In the world of creativity and innovation, stress plays a crucial role. However, not all stress is the same: the effect depends on the extent to which stress is experienced. You can imagine this phenomenon as a linear spectrum, with hypostress on one end, distress on the other, and the zones of positive and negative eustress in between.
Hypostress refers to a state where there is no pressure whatsoever. Employees feel neither a demand nor a necessity to seek innovation. Everything seems fine just as it is. Without challenges or stimuli, there is no incentive to think creatively. In such a scenario, you rely solely on employees’ intrinsic motivation to innovate—even though there is no explicit request from the organization. An organization that values agility and thus innovation will want to steer clear of this situation.
At the other end of the spectrum lies distress: the pressure is so high that employees can no longer cope. The challenge seems impossible, causing them to give up even before they start. There is far too little time or too few resources, or the challenges are simply too great for them to see the beginnings of a solution. This form of negative stress leads to fear, paralysis, and a “every person for themselves” reflex. Under these circumstances, innovation becomes impossible.
The effect of stress on creativity and innovation
The zone between hypostress and distress is often called the eustress zone, subdivided into positive and negative eustress. Here, employees experience a healthy level of pressure—high enough to challenge them but not so high that it becomes paralyzing.
Positive eustress stimulates creativity and innovation
In a state of positive eustress, employees feel sufficiently challenged to remain creative and engaged, without being overwhelmed. They are explicitly asked for their ideas, and their curiosity is sparked. They have a clear goal and receive enough (though not unlimited) time and resources to truly think broadly. As a result, they are more inclined to think laterally and explore widely, which enhances originality.
Competition between teams can be motivating in this context, as long as it’s used constructively. Think, for instance, of demand-driven innovation sprints or organization-wide innovation challenges. Because there’s a clear question and a well-defined framework, employees know exactly what is expected of them. If they are also guided through a structured process of discovering innovative solutions, their chances of success increase. This, in turn, makes them more likely to repeat such behavior in the future.
One easy way to stimulate this during a session is to ask participants how much time they need for an exercise, then give them just a little more than they request.
Negative eustress can be used for a one time innovation emergency
In the negative eustress zone, the pressure is high but not paralyzing. Time and resources are slightly insufficient while the challenges are fairly complex. Employees may think, “This is extremely difficult, but maybe not impossible.” It’s clear that classic approaches no longer work here, which makes them willing to break conventions, discard entrenched rules, and devise unorthodox solutions. A typical feature is that there’s less breadth in generating entirely new ideas. Under negative stress, people tend to search “vertically” for ways to remove obstacles around existing ideas.
Examples include the development of the atomic bomb, the race to the moon, or more recently, the creation of the COVID vaccine—cases where extreme circumstances led to exceptional leaps forward.
Some managers use this approach by creating a so-called “burning platform.” While it can yield impressive short-term results, it may exact a long-term toll on employees’ physical and mental well-being. Due to the negative effects of prolonged exposure to negative stress, this is not a sustainable method for long term innovation.
Do you want a continuous flow of creativity and innovation within your organization? Focus primarily on positive eustress. Create an environment where employees are both challenged and supported, with sufficient guidance, resources, and—if needed—a healthy dose of competition.
Only opt for negative eustress in exceptional situations. And if you do, make sure to provide proper follow-up care for employees who have gone above and beyond for you.
At Bedenk, we help organizations develop a climate where positive eustress fuels sustainable renewal. Curious about what we can do for your organization? Feel free to get in touch and discover how we can work together to build a culture of successful, broadly supported innovation.
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