collective approach, too. 

The business of imagination

Most organisations understand the value of creative thinkers. And that’s the purpose of AI, right? To free up our time to think bigger and be bolder. But unless companies cultivate teams’ thinking in the right way, those business-boosting ideas simply won’t flow. 

At The Frameworks, we have long believed in the power of collaboration, and that good ideas can come from anywhere. When we’re coming up with a “big idea” for a client, we don’t leave it to one person or team, we gather a large group – strategists, account managers, writers and designers – and see what sparks fly.  

This openness to everyone, regardless of job function, has seen designers conjure up copy lines and account managers swoop in with a campaign-driving idea. Ultimately, we always prioritise imagination over source.

As we’ve discovered in our research for The business of imagination report, working together like this not only drives better ideas but revenue, too. Of the companies that always involve cross-functional teams when ideating strategy, 87% saw their revenue grow over the past year, while 45% saw their revenue grow “considerably”. And the 68% who sometimes or never include cross-functional teams? Their revenue shrank over the same period.

‍We’re better together

I confess, when I first started my career in journalism, my instinct was to guard my ideas or at least make it abundantly clear when an idea had come from me. In my defence, it’s a competitive industry. 

But, while it’s natural to want recognition, I realised when I joined The Frameworks that I was putting unnecessary pressure on myself: supporting the evolution of ideas is just as important as coming up with them. 

Now it’s a relief that I don’t have to go it alone. Getting a bold idea heard demands a lot of conviction and persuasive skills to bring others round to your way of thinking; in a group, I feel protected and more willing to share my thoughts. Crucially, the collective acts as a safe testing ground to refine ideas before they’re taken higher up.

I still may throw out the winning wildcard, but I’m just as happy contributing to ideas that are already on the table or simply sitting back in awe at something a colleague has come up with. 

And it’s not only about shaping a better experience for those in the room. When you involve people from different parts of the business, every potential opportunity and risk can get an airing. This type of collaboration means you’re more likely to consider all the possibilities and find the best, future-proof solution. 

It’s all in the process

Collective imagining doesn’t happen by accident. In today’s world, we’re trained to prove our worth, meet targets and deliver to – and often beyond – our job description. Changing that way of thinking, working and rewarding teams is critical to your collective success.

Collaboration needs encouragement and the right framework. Scheduled workshops are a great way to get everyone in a room to share and surface ideas. In Japan, they use “Kaizen” (改善) – a practice of bringing people together to focus on a single task with no distractions. While some organisations create a space dedicated to cross-team collaboration, with whiteboards and other creative tools. 

Crucially, embedding a culture of co-creation into your business demands a group of creative leaders who share that vision. They, after all, are there to set the tone – and make sure creative processes work. It’s their job to reward those who adopt these practices, too. Actively celebrating team work rather than focusing on individual performance demonstrates that you take collaboration seriously as a business. 

Creativity is a team sport

It’s official: collaboration across teams is good for business. And I can attest it’s good for morale. Rather than worrying about saving the day, I can focus on making the best ideas come to life, bouncing off other people and finding ways to make the spark a reality. 

As a writer, I still like to think I have a masterpiece-making genius within me, but I know I’m stronger alongside a team of geniuses (or genii for any Latinists). It sounds like a cliché, but delivering – and celebrating – ideas with my team is a lot more fun than facing it all alone.