A huge part of the creative process is “inspiration time.” The totally unquantifiable time when inspiration hits and the magic happens. It’s different for each individual. The trick of managing creative teams well is allowing them space and time to be inspired. It’s not easy, but it’s essential.
Even before Covid happened, it was important to allow creatives to work remotely. Now it is essential. The bottom line is that it just doesn’t matter where they are or what they are doing as long as they are delivering.
The payback from good creative people is that they are never, not working. It’s commonplace for them to wake up in the middle of the night with a great idea. They make a coffee, hit their work terminal, and in the morning, as if by magic, you are presented with an exceptional idea or a great piece of work, ready to go.