Trying to be creative? Don’t be too unique

Throw together a diverse mix of creative brains, sit back and wait for the magic to happen. That’s the sure-fire recipe for creative work if you believe everything you read. It’s true that diversity is a crucial element of group creativity, but research by Pier Vittorio Mannucci, Assistant Professor of Organisational Behaviour at London Business School, sheds new light on the relationship between uniqueness and creativity – and it hinges on technological toolkits.

Dr Mannucci takes us on a dynamic tour of the Hollywood animation industry and finds that the technology used by creative teams matters more than we think.

“As a leader,” he says, “you might wonder why your team fails to be creative when it comprises members with novel expertise, from different backgrounds. But you need to pay attention to the tools they use in their work.