The vast majority of scholars and practitioners believe that working synchronously is essential for creativity. With the rise of remote work and flexible work schedules, however, team members can often collaborate on the same project without being in the same time zone — much less the same office. When team members contribute to a joint outcome but work completely separately — not even coordinating over Zoom or phone — we call their work asynchronous. Asynchronous teamwork is rapidly growing, and it has tremendous consequences for creativity in the future of work.
Research: Asynchronous Work Can Fuel Creativity
A study with Baul folk musicians found that recording asynchronously boosted creative freedom for women and didn’t negatively affect it for men.
April 17, 2023
Marcel/Stocksy
Summary.
It’s a common misconception that working synchronously is better for creativity. And while there are benefits for ideation, synchronous work is also stifling a lot of people’s creativity. New research studying men and women Baul folk musicians in India shows that recording musical parts asynchronously led to greater creative freedom, and thus greater creativity, for women musicians, while no variation was noted among men musicians. These findings are consistent with previous research on creativity that indicates the importance of “safe communication climates.” But much of the research has not taken into account the experience of lower-status members of a group. By opening the possibilities for women and marginalized people at work to express themselves more freely in a variety of creative work, asynchronous work has tangible benefits for the future of work.