CREATIVITY

CMOs worried that hybrid working is hampering company creativity

By our News Team | 2021

LinkedIn study finds many chief marketing officers believe the trend to hybrid working models could stifle the generation of ideas.

More than two-thirds of chief marketing officers in Europe say they are worried that less time in the office with colleagues is negatively impacting creativity. 

These top marketing bosses believe the seemingly permanent trend towards remote working – or at least a hybrid working model that allows a mixture of home-based and office-based work – could lead to employees feeling less comfortable with each other, impacting their ideas generation.

The results come from a study by social media platform LinkedIn, which is being reported by the UK-based industry publication Marketing Week.

Creativity

Image by Anrita1705 from Pixabay

According to Marketing Week, nearly 90% of businesses in Europe are planning to offer employees greater flexibility around where they work. Consequently, many CMOs think hybrid working models could make it challenging to build meaningful relationships within organisations.

“Despite all challenges and concerns, most marketing leaders acknowledge flexible working is key to attracting great talent and improving workforce diversity – both of which lead to bolstering creativity,” the report says.

CMOs must find new ways of working

“Establishing new ways of working and helping employees to adapt would be the top priority of more than three-quarters of marketing leaders.”

Tom Pepper, Senior Director of LinkedIn Marketing Solutions for the EMEA and Latin American regions, is quoted as saying: “Creativity is crucial to brand building and an essential part of being a marketer, so it’s only natural that marketing leaders are concerned about how hybrid working will impact this important skill.”

Recently, Strategic Marketing for Africa, the magazine of the African Marketing Confederation, touched on the challenge of remote working and creativity in the African advertising industry.

Yasser Bagersh, group CEO of Ethiopian-based Cactus Communications, told the publication that, except for three weeks at the height of Covid-19 in April 2020, the company’s creative teams had felt it was more beneficial to be in the office together.

To mitigate the impact of Covid-19 and safeguard jobs, management established two daily shifts to allow for adequate social distancing while creative teams continued to collaborate and co-create in shared office spaces. 

“The creative process requires that people sit together and scribble on walls. When we worked remotely for three weeks our creative teams opted to return to the office for in-person meetings and collaborations,” Bagersh explained.

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    Dr Kin Kariisa

    Group CEO - Next Media

    Dr. Kin Kariisa is an extraordinary force at the helm of Next Media Services, a conglomerate encompassing NBS TV, Nile Post, Sanyuka TV, Next Radio, Salam TV, Next Communication, Next Productions, and an array of other influential enterprises. His dynamic role as Chief Executive Officer exemplifies his unwavering commitment to shaping media, business, and community landscapes.
    With an esteemed academic journey, Dr. Kariisa’s accolades include an Honorary PhD in exemplary community service from the United Graduate College inTexas, an MBA from United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya, a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from Huazong University in China, and a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Makerere University.
    Dr. Kariisa pursued PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands. As a dynamic educator, he has shared his expertise as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at both Makerere University and Radboud University.

    Dr Kin did his PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radbond University in Nigmegen, Netherlands. He previously served as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and Radbond University in Netherlands.

    Dr Kin did his postgraduate courses in Strategic Business Management, Strategic Leadership Communication and Strategies for Leading Successful Change Initiatives at Harvard University, Boston USA.

    • Other current and previous roles played by Dr Kin Kariisa:
    • Lecturer of e-Government and Information Security to graduate students at Makerere University, Kampala and Radbond University in the Netherlands
    • Director of Eco Bank Uganda Limited, one of the largest banks in Africa
    • Chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters, an umbrella industry association for all Television, Radio and online broadcasters in Uganda.
    • Chairman of Board of Directors of Nile Hotel International, that owns the leading hotel in Uganda, Kampala Serena Hotel.
    • Chairman of Board of Directors of Soliton Telmec Uganda, the leading telecom company in Optic fibre business managing over 80% of optic fibre in Uganda.